Winter driving — Idaho Permit Test

On slippery roads the keys to safety are slower speeds, gentler stops and turns, and longer following distances.

Every input has to be softer, because the grip that would absorb a sharp one is not there.

the keys to safety are slower speeds, gentler stops and turns, and longer following distances

Start slowing your car down at least three times sooner than you normally do when turning or stopping on ice or snow.

It is a multiple rather than a margin, because the stopping distance itself has multiplied.

Start slowing your car down at least three times sooner than you normally do when turning or stopping

Get the feel of the road by starting out slowly and testing your steering control and braking ability, and avoid spinning your tires by gently pressing the gas pedal until the car starts to roll.

Finding out how slippery it is in the first hundred feet is cheaper than finding out at the first intersection.

Get the feel of the road by starting out slowly and testing your steering control and braking ability

When stopping on slippery roads, avoid sudden movements of the steering wheel and pump the brake gently. With anti-lock brakes you may apply steady pressure instead.

The two systems want opposite things from the driver, and the owner's manual is what says which you have.

if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes, you may apply steady pressure to the brake pedal

Be aware of potential icy areas such as shady spots, bridges and overpasses, where ice may form sooner or stay longer because they are exposed underneath and deprived of ground warmth.

The road each side of a bridge can be wet while the bridge itself is ice, with no warning between them.

Ice may form sooner or remain on bridges and overpasses longer, since they are exposed on their undersides and are deprived of ground

Keep your windows clear and do not start driving until they are defrosted and clean, even if you are only going a short distance.

A short trip is where a driver decides one clear patch is enough, and the rest of the glass stays opaque.

Don't start driving until the windows are defrosted and clean—even if you're going only a short distance

Keep your windshield washer reservoir filled with a non-freezing solution all winter.

Plain water freezes in the bottle and the line, and the moment you need the washers is the moment a truck salts your windshield.

Keep your windshield washer reservoir filled with a non-freezing solution all winter

Keep the vehicle in the best possible condition for winter: the lights, tires, brakes, windshield wipers, defroster and radiator are especially important.

Each of those is a part that a winter road will test and a summer road never will.

The lights, tires, brakes, windshield wipers, defroster and radiator are especially important for winter driving

Use tire chains on very slippery roads, and check before driving in other states, because some require chains to be carried during winter months.

Carrying them is a separate requirement from using them, and it is checked at the state line rather than on the pass.

(Some states require chains to be carried during winter months

All occupants are required to wear safety belts or shoulder straps when riding in a vehicle equipped with them, and the handbook repeats this among its winter driving tips.

A skid ends with the car somewhere it was not aimed, and the belt is what keeps the driver behind the wheel.

Buckle up. All occupants are required to wear safety belts and/or shoulder straps when riding in a vehicle equipped with them

What does the handbook name as the keys to safety on slippery roads?

Slower speeds, gentler stops, longer gaps. Every input has to be softer, because the grip that would absorb a sharp one is not there. July 2026 Idaho Driver's Handbook, p.113: “the keys to safety are slower speeds, gentler stops and turns, and longer following distances”