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Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When
you drive
i n mud, snow or sand, your wheels
won't get good traction. You can't accelerate as
quickly, turning is more difficult, and you'll need longer
braking distances.
It's best. to use a low gear when you're i n mud -- the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea is to keep your vehicle moving so you don't
get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you'll sense a change in wheel
traction. But it will depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as on beaches or sand
dunes) your tires will tend to sink into the sand. This has
an effect on steering, accelerating and braking. You may
want to reduce the air pressure in your tires slightly
when driving on sand. This will improve traction.
Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it's very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is so poor that you will
have difficulty accelerating. And if you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can cause you to slide
out of control.
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents under
the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the ice. Your
vehicle could fall through the ice and you and
your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle
on safe surfaces only.
Driving in Water
Light rain causes
no
special off-road driving problems.
But heavy rain can mean
flash
tlooding:, and
flood
waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is be.fore you drive through
it.
If it's deep enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles or
exhaust pipe, don't try it -- you probably won't get
through. Also, water that deep can darnage your axle
and other vehicle parts.
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