If You Have To Drive On Icy Roads...
PLANO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Patrick Williams is a retired Texas State Trooper who has spent the last 10 years as the chief instructor at Ideal Driving School in Plano.
He took CBS 11 out for a lesson on how to drive on ice-covered roads.
"If the road is slick the first thing you want to do is take your foot off of the gas and control the direction of the vehicle's movement by steering into the direction that you're spinning," explained Williams.
Even a small amount of frozen precipitation like we saw Wednesday, Feb. 23, can wreak havoc on hills and bridges.
Williams says that's why it's important to know your route before you leave.
"Are there any hills where I'm going? You might get caught at the bottom of a hill and might not be able to get up out of it," he said.
The instructor, who teaches as many as 4,000 driving students a year at the school, says resist the urge to slam on the brakes at the first sign of losing traction and "you have to look much farther ahead for what's going on in front of you in case you need to start slowing down more and stop."
One of the most common mistakes Williams says drivers often make when heading out in winter weather is leaving before the windshields and windows are completely clear of ice or snow.
It's also critical, he says, to test the windshield wipers to make sure they aren't frozen.
While there are a lot of tips that can make driving in winter weather safer, Williams says accidents and problems are usually caused by drivers who make the same mistake.
"They tend to drive like they always drive," he said. "They don't slow down. They don't take the extra precautions that they're going to need to take."