ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - As MoDOT and IDOT crews are out battling the winter weather and trying to keep St. Louis-area roads clear, we wanted to give drivers some tips on how to maneuver through snowy conditions.
So the Charlie Brennan Show with Amy Marxkors talked to one of the top drivers in St. Louis – three-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver award winner, Kenny Wallace. The St. Louis-native says he's got plenty of experience driving on snow and ice-covered roads.
The man with 25 years of NASCAR experience says the No. 1 rule is "lay off each other."
"Everybody wants to be a race car driver. Give yourself plenty of room, you're not going to get any where any quicker by following that person closer," Wallace says.
One way he says driver can prepare their vehicles, specifically ones that don't have 4-wheel drive, is by putting weight in the trunk. He says that will help the car's back tires get better grip on the road and prevent spinning out or skidding.
But what if you are skidding? Well, he says, that means you're probably in some trouble. But you'll want to try to turn into the skid.
“If the rear of the car starts going to the right, you turn right to try to walk the car the way it’s going … but that means your in trouble," Wallace says. “Then the key is to straighten the wheel up when it’s done sliding. There’s an art to this. It’s something we’re not going to accomplish over the phone.”
Another tip he says that can prevent sliding and skidding is to not push hard on the breaks and instead tap them while giving yourself plenty of time and room to stop.
“The worst thing you can do is push on break as if everything is normal. Think ahead, start slowing way up. If you push hard you’ll lock the breaks up,” Wallace says.
But his best tip is to just stay home, if you don't have to go out.
It's a notion that the director of the St. Louis County Office of Emergency Management agrees on with Wallace. She's asking residents to just stay home.
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