Tips on Winter Driving

[nissangirl74]

I'm wanting to write an article on Safe Winter Driving and I need some input. I've lived in TN, so I do know the perils of icy roads, but I have never lived anywhere that gets LOTS of snow, and ice, and blizzards. I also haven't lived anywhere that is largely populated with winter conditions, I know that has to be a factor at some point. Any pointers, good or bad, is welcome. Thanks for your help in advance.

*Yes, IAN, snow tires are on the list."

[skydragoness]

Hrrrm.
Drivers just have to remember to make their inputs much, much slower. Easing off/on the throttle and brake. Braking extremely early; but keeping up momentum uphill so you don't get stuck(I got stuck on a hill in my old 240 when a Civic in front of me decided to brake for no reason. Bastard..I was a block from my house!!). Picking a high gear so you're not spinning like mad. Keep a shovel in your car, cardboard or kitty litter to lay down if you get stuck. Proper tow straps, blankets if you're going to have to wait a while..that's about all I can think of.

This past winter I had my Impreza wagon with the unusual blizzard(s) we had here in DE. We had state-wide shut-downs since the state just wasn't equipped for that kind of snowfall. That damn Subie drove through 8-10" of snow like it was barely there (although a little bit of funny business in the turns since it had an open-diff-- but that was intentional shenanigans on empty streets )

Bucky has a set of Dunlop Wintersport M3's. They're great.

I dread snow because of the way people drive in it.

[nissangirl74]

I dread snow because of the way people drive in it.

I didn't mind driving in the snow. It's those crazy people out there who can't even drive on dry pavement that make me crazy. I think the NHTSA should implement heated roads for all asphalt surfaces above the Mason Dixon line.

[PEZi]

jackass

no no... ok... the problem here is almost every situation is different and sometimes universal tips aren't as universal as you'd hope

when it comes to snow.... just go slower... be aware that you don't have the same grip level if you need to turn or hit your brakes... simple

blizzards? well hell... drive really slow... don't ever go faster than what you feel is safe... its kinda like rain as far as not being able to see... except worse... so if you can't see... slow down

as far as deep snow... if your car is going to become its own snowplow... you risk getting stuck... don't drive through it


i got nothin else really.... practice in it is what makes you better at driving in it... most importantly some sort of performance driving helps most because not freaking out when something steps out on you (because it will) is key

[Solar_Runner]

Just because you have 4WD and great traction from the get-go, doesn't mean the same thing for slowing down or stopping. Yeah, I said 4WD and not AWD, cuz, mostly it's the yahoos in the big trucks that forget this and end up with dents on their roofs.

[nissangirl74]

True story. I was driving home from work one night in my '79 Datsun 210. Had snow chains on it (yes, I'm serious). Was in a low gear, never slipped or slid once. I passed the 4WD Bronco for the Fire Department in a curve, he was speeding like hell. I had no issues. I looked in my rear view mirror in time to watch him lose it in the middle of the turn. Slid sideways through the last part of it.

[Jesda]

FULL THROTTLE ALL THE TIME LIKE A RALLY STAGE

[Bubba1]

FULL THROTTLE ALL THE TIME LIKE A RALLY STAGE

Take a winter driving course. Lotsa fun and you learn a lot..

[Rev_D21]

Up here in NY we get snow. Here's my input on how to drive safer based on multitudes of idiots making NY roads unsafe all day long.

1) Brush off all the snow on your car before entering the roadway. If your windows are covered by snow you are essentially one giant blind spot. Also clear your roof, don't cover the car behind you with snow because you are too lazy to wipe off your car.

2) Don't wait until there is 3 feet of snow on the ground to decide that maybe it's time to take off your 26" rims in favor of snow tires...plan ahead, winter never misses a date.

3) Check your lights, fix the ones that aren't working. NY has way too many one headlight wonders, how can you see with no lights or only half of them working? Also clear the snow off your lights...see number 1.

4) When passing on coming traffic please be courteous and turn off your high beams, the world doesn't revolve around your safety, it's a team effort out there. turn off the high beams when approaching on-coming traffic.

5) If you are a weinie, can't handle snow driving and insist upon driving 10 miles per hour under the normal flow of traffic, pull over and let people pass. I can't tell you how many times this happens...10 cars all bunched up doing 10 under because the lead car is too scared to handle a car in snow.

6) Use better judgement when approaching yellow lights, your stopping power is considerably reduced and you must keep that in the front of your mind...it's not summer anymore.

7) Texting...just don't do it. Eyes on the road at all times because it's not only snow season up here, it's deer season and dumb driver season...maximum attention to the road at all times.

Plan ahead for winter, slow down and don't drive distracted...people can barely drive during the summer, what makes them think they drive any better in snow?

[driverdriver]

My tips (since I live in snow country- and its currently snowing....again).

(1.) Get yourself a proper set of snow/winter tires(preferbly ones not made in china-they're know for tread separation when the temps get below 32F). Make sure you have winter tires on all four wheels, not only the drive wheels. Up here approved snow tires come with the mountain and snowflake symbol. I don't know about the US.
(2.) Always follow other vehicles at a safe distance. Do not tailgate.
(3.) Keep kitty litter and a small collapsible shovel hand in the car in case you get stuck. Kitty litter placed under the drive wheels helps you get traction if your stuck in deep snow/ice. If you can keep a small packet of "ice melter" or "road salt". All of my winter driving vehicles have this stired in lockable ziplock bags.
(4.) Get yourself a set of "winter" wiper blades. The design of these wipers prevents them from jamming up with snow/ice/sleet. If you can afford to, use a a winshield washing fluid (i.e. Rainx or Prestone) designed to remove frost and ice from the winshield or one that contains Teflon. Teflon enhances wiper blade contact with frozen glass in the winter.
(5.)make sure in the winter, your gas tank is at least half full. This prevents condensation and fuel line freezing issues. If you know a snow storm is coming, fill up your tank.
(6.) carry a blanket, lighter, tea candles(will give you warmth) and granola bars and chocolates bars in your vehicle, in case your stuck for a prolonged period.
(7.)If your car comes with a "winter mode", its a "snowflake" or "W" button on the dash of Cadillacs, some Buicks, Saab's, Volvo's, some Ford, Jeep, Land Rover, Subaru and Lincoln models, use it. at the very minumum it reduces wheel spin. In some cases it gives you partial AWD, by moving power to wheels that grip as opposed to slip.
(8.)If your driving out in Blizzard like conditions, tell someone(especially your route). If something goes amiss, they can contact police.
(9.) If your jurisdiction allows use of snow chains, use them.

4wd drive and AWD drive doesn't help in winter without proper snow tires. I know this from experience. I've owned a Jeep Cherokee 4x4 and an Audi Quattro. SUV's are subject to the laws of physics and are inherently more dangerous in the winter. Every year, out where I live, you will pass by them rolled over in the ditch. The vast majority of winter cars in my "hood" are front wheel drive vehicles with a set of winter tires.

BMW and Mercedes both offer winter driving courses in most major cities throughout North America. They're open to the public. They teach winter driving technique, skid control, use of proper winter tires, winter safety, etc.

[Jesda]

FULL THROTTLE ALL THE TIME LIKE A RALLY STAGE

Take a winter driving course. Lotsa fun and you learn a lot..

Dude, I've logged 300 hours in Sega Rally. I'm set!

[MinisterofDOOM]

My advice:

Rule #1--Most important rule EVER:
If you are not comfortable driving in adverse weather STAY OFF THE ROAD. DO NOT DRIVE. NO arguing, no qualifications, no s***. If you're not comfortable behind the wheel in snow, you have no business attempting it.

--However quickly you think you can stop, leave at LEAST twice that distance between the car in front of you. And, conversely, keep that following distance in mind when merging with traffic...don't be the d!ck who eats up decent drivers' safe following space because he's too stupid to find a proper opening. Panic maneuvers are a lot harder to pull off when steering traction is limited, so try even harder not to have to make them.

--Don't go slower than necessary! Sure, driving too fast is dangerous, but driving too slow in slick conditions creates a moving chicane. Passing and changing lanes in heavy snow can get hairy with rutted and unevenly distributed snow. When people have to move to go around you just to travel at a safe speed, you are chancing a lot of accidents for nothing.

--PLEASE at least TRY to maintain some semblance of lane organization. Yes, I KNOW you can't see the lane lines through snow. You should still be able to tell where you are on the road if you have 2 synapses to fire across each other. DON'T just follow the pre-worn trails of the other idiots on the road. They, as their namesake indicates, are idiots. Drive in the lane you need, just like normal. The more traffic spreads out, the greater the area of road that gets worn free of snow will be.

--Begin slowing before you think you need to. I promise, you've misjudged your stopping distance. Leave some room for error. That kid at the crosswalk and my rear bumper thank you.
Related to this one, I've made a habit of watching cars behind me and stopping accordingly. I let them follow too close and plan to stop short, so that when THEY can't stop, I've got somewhere to go to get out of their stupid way.

--Use your damn headlights. I don't care if its 2pm. It's snowing, and you're difficult to see. Turn your damn lights on our I'll turn 'em on for you and tear off the knob and shove it up your a** with help from my size 13.5 steel toe boots.

--Try to remember that stopping, braking, or even just letting off the throttle are NOT the end-all, be-all of "oh s*** what's happening" panic maneuvers. In traction-limited situations, varying tire rotation speed abruptly is likely to just make things worse. Try to keep a clear head and react SMOOTHLY. If you loose steering traction and start understeering, don't hit the brakes--you already lost traction, and there's none left to stop with. Steer back and regain some control.

I think that's it for my list for now.

[driverdriver]

A common sense tip. Clear off al the snow and ice off your vehicle before driving off. Either you will cause an accident(flying snow and ice creates a mini blizzard effect; loose ice can either damage or go through someone's windshield) or you will be in an accident because you can't see through your windows. In some states and provinces this offence is punishable through a stiff fine. If your negligent in claeraing snow and ice off your vehicle and this contributes to you causing an accident, you will face severe legal repercussions.

[MinisterofDOOM]

A coomon sense tip. Clear off al the snow and ice off your vehicle before driving off. Either ou will cause an accident(flying snow and ice creates a mini blizzard effect, ice can go damage or go through someones winshield) or you will be in an accident because you can't see through your windows.

Yes, absolutely!

I have to admit, seeing people driving with just their windshield (sometimes just part of it) cleared of snow/ice infuriates me. It makes me mad because it tells me that person doesn't ever USE those windows, or they wouldn't be able to tolerate leaving them covered in snow. Driving conditions are WORSE than normal, you need all the visibility and awareness you can get. Don't get on the road without clearing all your windows.

[Jesda]

Its a lot easier to let the wind clear off your roof.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I usually clear the sunroof glass and leave the rest. Look at those clouds!

[bigbadberry3]

Make your friends drive XD

No but really, make sure you are prepared for your car to break down on you, everyone thinks it'll happen to someone else but occasionally it's you.

[Rev_D21]

Having AAA is a good thing going into winter as well. Free towing if you pull a stupid.

[Loki]

My advice is don't. Most Americans are too retarded to be able to drive in the snow, but by god they will do it anyway. That pack of cigarettes ain't gonna buy itself.

[Jesda]

I miss the Navigator. When the snow fell it was fun to go play in it before the plows got to work. This Dodge Ram (which I might be trading back for my Cadillac plus a wad of cash after Christmas) will probably suck in the white stuff being 2WD and lacking the Navigator's high-tech traction-wizardry.

I need to go over the little rust spots on the Saab with POR15 before I subject it to salt.

[skydragoness]

--Use your damn headlights. I don't care if its 2pm. It's snowing, and you're difficult to see. Turn your damn lights on our I'll turn 'em on for you and tear off the knob and shove it up your a** with help from my size 13.5 steel toe boots.

You're awesome.
Seriously one of my biggest peeves!! I don't know.. I don't want anyone to hit me so I run my fog lamps even when it's sunny out. (For me, it's a time of day/amount of traffic thing)

My advice is don't. Most Americans are too retarded to be able to drive in the snow, but by god they will do it anyway. That pack of cigarettes ain't gonna buy itself.

^This, lol. Or my personal favorite: "It's going to snow 2 inches tomorrow? OH MY GOD WE DON'T HAVE FOOD IN THE HOUSE! WE'LL DIE!!!!1"

[troskinatior]

My advice is don't. Most Americans are too retarded to be able to drive in the snow, but by god they will do it anyway. That pack of cigarettes ain't gonna buy itself.

^This, lol. Or my personal favorite: "It's going to snow 2 inches tomorrow? OH MY GOD WE DON'T HAVE FOOD IN THE HOUSE! WE'LL DIE!!!!1"

OMG WE NEED ALL THE MILK AND BREAD IN THE WORLD!!!

[Loki]

Cut to two weeks later: Piles of unopened bread in the garbage, gallons of milk dumped down drain. God bless America =.

[IanS]

*Yes, IAN, snow tires are on the list."

Perfect topic for right now, considering there is currently a blizzard blasting me as I type this. Its been snowing for 16 hours, and the wind is 30 mph plus.

1. The biggest pointer I can give for driving in adverse weather of the snow variety, is dont. Unless you absolutely have to, don't go out there. For me, the biggest danger involved with snow driving is all the other people. If you cant get out of your driveway, then you should stay home, period.

2. Tires. I cant stress this enough. I have pushed through snow that has hung up 4wd trucks while driving my S13 with an open diff. Snow tires make an incredible difference. All season tires are ok for snow, but they are useless on ice and hard pack. There is absolutely no reason to not buy snow tires if you live this far up into the rust belt. Not having enough money is not an excuse, because if you have 2 sets of tires, they last twice as long.

3. Know your car, and what it is capable of. Every year I end up towing or pushing people out of ditches and snow banks because they either didn't know the limits of their car, or they just plain couldn't control it. I can eyeball almost any snow drift and be able to know if I can make it through or not. This is something that is sorely missing in drivers training. My mom taught me how to control and recover slides on snow when I was 15 years old. This is something everyone should learn. The younger the better.

4. Don't be afraid. A little snow isn't the end of the world. If you are driving 20 mph on the freeway because its lightly snowing, you are in a massive amount of danger, and the snow has nothing to do with it. If you heed the above advice, you should have nothing to worry about. The problem is, the people I see doing this every year, are the same people who have failed to follow any of the advice above. Strictly speaking, they shouldn't be allowed to drive.

5. Practice. This goes along with 3. Find a parking lot, have some fun, it will make everyone safer.

There is so much more that can be added, but these are my favourites. MoD covered some that I did not, some needed to be repeated, because people just dont get it. When I left work this afternoon, there were 2 cars STUCK in our parking lot. I trundeled right past, because frankly, they should have known better.

[skydragoness]

Cut to two weeks later: Piles of unopened bread in the garbage, gallons of milk dumped down drain. God bless America =.

So true. Never understood why people stockpile food that goes bad quickly.

[PoorManQ45]

My advice:

To clear the snow/ice from your windshield boil a pot of water and throw on the windshield as quickly as possible!!!

[IBCoupe]

Move to Arizona?

[numbnuts240]

still snows in northern arizona. none of that basura in meh-hee-coh holmes. oralay.

[IBCoupe]

^ That's brown-people speak.

[sultan]

step 1: show that snow who's boss




it was 16 the next morning and the brakes were frozen solid dead blow hammer to the caliper solved that problem, brakes still worked, too.



i live in north texas, we get a couple inches of ice that last for a couple hours, then the sun comes out and it quickly melts and the intersections remain covered in sand for months resulting in worse traction than the ice had.