Michaela’s Muses: A lesson on driving in the snow

It is that time of year again when the drivers of New Mexico, nay Rio Rancho, are clueless in hazardous weather circumstances.

You may be saying to yourself, “But I am a great driver. It is everyone else.” Wrong. We are all terrible drivers in the eye of the beholder, which happens to be the drivers around you.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you are not the only car on the road. I am not either.

Before one can begin to comprehend driving in the snow, one needs to understand the social culture around it. While generally driving is all about common courtesy on the road, it is that much more apparent in the snow.

The person in front of you and the person behind you are your reference points. Pay attention to how they react to what we call “the skid.” Everyone knows what it is like to slip on a wet floor. When a car goes into a “skid,” the laws of physics take you for a ride if you aren’t careful.

When road conditions are icy and slippery, a car’s back end will start to wander from left to right.

Now this is important. The goal of driving in the snow is to keep your front end in the front. So if you think about it, when the back end slides to the right and you try to pull away from it by turning left, the car will “spin out.” To keep your front end in its place, instead you should turn into the “skid.” So if the back end is sliding to the right, slowly adjust to the right with it.

It sounds confusing, I know. But trust me, it works.

But there are tactics you can use to avoid the skid all together. The trick is to keep your RPM’s (revolutions per minute) low or in the 1,000- 2,000 RPM range. Sliding and spinning out often happens because people are accelerating too quickly from a stop.

It is suggested that in really hazardous conditions, stopping is not a good idea unless it is absolutely necessary. A slow roll is safer for both the driver and the car.

Instead of slamming the pedal to the metal from a stop, one should let off the gas to begin rolling and then ease into first gear.

So that’s it! Good luck. Please pay attention to the road and other drivers during this forecasted snowy couple of months.

A few things to keep on hand in case of an emergency in the snow:

• A shovel comes in handy when you need to create traction under the tires. Dig up some dirt and throw it under the tires.
• A ice scraper as windshields are better to see out of when there’s no snow or ice on them. (Do not throw hot water on a frozen windshield. Your windshield will instantly shatter to pieces. If you don’t have a scraper or can’t afford one, a plastic cup works just as well.
• Extra jacket, because it can get freaking cold out.
• NM Roads webpage maps feature shows weather conditions on roads throughout the state including in Rio Rancho. Also handy for commuters who travel to Santa Fe or Albuquerque