Failure to Prepare: Icy Roads
What to do if it's too late to plan for icy roads and you have to go out on icy roads...
Sometimes winter wins. The forecast was wrong, the roads iced over faster than expected, or circumstances force you out the door anyway. When it’s too late to plan and you must travel on icy roads, your goal shifts from efficiency to survival: slow down, reduce risk, and increase margin for error.
If You Must Go: Reset Your Mindset
The biggest danger on ice is urgency. Treat every trip as optional, every mile as hazardous, and every other driver as unpredictable. Getting there late is acceptable. Not getting there at all is sometimes the right call.
Immediate Actions Before You Roll
- Clear all windows, lights, and mirrors completely.
- Turn off cruise control.
- Use the smoothest route, not the shortest one.
- Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to arrive.
- Put your phone on Do Not Disturb except for navigation.
Driving Tactics on Ice
- Slow is safety. Drive well below posted limits.
- Gentle inputs. No sudden steering, braking, or acceleration.
- Increase following distance to at least 8–10 seconds.
- Brake early and lightly. If you skid, ease off and steer gently.
- Avoid hills when possible. Momentum and gravity work against you.
If You Start Sliding
- Stay off the brake unless necessary.
- Steer gently in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
- Look where you want to end up, not at what you might hit.
- Once traction returns, slow down further.
Great Plains Reality Check
In the Great Plains, ice often forms under blowing snow, creating “black ice” on open highways, bridges, and rural roads. Wind chill can refreeze meltwater quickly, and help may be far away. Assume conditions are worse than they look—especially outside city limits.
Quick Action Checklist
- Slow down before you think you need to.
- Give yourself permission to turn back.
- Keep extra space around your vehicle.
- Expect delays, closures, and stranded vehicles.
- If conditions deteriorate, stop somewhere safe.
Preparation ideally happens before the storm—but judgment happens in the moment. When icy roads catch you off guard, calm decisions and conservative driving are what carry you through.
Here are some of our other articles to help prepare in advance so you can avoid this failure to prepare trap!
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