Winter driving — Texas Permit Test

There is no such thing as a safe speed range for driving on snow or ice, and a driver must be extremely cautious until they know how much traction the tires have.

Every block can be different depending on sun and shade. The only honest answer is to find out slowly.

There is no such thing as a “safe” speed range at which you may drive on snow or ice

A driver should avoid locking the brakes on ice, because it causes a loss of steering and control.

Locked wheels cannot steer at all. The car goes wherever it was already pointed.

until you are able to determine how much traction you can expect from your tires. Avoid locking of brakes on ice as it will cause a loss of steering and control

A driver should increase the distance from the vehicle ahead according to the conditions of the pavement, because snow tires will slide on ice or packed snow.

Rear-end collisions on icy streets are the commonest winter crash. The space is the only thing that prevents them.

collisions occur on icy streets because drivers don’t leave space to stop. Snow tires will slide on ice or packed snow

A driver should remove snow and ice from the windows before driving, even for a short trip, and make sure the wipers and defroster work.

A cleared patch on the windshield is a letterbox to drive through. The whole window has to be clear.

Remove snow and ice before you drive, even if you’re just driving a few miles

There may be ice on bridges when the rest of the pavement is clear, and snow melts more slowly in shady areas.

A bridge is cold from above and below at once. It freezes before the road on either side of it.

There may be ice on bridges when the rest of the pavement is clear. Snow melts more slowly in shady areas

A driver should start out very slowly and test the brakes gently once the car is in motion, to find out how much traction there is.

Spinning the wheels tells you nothing and wears the tires. A gentle test of the brakes tells you everything.

Start out very slowly. It is useless to burn the rubber off your tires by spinning the wheels. Test your brakes gently after the car is in motion to determine how much traction you have

Chains are the most effective winter equipment and should be used where ice and snow remain on the road, but neither chains nor snow tires allow normal speeds on slick pavement.

Both help and neither makes the road dry. The false confidence is what the manual warns about.

neither chains nor snow tires will permit you to drive on slick pavement at normal speeds so don’t get a false feeling of security.

What does Texas say about a safe speed on snow or ice?

There is no such thing as a safe speed range. Every block can be different depending on sun and shade. The only honest answer is to find out slowly. Texas Driver Handbook, p.49: “There is no such thing as a “safe” speed range at which you may drive on snow or ice”