Answer Man: Why can't people drive in the snow?

Today’s batch of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal:

Question: Why can't people drive in the snow?

My answer: While this question certainly lives on eternally in the pantheon of unknowable human mysteries, I'll try to be succinct: People just freak out.

Real answer: Full disclosure here — this question may well have been hollered at me by a close relative while I was driving her to work after the recent snowstorm and some doofus in a wrecker was taking up two lanes on Hendersonville Road and refused to move over, forcing us into a squirrely slide in the deep slush on the side of the lane. Said relative usually drives herself, and does fine in the snow, but she had a bad arm break a few months ago and is still rehabbing.

But I also hear the same question from a lot of other folks around here every time it snows. Since we're likely to see another snowstorm or two before spring, I feel it's a public service to explore the topic.

Which WNC areas got the most snow? Asheville had 10.4 inches in weekend snowfall.

First of all, I'll note that we're probably not all that much worse at driving in the snow than other folks in the South. The fact is, we don't get all that much snow around here — usually a couple of good snows a year — so we really don't get all that much practice.

But yes, some folks do freak out a bit. And we all occasionally make mistakes in snow.

The most important suggestion is simple: Stay home. Seriously, don't go out unless you have to. My wife is a nurse, and has to be on site to work, by the way. That's why we were out.

I know a lot of folks have to drive in snow, or just feel they have to make a bread and milk run, so let's dive in.

First, I'll talk about one of my personal pet peeves: people who drive too slow in snow while going uphill. Sure, you might have all wheel drive, but you've still got to maintain a decent speed, especially when someone like me with front-wheel drive is behind you. In most situations, you can still do 20 mph or so uphill.

And definitely don't do 3 mph and expect to make it up there.

"Maintaining a steady speed during winter weather driving is imperative," Sgt. Adam Cabe of the Asheville Police Department's Traffic Safety Unit, told me via email. "You don't want to be too fast or too slow, as both can lead to dangerous driving conditions. Slowing down when other drivers are near you can cause other drivers to lose traction as they account for your driving behavior."

Winter weather: Top 26 snowfalls in Asheville since 1869

God bless you for that last comment, sir!

I'll also throw in another boiled down suggestion: A lot of problems people create are from starting off too fast and hitting the brakes too hard. In the snow, easy does it.

As far as the most common error folks make in snow and ice, Cabe said it's not giving other motorists enough following distance.

"The second most common mistake is not lowering their speed and giving themselves additional travel time," he said.

As a rule of thumb, I give folks about twice the following distance as I do in good conditions. So take that "three Mississippi" count from a fixed object up to five or six. Or if that's too complicated, just stay away from other drivers as much as you can.

AAA Exchange, part of the motoring advocacy outfit, also suggests slowing down and adjusting your speed to account for lower traction when driving on snow or ice. But I'll add, NOT TOO SLOW, especially uphill!

AAA actually cautions against applying extra gas and not trying to "power up hills." That can make your wheels spin. If you can let your speed pick up a bit and carry you up the hill, and apply the gas lightly and evenly to maintain your speed.

VIDEO: How to drive in the snow

But, AAA also follows that up with this:

• "Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill."

Here are some other good tips from AAA:

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids.

• Don’t try to get moving in a hurry, and take time to slow down for a stoplight.

• Increase your following distance to five to six seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.

• Know your brakes. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.

I found this one particularly interesting:

• Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.

Cabe offered a good tip on braking.

"Braking on slick roadways can lead to uncontrolled slides," he said. "Planning for a downhill by downshifting and adjusting your speed prior to the hill crest can help with this."

As far as not driving in snow if you don't have to, Cabe acknowledged that some folks like getting out there in fresh snow. But please, don't do it!

"While it is fun for some to drive on fresh snow, it can lead to a hazardous situation," Cabe said. "Remember, if you drive and wreck your vehicle, emergency services may have a delay in responding to you, and you are taking those resources away from other community members that need them."

This is the opinion of John Boyle. To submit a question, contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Answer Man: Asheville drivers struggle to drive in snowy conditions