Winter driving — Vermont Permit Test

Winter is the most difficult driving season. Make sure your brakes, windshield wipers, defroster, heater and exhaust system are in top condition before it starts.

Every one of those is something you will need at once and cannot fix at the roadside in the cold.

Make sure your brakes, windshield wipers, defroster, heater and exhaust system are in top condition.

Fit good snow tires on all four wheels and put them on early. Never combine different types of tires on the same vehicle, and keep them properly inflated.

Two winter tires and two summer ones give the car two different amounts of grip at each end.

Make sure you’ve got good snow tires on all four wheels, and put them on early. Try not to get caught without them in the first snowfall. Never combine different types

During ice or snow storms, and especially when a traveler's advisory is issued, do not drive unless it is absolutely necessary. If you must drive, clear the ice and snow from the entire vehicle.

Snow left on a roof slides onto the windshield the first time you brake hard.

If you must drive, completely clear the ice and snow from your entire vehicle and be sure your wipers are clear of any ice buildup.

When sleet, freezing rain or snow starts to fall, black ice can form quickly and may be invisible. Bridges, ramps and overpasses are likely to freeze first.

A bridge has cold air under it as well as over it, so it freezes while the road either side is still wet.

Bridges, ramps, and overpasses are likely to freeze first.

On winter roads, increase your following distance to more than 4 seconds. Even four wheel or all wheel drive vehicles do not have good traction on ice.

Four wheel drive helps a car start moving. It does nothing at all for stopping.

Even vehicles with four wheel or all wheel drive do not have good traction on ice. All vehicles have difficulty stopping, going through curves, and changing lanes on winter roads.

Snowplows are hard to see because of the blowing snow they create, they are wider than other vehicles and they often move more slowly, so take extra care near them.

The cloud behind a plow hides both the plow and whatever is beside it.

Be especially careful near snowplows—they are hard to see because of the blowing snow they create.

Always have at least a half tank of gas in your vehicle in winter, and carry a scraper and brush, a small shovel, kitty litter or sand, extra clothing, food and water, a cell phone, washer fluid, a first aid kit and a flashlight.

A half tank is hours of heat if you end up stopped in a storm, and an empty tank is none.

Always have at least a half tank of gas in your vehicle.

What should a driver check before the Vermont winter?

Brakes, wipers, defroster, heater and exhaust. Every one of those is something you will need at once and cannot fix at the roadside in the cold. 2025 Vermont Driver's Manual, p.46: “Make sure your brakes, windshield wipers, defroster, heater and exhaust system are in top condition.”