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Vermont driving lesson · Hazardous Driving Conditions

Winter driving & blizzards

A 4-minute lesson from the Vermont 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
Hazardous Driving Conditions
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
47, 48

Winter is the most difficult driving season in Vermont. You have snow and ice to deal with, and fewer hours of daylight. Good winter driving starts with preparing your vehicle, and it includes knowing how to survive if you get stranded.

Get your vehicle ready:

  • Brakes, windshield wipers, defroster, heater and exhaust system in top condition
  • Check the antifreeze; fill the washer reservoir with fluid made for winter use
  • Good snow tires on all four wheels, put on early, before the first snowfall
  • Never combine different types of tires on the same vehicle
  • Keep tires properly inflated
Handbook p. 47 ↗

Know the rule

During ice or snow storms, especially under a traveler's advisory, don't drive unless absolutely necessary. If you must, clear ice and snow from the entire vehicle, clear ice from the wipers, and keep the inside of the windows free of moisture.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

When sleet, freezing rain or snow starts, black ice can form quickly, and you may not see it. Bridges, ramps and overpasses are likely to freeze first. Slippery spots can remain after road crews clear the highway.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

Allow more time and increase your following distance to more than 4 seconds. Even four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles don't have good traction on ice.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

Be especially careful near snowplows. The snow they blow makes them hard to see, they're wider than other vehicles, and they often move slowly.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

Travel in the day, don't travel alone, and tell others your route and schedule. Stay on main roads and avoid back-road shortcuts.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Keep in your vehicle:

  • Windshield scraper and brush
  • Small shovel
  • Kitty litter or sand
  • Extra clothing, food and water
  • Cell phone
  • Extra windshield washer fluid
  • Basic first aid kit
  • Flashlight
Handbook p. 48 ↗
Half tank

Always keep at least a half tank of gas in your vehicle

Handbook p. 48 ↗

If you're caught in a blizzard or stranded:

  • Pull off the highway, turn on hazard lights and hang a distress flag from a door handle, antenna or window
  • Stay in the vehicle; walk only if you can see shelter close by (blowing snow distorts distance)
  • Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour; crack a downwind window; keep the exhaust pipe clear
  • Exercise lightly, insulate with maps, seat covers and floor mats, huddle, and use coats as blankets
  • Take turns sleeping so someone always watches for rescuers
  • Drink fluids (never alcohol) and don't waste battery power
  • Turn on the inside light at night; if remote, stomp HELP or SOS in the snow, lined with rocks or limbs
Handbook p. 48 ↗
10 minutes each hour

How long to run the engine and heater when stranded, with a downwind window slightly open

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Put it into practice

A squall strands you on a back road. Pull off, turn on your flashers and tie a scarf to the antenna. Stay with the car. Run the heater about 10 minutes an hour with a downwind window cracked, and clear snow from the tailpipe to avoid carbon monoxide.

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.

On a slippery road, how should you adjust your following distance compared to normal conditions?
  1. Increase it to more than 4 seconds
  2. Keep it at exactly 4 seconds
  3. Decrease it slightly for better control
  4. Following distance doesn't matter on ice

Answer: Increase it to more than 4 seconds

On slippery roads, increase your following distance to more than 4 seconds.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
Which road surfaces tend to freeze first, even when the main road looks clear?
  1. Wide open highways
  2. Bridges, ramps, and overpasses
  3. Gravel shoulders
  4. Uphill grades

Answer: Bridges, ramps, and overpasses

Bridges, ramps, and overpasses are likely to freeze before the rest of the roadway.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
Do four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles have good traction on ice?
  1. Yes, that is their main advantage
  2. Only with snow tires on all four wheels
  3. Yes, as long as tires are properly inflated
  4. No, they have better traction in snow but not on ice

Answer: No, they have better traction in snow but not on ice

Even four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles do not have good traction on ice.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
All-wheel-drive vehicles have excellent traction on icy roads, just like on snowy ones.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

All-wheel and four-wheel drive help in snow but do not provide good traction on ice.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
How much fuel does the handbook say you should always keep in your vehicle in winter?
  1. At least a quarter tank
  2. At least a half tank
  3. At least three-quarters of a tank
  4. A full tank

Answer: At least a half tank

Among the winter preparations: always have at least a half tank of gas in your vehicle.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
You're stranded in your car during a blizzard. How often should you run the engine and heater?
  1. About 30 minutes each hour
  2. About 5 minutes every 3 hours
  3. About 10 minutes each hour
  4. Continuously, with windows closed

Answer: About 10 minutes each hour

Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour, with a downwind window slightly open and the exhaust pipe clear.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
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