Roadwise States Nebraska Driving lessons Snow, ice, blizzards and pavement drop-offs Nebraska driving lesson · Special Driving Conditions
Snow, ice, blizzards and pavement drop-offs A 3-minute lesson from the Nebraska course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Special Driving Conditions
Checkpoint questions 5
Source pages 70, 71 Winter driving means slow, gentle moves. How you brake depends on whether your vehicle has antilock brakes (ABS).
On snow and ice: Reduce speed and proceed with extreme caution Increase your following distance Keep your windows clear Make speed and direction changes gradually Don't use cruise control Handbook p. 70 ↗ Know the rule
Without ABS, you have no steering control unless the tires are rolling.
Handbook p. 71 ↗ Know the rule
Going uphill, apply just enough power to keep your speed, but not so much that the wheels spin.
Handbook p. 71 ↗ Know the rule
Blizzards combine the limited visibility of fog, slippery ice and snow, and sudden wind; driving isn't advised.
Handbook p. 71 ↗ If you're stranded in a blizzard: Don't panic; stay with the vehicle Open a window slightly for fresh air Conserve fuel: run the engine and heater sparingly, only with a window slightly open Keep snow from blocking the exhaust (tail) pipe Use emergency flashers so work crews see you; turn on the dome light at night With more than one person, take turns keeping watch and sleeping Handbook p. 71 ↗ If your wheels drop off the pavement edge: Hold the steering wheel firmly and steer so the wheels straddle the edge Don't try to turn back onto the road immediately Reduce speed and check traffic Gradually turn back onto the road when safe, staying in your driving lane Handbook p. 71 ↗ Put it into practice
Your right wheels drop off the pavement onto a soft shoulder at 55 mph. Grip the wheel, ease off, and straddle the edge. Once you've slowed and traffic is clear, steer gradually back into your lane.
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.
In snow or ice, if your vehicle has antilock brakes (ABS), you should: Pump the brake pedal rapidly Avoid using the brakes entirely Pump the brake pedal slowly, once per second Press the brake pedal firmly and not pump it Answer: Press the brake pedal firmly and not pump it
ABS-equipped vehicles need firm, steady pressure, not pumping.
Handbook p. 71 ↗ In snow or ice, if your vehicle does NOT have antilock brakes, you should: Pump the brake pedal to keep the brakes from locking up Press the brake pedal firmly and hold it Avoid braking and coast to a stop Shift into neutral before braking Answer: Pump the brake pedal to keep the brakes from locking up
Non-ABS vehicles need brake pumping to avoid lockup.
Handbook p. 71 ↗ Studded tires are lawful in Nebraska only from: October 1 to March 1 November 1 to April 1 December 1 to February 28 Year-round Answer: November 1 to April 1
Studded tires are legal only from November 1 through April 1.
Handbook p. 71 ↗ If you become stranded in a blizzard, you should: Leave the vehicle immediately to find shelter Run the engine continuously with windows fully closed Stay with the vehicle and run the engine and heater sparingly with a window cracked Turn off all lights to conserve the battery Answer: Stay with the vehicle and run the engine and heater sparingly with a window cracked
Stay with the vehicle, running the engine/heater sparingly with a cracked window.
Handbook p. 71 ↗ If your right wheels drop off the pavement edge, what should you do first? Steer sharply back onto the pavement at once Brake hard and stop in the traffic lane Speed up to climb back onto the roadway Hold the wheel firmly and straddle the edge Answer: Hold the wheel firmly and straddle the edge
Hold the wheel firmly, straddle the edge, reduce speed, and turn back gradually only when safe.
Handbook p. 71 ↗ Previous lesson Drowsy driving Next lesson Defensive driving: scan, communicate, isolate More in Special Driving Conditions About the source Roadwise’s Nebraska course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 70, 71. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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