To stop or slow down gradually while driving on ice, you should

• A. Use light and steady on the brakes
• B. Slam on brakes
• C. Coast without braking
• D. Accelerate to warm the brakes

Answer: (A)

On icy roads, you have to manage braking so you keep traction and steering control. Ice greatly reduces grip, so slamming the brakes can cause the wheels to lock and the car to slide. Light, steady braking lets the tires stay in contact with the surface and slows you gradually while you can still steer where you want to go. If your vehicle has ABS, press the brake pedal firmly and let the system modulate braking so you don’t lose control. If there’s no ABS, you may need to ease off slightly if the wheels start to lock and then reapply braking gently. Coasting won’t slow you enough to stay out of trouble, and there’s no benefit to accelerating to “warm up” the brakes on ice.