It’s late and you’re in a hurry as you cruise north on Route 31 out of McHenry. That wintery day has morphed into a hard, cold night. Clouds are blocking the moon so that there’s no way to detect the sheet of black ice up ahead. Your mind is wrapped up in things you have to do when you get where you’re going. You’re not thinking about that 8-point buck that is stepping out into the road.

As you approach, that majestic stag is caught like a deer in the proverbial headlights. The shock is mutual. He freezes. You hit the brakes. This is the point where you discover the black ice as your vehicle careens out of control.

In years gone by, the prescribed reaction to losing control on ice was to pump the brakes. The goal was to stop without inducing ‘the slide.’ But with advanced technology, auto manufacturers introduced ABS brakes far more rapidly than any human could do. This night, those ABS brakes are your only hope.

The ABS brakes are the only hope that you won’t smack that deer or that you won’t go off the road and hit a fence, a tree or a pole. ABS brakes are your only hope you won’t find yourself calling a McHenry area tow service. Or, worse, those ABS brakes may be the difference between continuing on your way or receiving emergency transportation to Northwestern Memorial Medicine McHenry Hospital.

For all the adrenaline that is pumping through your veins at this moment, imagine the panic you would feel if your spouse and/or children were in the car with you.

Your chances of avoiding one of those unhappy outcomes isn’t just dependent on your ABS brakes; it’s also dependent on the condition of your ABS brakes, as well as your tires.

If your brakes are in good shape, they’ll perform optimally and increase your chances of avoiding the deer or other obstacles. If your tires are in good condition, with plenty of tread, that will also improve your chances. This is probably a good time to have snow tires on your vehicle. Their tread design is based on improving traction in snow and on ice. 

If you drive in the McHenry area in winter, you have no way of guaranteeing that a deer won’t stop in your path one night. In fact, you have no way to ensure any number of reasons that you would have to apply your brakes on an icy or snowy road in an emergency situation. The only thing you can do to reduce your risks is to be prepared. This includes paying attention while you’re driving. It also includes operating your car with the brakes and tires in the best possible condition.