Winter Driving

Severe winter weather conditions quickly wear tires and cause other problems. To minimize winter driving problems, follow these recommendations:

Information

Summer tires are designed to provide better handling on dry roads, which vary depending on specification. Because vehicles equipped with summer tires have significantly reduced traction on snow or icy roads, it is recommended to use winter tires of the same size as the standard tires, replace them with all-season tires, or use tire chains.

WARNING

Using summer tires in extreme cold may cause cracks to form and permanently damage them.

Snow or Ice

You must maintain a sufficient following distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you.

Apply the brake gently. Rapid acceleration, sudden braking, and sharp turns are potentially very dangerous actions. When braking, use engine braking to the fullest extent. Sudden braking on snowy or icy roads may cause the vehicle to skid.

To drive through deep snow, it may be necessary to use winter tires or to fit snow chains to your tires.

Always carry emergency equipment in your vehicle. Some items you may want to carry include snow tire chains, tow straps or chains, a flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables, an ice scraper, gloves, a rag, coveralls, a blanket, etc.