The four levels of ice and snow on the road and what to do in each case according to the DGT

A very important snow and ice season is coming up in Spain and that is why the DGT reminds us of the warning levels and how to deal with these situations. This is how to drive with caution.

Driving in snow is not easy or comfortable. And more of the same happens with ice. Both elements, which are nothing more than water in different states, are responsible for thousands of car accidents a year.

For this reason, the General Directorate of Traffic reminds us that there are different levels of difficulty when driving, which depend on the level of snow on the road.

Depending on the level we have we can drive at a certain speed, in addition to other limitations that we will now see. These levels are: green, yellow, red and black.

• Verde: Maximum of 100 km/h on highways and motorways, 80 km/h on other roads. The walkers can only circulate in the right lane and cannot overtake. It is better to avoid mountain passes.
• Yellow: Maximum speed of 60 km/h for passenger cars and buses, trucks and articulated vehicles are prohibited from driving, sudden maneuvers must be avoided.
• Red: You must wear chains or all-weather tires and the maximum speed is 30 km/h, do not overtake vehicles if you are not sure what lies ahead and trucks, buses and articulated vehicles are prohibited from circulating.
• Negro: Driving is prohibited and if we get stuck in the snow, use the engine heating. We park as close to the shoulder as possible so as not to impede the snowplows.

In addition to these levels, the DGT explains that with snow and ice we must leave distance to be able to react in time, and drive with little revolutions in the car so that it does not skid, since the more adherence to the ground the easier it is for us to suffer skids.

Another advice given by the DGT is the issue of tires, because winter tires (known as All Season) give much better grip on both snow and ice, which prevents us from having to wear chains.

If this is not the case, we have all kinds of adherence aids: chains, mesh, cloth or nylon ties. All of them are advisable if we do not have the right tire.

And remember that these are put on the wheels where we have the traction, and in the case of being a 4×4 then they go on all four wheels.

By last, In case of snow, it is best to drive along the tire marks left by the other cars (ruts), since the snow is already water there and there is less possibility of skating because of the ice. Don’t go out and you will travel safe.