Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or IceWhen you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheelswill not get good traction. You can not accelerateas quickly, turning is more difficult, and you will needlonger braking distances.It is best to use a low gear when you are in mud — thedeeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deepmud, the idea is to keep your vehicle moving so you donot get stuck.When you drive on sand, you will sense a change inwheel traction. But it will depend upon how looselypacked the sand is. On loosely packed sand (as onbeaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend to sink intothe sand. This has an effect on steering, acceleratingand braking. Drive at a reduced speed and avoid sharpturns or abrupt maneuvers.Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.On these surfaces, it is very easy to lose control.On wet ice, for example, the traction is so poor that youwill have difficulty accelerating. And, if you do getmoving, poor steering and difficult braking can causeyou to slide out of control.{CAUTION:Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers canbe dangerous. Underwater springs, currentsunder the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken theice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice andyou and your passengers could drown. Driveyour vehicle on safe surfaces only.4-28
