February is the most dangerous month for drivers. How to avoid accidents
According to statistics, February is the busiest month of the year. How to behave on a winter road so as not to get into an accident: we decide together with an expert
Photo: mobile correspondent / AGN “Moscow”
February in Moscow is the largest state of emergency according to the current union of motor insurers. According to statistics provided by RSA Autonews.ru, more than 220,000 vehicles have recently been involved in traffic accidents this month of 2021. And these are only those who have an OSAGO policy.
Why is driving dangerous in winter?
In winter, drivers often make summer mistakes, says race car driver and author of driving textbooks Mikhail Gorbachev. “The winter road forces the driver to activate the winter driving mode. The main thing is the knife switch, which must be put in the “winter” position. Unfortunately, many people forget to do this,” the expert explains.
Gorbachev notes that on snowy roads, situations often arise when a driver wants to overtake another car, drives too close, turns the steering wheel sharply and presses on the gas pedal, after which the car becomes uncontrollable. “In winter, when the wheels are spinning, you don't need to press the gas pedal at all,” Gorbachev warns, “you need to change lanes with very light pressure on the gas pedal, while understanding that the lane change and gas pressure can cause a skid.”
However, in some cases, a winter road is safer, for example, at exits. Off-road driving is not as dangerous as in summer, because the snow dampens the speed of the car very quickly. Gorbachev makes another important remark: “If you see that it is impossible for you to drive on the road, for example, a truck has turned over on ice, then in winter it will be much safer to send the car somewhere in a snowdrift near the road, where there is a lot of snow. A car in a snowdrift will quickly brake and thus be able to avoid a blow.
“Black ice”
Another common problem on winter roads is ice. It is not visible on the road, and the asphalt at first glance seems wet, but in fact it is covered with a thin layer of ice. “Icing is calculated very simply: by brightness, vehicle behavior and braking,” says Gorbachev.
Photo: mobile correspondent / AGN “Moscow”
According to the expert, you first need to make sure that there is a safe distance from other cars in the back, but it is better not to have it. It is necessary to sharply press the brake pedal and immediately release it. If the car “itches” with its nose, then the grip is more or less normal, otherwise there is ice under the wheels. Therefore, it is necessary to significantly reduce the speed.
prepared car
So that the car does not fail on a slippery road, you need to be prepared. Winter tires such as Velcro or studded tires should be used. But it is worth noting that those who often drive on tracks with rolled snow and ice should still buy studded tires, Velcro is only suitable where the roads are regularly well cleaned and treated with reagents. We must not forget about the service life of studded tires – it is 5 years from the date of manufacture in accordance with GOST 52900-2007.
In addition to tires, in the winter months it is necessary to check all vehicle fluids: brake fluid, engine and transmission oil, antifreeze. And also be sure to have antifreeze in the trunk, regardless of the fullness of the windshield washer.