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Minnesota driving lesson · Driving Conditions

Winter driving and staying alert

A 4-minute lesson from the Minnesota course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Driving Conditions
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
84, 85

Minnesota winters bring ice, snowplows and the risk of getting stranded in dangerous cold. Prepare your vehicle, carry a survival kit, and know what to do if you get stuck.

Before and during winter driving

  • Clear snow and ice from the hood, windows and lights
  • Use windshield washer fluid that contains antifreeze
  • Test your brakes gently while driving slowly to feel the road
  • Adjust your speed to road conditions
  • Avoid cruise control on slippery roads
Handbook p. 84 ↗

Know the rule

If you're stuck on ice or snow, rock the vehicle: keep the front wheels straight, drive slowly forward then backward as far as possible without spinning, and accelerate gently when the tires grip. If it slides or spins, brake and repeat in the opposite direction.

Handbook p. 84 ↗

Know the rule

During a declared snow emergency, obey the special parking rules to avoid towing and fines.

Handbook p. 84 ↗

Know the rule

Watch for the flashing white, yellow and blue lights of snowplows. Never crowd a plow; pass only when you can see the entire vehicle, and stay well back from flying sand, snow and ice. Plows kick up whiteout clouds, move slowly and may back up to turn in residential areas.

Handbook p. 84 ↗

Winter survival kit

  • Shovel and a container of sand or salt
  • Warm clothing, footwear and a blanket or sleeping bag
  • Red flag for the antenna
  • Quick energy foods, drinking water and an empty waste container
  • Tow chain and tire chains
  • Road flares or reflectors and jumper cables
  • Candles and matches or a lighter
  • First aid kit
Handbook p. 84 ↗

If you're stranded in the cold

  • Stay with your vehicle — most deaths happen when people leave and get lost
  • Turn on hazard lights; tie a red flag to the antenna or door handle; set out flags and flares
  • Bring supplies from the trunk inside the vehicle
  • Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow and debris
  • Run the engine and heater until warm, then shut off; repeat while fuel lasts
  • Leave at least one window partly open, even in extreme cold, to prevent CO poisoning
  • Keep at least one person awake at all times
Handbook p. 85 ↗
10 minutes

Recommended engine run time each hour when stranded

Handbook p. 85 ↗

Staying alert on long drives

  • Get plenty of rest before a long trip
  • Stop at least every 100 miles or every two hours to walk, stretch and eat
  • Talk with passengers, or listen to the radio or sing if alone
  • Open a window slightly; don't rely on stay-awake drugs
  • Ask someone else to drive when tired, or stop for the day
  • Resting in the car: park far from the road, lock the doors, open windows slightly
Handbook p. 85 ↗

Put it into practice

A blizzard strands you on a rural road. Stay in the car, clear the tailpipe, and run the engine about 10 minutes each hour with a window cracked. Tie a red flag to the antenna and keep someone awake.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

If your vehicle becomes stuck on ice or snow, what technique can help free it?
  1. Spin the tires to melt the ice
  2. Rock it gently forward and backward
  3. Turn the wheels sharply while accelerating
  4. Floor the gas in reverse

Answer: Rock it gently forward and backward

Rocking the vehicle gently between forward and reverse, without spinning the tires, can help free it.

Handbook p. 84 ↗
When following a snowplow, what should you do?
  1. Follow closely in the cleared path
  2. Pass quickly on the right shoulder
  3. Stay well back; pass only when you see the whole plow
  4. Flash your lights so the driver sees you

Answer: Stay well back; pass only when you see the whole plow

You should stay well back from a snowplow and only pass when you can see the whole vehicle clearly.

Handbook p. 84 ↗
If stranded in cold weather, how often is it recommended to run your engine to stay warm?
  1. Continuously the entire time
  2. Only once, for 30 minutes
  3. Never run the engine while stranded
  4. About 10 minutes each hour

Answer: About 10 minutes each hour

Running the engine about 10 minutes per hour helps conserve fuel while keeping you warm.

Handbook p. 85 ↗
While stranded and running the engine intermittently, what should you do with a window?
  1. Leave one window partly open
  2. Keep all windows tightly closed
  3. Open a window only above freezing
  4. Open all windows fully each hour

Answer: Leave one window partly open

A partially open window helps prevent carbon monoxide buildup while the engine runs.

Handbook p. 85 ↗
On a long drive, how often should you stop to stay alert?
  1. Every 200 miles or four hours
  2. Every 100 miles or two hours
  3. Only when you feel drowsy
  4. Every 50 miles or one hour

Answer: Every 100 miles or two hours

Stopping at least every 100 miles or two hours helps prevent fatigue-related crashes.

Handbook p. 85 ↗
You should avoid using cruise control on slippery roads.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Cruise control should be avoided in slippery winter driving conditions.

Handbook p. 84 ↗
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