WATCH: Idaho Driver Demonstrates Worst Way to Drive on Ice
This video below of an Idaho driver in Post Falls showcases the perfect example of what not to do if you hit a patch of ice.
It’s safe to say that ice doesn’t care whether you have four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive, or drive the biggest 4x4 on the block. If you’re going to slide, it’s going to happen but there are a few things you can do to try and safely regain control.
So, what went wrong?
One thing you shouldn’t do in just about every icy situation is hit the gas. On the contrary, gunning it will most likely cause you to overcorrect and you'll probably wind up in a ditch, like the driver of this Subaru in Post Falls after a recent snowstorm. Your safest bet in most situations is to let off the gas and (slowly) turn in the direction of the skid. With that in mind, this driver luckily found a way to right themselves despite overcorrecting into the ditch, out of the ditch, and back into the ditch before sliding right back onto the roadway.
What should you do if you start to slide on ice?
As a refresher, according to the Idaho Department of Transportation, there are a few things you should keep in mind if you start to slide on ice:
- Take your foot off the gas
- Don’t slam on the brakes
- Turn slowly into the Skid
- Don’t overcorrect
News Flash: I don’t know everything
It’s easy for me to armchair quarterback this scenario from the comfort of my keyboard in my living room. But before I get too critical, it’s important to note that I’m not privy to the entire story. We can assume but we don’t know for sure what was happening inside the car at the time. While it looks like the driver experienced a bad case of pedal-panic, for all we know hell itself might have been on their tail, or they were trying to outrun high gas prices. Though it appears like this person did everything wrong, it looks like they drove off intact, and fortunately, nobody was hurt.
If you disagree or have a different perspective on what happened here, feel free to leave a comment.