Sunday's snowstorm served as a reminder that winter in Minnesota frequently means car crashes.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the foul weather . In some ways, those numbers are yet more proof that winter-weather driving can prove difficult.
For this week's Patch Pro, we've lined up someone who can answer all your questions about winter driving safety, and winter car repairs.
Jeff Matt is the owner and founder of Fridley's Victory Auto Service & Glass, a local, award-winning auto repair business with five locations in the Twin Cities. Jeff is also an ASE Certified Master Technician with more than 20 years of automotive experience.
In 2011, Jeff received an Eleven Who Care award from KARE 11 for his charitable work with Free to Be, a local nonprofit providing donated vehicles and free and discounted auto services to individuals in need in Anoka County. Victory Auto was also honored with a 2010 Integrity Award from the Better Business Bureau, its Fridley location was named a AAA 2011 Top Shop, and it received a Super Service Award in 2012 from Angie’s List.
Send forth all your burning questions in the comments section, and Matt will do his best to reply.
Wow, this would be a pretty scary situation! You may not have many options especially if there are cars on both sides of you, cars behind you or you are on glare ice. Here is what you should do: If you have anti-lock brakes hold steady pressure on your brake pedal throughout the slide. If your vehicle does not have anti-lock brakes you should press and release your brake pedal steadily until you regain control of the vehicle. As you are sliding, the rear of your vehicle will likely want to go to one side or the other, if space allows turn your steering wheel the same direction that the rear of the vehicle goes. If the rear ends starts sliding to the right then turn right. Good luck and stay safe!
Yes there are some specific guidelines you should follow. Here they are. According to AAA the normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds when driving in snowy or inclement conditions. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop. Thanks for your question Scott.
The best winter weather driving tip? Slow down. Thanks Ryan!
The most important factor in determining if your tires are good for the winter is the tire tread depth. To have adequate snow traction, a tire requires at least 6/32-inch deep tread, (new passenger car tires usually have 10/32-inch of tread). To find out where your tire tread depth is, a tire tread depth gauge can purchased at any auto parts store for a couple dollars or you can bring your vehicle by any reputable repair shop and have them check this for you. Thanks for your question.
I did a little research to see if there was specific protocol from MN Dept. of Transportation that addresses your question, I didn't find any. My advice would be to stay in the the furthest right lane, however in the major snow storms there is often times only one lane that vehicles travel in thus making it the easiest to navigate and drive in, I would definitely suggest staying in that lane. I did find a great page on MN DOT's website that has many useful winter driving tips as well as tips for navigating with snow plow trucks. Here is the link: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/workzone/ Thanks for the question!
This is another great question. Typically the snow plows are driving much slower(intentionally) than typical traffic moves along so being ahead of the plow in and of itself isn't likely an issue like it would be if it were a police, fire or rescue vehicle however if you feel that you are having a difficult time staying AHEAD of a plow vehicle then I would recommend that you exit the highway allowing them to get ahead of you and re-enter the highway. Thanks for the question!