Common mistake – It is better to turn off the car radio when there is snow and ice

When the roads are full of snow, mud or even black ice, driving not only becomes exhausting but also downright dangerous. You are probably familiar with the most common safety rules:

• drive slowly and at low speed
• accelerate and brake gently
• keep more safety distance
• steer carefully

However, very few people are aware of one method of getting from A to B more safely in winter – although it can have a major impact.

Hear the road and engine better

Many people listen to music on their usual routes, for example on the way to work or home. After all According to a study, attention and reaction speed suffer from 70 decibels. This can have worse consequences, especially in winter, as slippery roads result in longer braking distances.

In addition, with loud music, you can no longer hear the driving noises of the car. But these are a good indicator of the road conditions, especially in the dark:

• normal, low tire noise: dry road
• deep, loud, irregular noise: wet snow or slush
• Almost silent rolling: possible indication of black ice, as the tires literally “glide”

The same applies to the engine speed. Since you’re supposed to be driving at low revs in the winter, it’s good to be able to hear it instead of always looking at the gauges and taking your eyes off the road. This is how you hear if the tires are spinning when you accelerate.

So the solution for safe driving in winter is that turn the music down or to turn it off completely.

Loud music is distracting

In some situations, you may even do this automatically: many people shoot them, for example Music intuitively quieter if you want to find an unknown destination while driving or parking.

This allows the brain to better focus on that one task. So in the winter it should become a habit.

By the way, the type of music also plays a role: who in particular fast or aggressive songs sounds, he probably drives a little faster. So it’s better to switch to something relaxed, because excessive speed can quickly lead to slipping in snow and ice.

More insider tips for safe winter driving

When you think of sunglasses, you immediately have summer in mind. But even in winter it can make sense to always have one sunglasses in the car to have. The sun is very low, especially during rush hour in the afternoon – in combination with the snow, this can be extremely dazzling.

In addition, you should always make sure in winter that the Tank sufficiently filled is. Otherwise, if you get stuck in a long-term traffic jam on the freeway, you may not be able to use the air conditioning to warm up. On particularly cold days, this can lead to hypothermia.

If you have cruise control, you should use it on slippery roads better not use . As soon as it is deactivated by braking, the transmission of power to the wheels changes. This leads to a higher risk of slipping.