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First of all, slow down Photo by Bob Pennell The Mount Ashland access road, as seen Tuesday, is plowed but drifted with snow. Holiday travelers might encounter rough weather, and police advise slow going in hazardous conditions. It's also best to leave extra room between your car and the one in front of you. Driving on snow demands more time, police say By JULIE SWENSEN If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, you need to think about more than stopping by a tire dealer for chains or traction tires. While that is important -- Les Schwab dealers were busy Tuesday selling studded tires and chains -- drivers also should know what to do when the car skids. The first tip Sgt. Michael Buckman of the Oregon State Police gave to holiday travelers: Slow down. "Sometimes 10 mph might be too fast," he said. It depends on weather and the condition of the vehicle. Earlier this month, the state police handled a fatal car wreck attributed to icy roads, and the driver of the car was traveling only 35 mph. People driving on snow-covered roads should drive 40 mph or slower, agreed Joe Strahl, director of Jackson County Roads and Parks. When driving on snow, motorists should also leave more room between their car and the car ahead, Buckman added. AAA Oregon advises that the usual 2-3 second following distance for dry pavement should be increased to eight to 10 seconds on slick roads. Because the sun doesn't melt the ice until about noon, the best time to travel is after 2 p.m, Buckman said, and before 5 p.m., when the sun goes down. He also encouraged motorists who are feeling tired to pull over and rest for 15 minutes. "I think the biggest thing is to give yourself plenty of time," he said. At lower elevations, standing water on the highway can cause motorists to hydroplane and lose traction and steering ability, Strahl said. "That can be just as dangerous as driving on snow," he said. Area motorists should heed that warning, as rain in varying amounts is forecast for both today and Thanksgiving Day in the Rogue basin and the Southern Oregon Cascades and Siskiyous. The snow level in the Cascades and Siskiyous is expected to drop from 7,500 feet to 6,000 feet today, and further down to 5,000 feet on Thanksgiving. Here are some other tips for driving on ice and snow, according to an AAA winter driving brochure: BRAKING For cars without anti-lock brakes: Keep your heel on the floor and apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal with your toes, just short of the point of lockup when the wheels stop turning. If wheels lock, ease the brake pressure 1 or 2 degrees (keeping your heel on the floor), and then immediately reapply it with slightly less pressure. For cars that have anti-lock brakes: Don't pump the brakes. Anti-lock brakes detect when a wheel starts to skid, and the system then relieves the pressure to allow the wheel to turn once again. Keep your foot on the brake, and if your wheels lock, you'll feel the pedal pulse against your foot. IF YOUR CAR SKIDS If your wheels skid due to hard braking, ease off the brake. If your wheels skid because of hard acceleration, ease off on the accelerator. If you have a manual transmission, de-clutch; if you have an automatic transmission, shift to neutral. Then follow these tips, depending on which tires are skidding: Rear-wheel skids: Steer in the direction you want the front of your car to go. Just before your rear wheels stop skidding, counter-steer until you're going in the direction you want to travel. When your car is straight, release the clutch or shift back into drive and accelerate gently. Front-wheel skids: If your front wheels turned before you lost traction, don't move the steering wheel. (Only when you're on sharp curves or in limited space should you unwind the steering wheel; while you can regain steering sooner, the car will go faster because there's little sideways force). Wait until the front wheels regain traction, and when they do, the car will start to steer again. Steer gently in the direction you want to travel and release the clutch or shift back into drive, applying gentle pressure to the accelerator. Four-wheel skids: Steer in the direction you want the front of your car to go. Wait for the wheels to regain traction. After they do, the car will go in the direction you want to travel. Release the clutch or shift back into drive. Don't leave home without them When you're driving where the weather could get rough, it's good to take gloves and a blanket or tarp to use when putting on and taking off chains. Road flares, a tool kit and a first aid kit are also helpful, the Oregon State Police recommend. Spare chain links from a hardware store can come in handy. Other items recommended by AAA Oregon to put in the car are cat litter or other material for traction, a snow shovel or snow brush, traction mats, a flashlight, ice scraper, cloth or paper towels and booster cables. Road reports For information about state highway conditions, call the Oregon Department of Transportation/state police road report number, (800) 977-6368. For California highway conditions, call the California Department of Transportation at (800) 427-7623. Road and ski conditions can also be accessed at the Mail Tribune's Web site, www.mailtribune.com Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA