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Location: Winter Survival
Discussion: Winter Driving
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putsleadinzombiehead |
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Jahadaz |
1. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 17 2010, 12:15 AM EST
| Post edited: Nov 17 2010, 12:53 AM EST
I'm pretty sure there is an article about this already but I'll toss in a few tips. 1) Mud/all terrain tires are not snow tires. They tend to fill up with snow and become slicks (in my experience) 2) Begin to slow down at least twice as far away as you normally would. Meaning, if you normally hit your brakes 50 yards away from a certain stop sign you should begin to brake 100 yards out during icy or snowy conditions. 3) Do not stomp on the gas. Accelerate slowly. If you try and stomp on the gas you run two risks. Front wheel drive cars can dig themselves in, and rear wheal drives tend to spin. Literally, the entire rear end of your vehicle will move. 4) Have a full washer fluid tank. In states like this they salt the roads. Nothing is worse than trying to see through a windshield that is covered with smeared salt. 5) If your rear end starts to go somewhere it normally wouldn't, turn into it. You can generally correct this fairly easily as long as you don't panic. I'm sure I'll have a few more to add but those are the most important ones I can think of right now. Do you find this valuable? |
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Jahadaz |
2. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 17 2010, 12:36 AM EST
| Post edited: Nov 17 2010, 12:43 AM EST
I knew I would think of a few more1) For the love of god people please do not use your brights. They are bad enough for oncoming traffic in perfect weather. During a snow storm they cause a HUGE halo effect that blinds everybody. 2) When at a stop sign or traffic light be VERY aware of the cars coming from behind you. This is a BIG one if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow/ice. I have had several experiences on both sides of this one. Being the stopped car and the one coming from behind. Sometimes, no matter how careful somebody is, they will begin to slow and realize they are on an ice slick. If you find yourself in this situation don't panic, but begin doing a few things. One, start honking your horn and flashing your lights. This will let people stopped ahead of you know that you are no longer in control of your vehicles speed and can give them a chance to move. Two, look for a way out! More than once I have had to drive up onto a curb (I even took out a small tree once). By being aware of the vehicles behind you, you might be able to move out of the way and watch them slide past avoiding a costly and time consuming wreck. 3) Much like people living in the south preparing for big storms, try and keep at least a half a tank of gas in your car. If you end up stuck, you don't know when somebody will be along to help you. Most vehicles can run on idle with nothing going but the heater for several hours with a half a tank of gas. 4) Keep a few things in your vehicle for above said emergency. A good coat, a good pair of gloves, and a decent beanie can be life saving. 5) If you find yourself drifting on ice, or just plain out of control the best thing I've noticed is not to stomp on the brakes or the gas. This can cause your vehicle to do things that you never knew was possible (like doing a 1080 on a freeway at 60 miles an hour.) Do you find this valuable? |
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Jahadaz |
3. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 17 2010, 12:40 AM EST
| Post edited: Nov 17 2010, 12:49 AM EST
ContinuedYou are far better off to let your foot off of the accelerator altogether and focus your concentration on aiming the vehicle. Much like in a hydroplane situation. I've driven in bad snow and ice for many years now without an incident and I credit that to these rules. One good thing for newer drivers to do, and even experienced veterans behind the wheel is during or right after the first big snow storm of the year, go to the largest empty/abandoned parking lot you can find and do a little practice driving. It will remind you of how your vehicle will react in winter conditions and tune your skills. (It's also fun) Do you find this valuable? |
cheif-beef |
4. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 17 2010, 1:01 AM EST
Extra blankets are good to keep and can potentially save the life of someone else.Shovels are amazing if you get high centered on a berm. If you get stuck, jam your floor mats under the drive tires for traction. Cat litter works too. Do you find this valuable? |
cas13f |
5. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 17 2010, 2:24 AM EST
I pretty well leave it at "if I can't WALK on it without falling on my ass, even with YakTrax, no way in hell I'm driving on it."Mind you, the parking lots here are ALREADY multiple inches of solid ice, and roads are working on it (would be if they weren't scraped/plowed) Your best idea is to simply get practice. Good equipment is a great help, and keeping it MAINTAINED is another, but nothing beats cold hard experience. There are mofos up here with high-end rear-wheel-drive sports cars who manage fine. Good tires, proper care, and your vehicle will perform fine. The rest is you. Do you find this valuable? |
inu-dude25 |
6. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 22 2010, 8:57 PM EST
2 PLIZH- do you drive? Cause that sounds like the advice of someone who just read a Wiki page on snow driving. No offense.A few tips of my own to offer: Whiteouts- They come on fast as hell in some parts of the country and can take visibility from a hundreds of feet to less than fifty in no time. Watch out for areas where the road dips below fields or plains of any sort, where the wind can blow snow into your field of view. Four wheel isn't necessary, but great to have- A competent front wheel drive car will still see you through plenty of the white stuff, just watch your ground clearance and feather the throttle. Engine braking- To avoid a loss of grip on snow and ice, avoid using the brakes in favor of engine braking, letting the motor act as resistance on the drivetrain to slow the vehicle gently. Especially good if you have a manually gearboxed vehicle. 2nd gear starts- If you have a manually transmissoned vehicle, you can use it to your advantage by starting in second, reducing the amount of torque delivered right away and thus reducing or eliminating wheelspin on takeoff Counter-steer- Don't step on the brakes when you start to skid, just steer the other way to correct your cars trajectory. Or, if you need to hustle, use it to your advantage to take corners with a bit of speed, such as in the Scandanavian flick, which involves steering the car away from the impending corner, then flicking the wheel back towards the corner to induce a mild oversteer into the corner, which can then be controlled with some practice. Practice- Next time the powder hits the ground, find an unplowed parking lot, with no traffic, and throw your car around a bit. Do you find this valuable? |
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cas13f |
7. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 22 2010, 9:46 PM EST
And once you get snow and ice settled in for the winter, if it rains, you aren't going anywhere. Just today they shut the whole base down because nobody could do anything. We got stuck THREE TIMES in the less than two miles it took to get from PT to the barracks. We got ZERO traction with the fresh water on the iced-out roads. We had to put on the chains just so we could make small inclines.
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inu-dude25 |
8. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 22 2010, 11:37 PM EST
That's that freakishly slick ice. You might as well put skates on for that ****. I certainly wouldn't look forward to any kind of farmland areas after a good snow. I know Lancaster, and even with plows working, most major roads are one lane max after a good laying, and the wind will whip banks across the road in what seems like minutes. Without plows, there just wouldn't be getting through them.
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vincentdaniels |
9. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 30 2010, 5:02 AM EST
| Post edited: Nov 30 2010, 5:04 AM EST
Here’s my contribution. Got these tips from my car insurance agent: <a href="http://hartfordauto.thehartford.com/Safe-Driving/Car-Safety/Driving-Safety/winter-driving-tips.shtml">http://hartfordauto.thehartford.com/Safe-Driving/Car-Safety/Driving-Safety/winter-driving-tips.shtml</a>
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vincentdaniels |
10. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 30 2010, 5:07 AM EST
Here’s my contribution. Got these tips from my car insurance agent: http://hartfordauto.thehartford.com/Safe-Driving/Car-Safety/Driving-Safety/winter-driving-tips.shtml
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inu-dude25 |
11. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 30 2010, 11:48 PM EST
Car-insurance plug much? Seriously.
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ItsMrManCub |
12. RE: Winter Driving
Nov 30 2010, 11:54 PM EST
"Car-insurance plug much? Seriously."Thats why I choose Allstate, because no one protects you from mayhem like Allstate...thats right I'm in good hands. Do you find this valuable? |
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vincentdaniels |
13. RE: Winter Driving
Dec 1 2010, 5:28 AM EST
Here’s my contribution. Got these tips from my car insurance agent: http://hartfordauto.thehartford.com/Safe-Driving/Car-Safety/Driving-Safety/winter-driving-tips.shtml
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AlexHigginbotham |
14. RE: Winter Driving
Dec 1 2010, 5:55 AM EST
Seen the Top Gear where they drive to the North pole? That was a lesson in snow driving.
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Jahadaz |
15. RE: Winter Driving
Dec 1 2010, 9:29 AM EST
"Seen the Top Gear where they drive to the North pole? That was a lesson in snow driving.""Now the specialists told us we need to be consuming 5000 calories a day for a trip to the north pole. I don't think they know were going to be doing it in a truck....." lulz Do you find this valuable? |
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AlexHigginbotham |
16. RE: Winter Driving
Dec 1 2010, 9:31 AM EST
I don't support drunk driving, but technically this is international waters..... so cheers!
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tvercetti1 |
17. RE: Winter Driving
Apr 15 2011, 3:37 AM EDT
One more thing for everyone, DONT make any sudden or drastic moves, corrections, etc. take your time, even if the horde is after your ass, you're better off not cooking yourself and adding to the flavor they'll get to enjoy when the find your unconscience, sorry ass in the ditch... or worse, over the cliffside.Make sure to get some practice and carry a LARGE first aid kit and plenty of supplies when attempting any kind of driving in any weather, escpecially in winter. You have enough problems with the zobos, mechanical's, etc. to deal with as it is. Don't make things even harder. Do you find this valuable? |
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inu-dude25 |
18. RE: Winter Driving
Apr 15 2011, 11:10 PM EDT
"Seen the Top Gear where they drive to the North pole? That was a lesson in snow driving."All you need are a crew of uber-modified-HiLuxe's, a few mixed drinks and a balding middle aged man with a hammer. :P Do you find this valuable? |
