Winter Road Safety
The roads around Jackson and Yellowstone National Park are often snow and/or ice-covered from November until March. Even in the spring, daytime melt water can freeze at night on curves, bridges and intersections creating hazardous driving conditions. Four-wheel drive, front-wheel drive and vehicles with ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) all react differently in snowy/icy conditions and while climbing over mountain passes. General Braking Tips
When braking in snowy/icy conditions or on mountainous roads, the following are good rules of thumb:
- Always test your brakes to see how they feel on the given road conditions. In an area out of traffic, at a slow rate of speed, apply your brakes firmly to test the traction.
- Brake softly -- locking up your wheels and losing traction is the worst thing you can do. In a front-wheel drive car it can cause you to lose control of your steering. If you have ABS brakes, do not "pump" your brakes -- the computer system will do it for you. If you do not have ABS brakes, "pump" the brakes by depressing the brake peddle and quickly releasing it.
- Remember -- four-wheel drive is not the complete "fail safe" vehicle. When you get stuck in a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you are usually very stuck!
- Black ice occurs from condensation when a warm day turns into a cold night. Black ice most often cannot be seen; the only way to know is to test the road for traction.
ABS Brakes
The ABS braking system is a computer-controlled braking system that helps prevent the vehicle's tires from "locking up." When you hit the brake peddle, sensors at each wheel control the amount of brake pressure when it drops below a percentage of the miles per hour (MPH). For example, if you are traveling at 55 MPH and begin to apply hard brake pressure, the ABS will "pump" the brake on each wheel more rapidly than a person can, adjusting the pressure to each individual wheel. If the initial applied pressure would cause a wheel to go below a certain percentage of the MPH the vehicle is traveling at, the ABS will adjust the brake pressure on the individual wheel to prevent it from locking up. Do not pump an ABS as you would a traditional brake system -- pumping an ABS will overload the computer signal and render the braking less effective. Instead, apply even, slow pressure and then release.
Front-Wheel Drive
Vehicles with front-wheel drive use the front two wheels to "pull" the vehicle. This is a great advantage going over mountain passes or up hilly areas; front-wheel drive vehicles are usually more stable than rear-wheel drive vehicles in this type of situation. The danger with a front-wheel drive vehicle is if you lose traction with your front wheels or the back wheels "lockup," and the vehicle begins to slide (usually sideways), you also lose control of your steering.
Four-Wheel Drive
A four-wheel drive vehicle is one of the most safe and stable vehicles for icy/snowy road conditions and hills. In four-wheel drive, all four wheels are engaged to move the vehicle, and in braking situations, all four wheels are braking at the same rate. A note of caution: most four-wheel drive vehicles are "high-clearance" i.e., have a high-center of gravity. Around curves, during spin-outs or skids, these vehicles roll more easily than a car.
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