driving in snow: tips?

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Hello BITOGers,
This is the first winter when i got some winter "shoes" on,
and
Today was the first day when bigger snow/snowfall was on

but,

What are your tips for driving/avoiding/getting-out-of-trouble in snow?
-highway
-normal roads
-residential roads/alleys
-parking lots

I started by having winter-ish gear on me (boots, gloves, jacket)
clean my car all around for visibility
keep to the right (in bigger cars former tracks) and no sudden moves
 
Anybody offer any winter driving schools in your area? Best thing to learn what happens when traction is lost. It is also a [censored] of a lot of fun. Sliding sideways, oversteer, understeer. Get your confidence up, most peoples first reaction is to let off the gas with even the slightest amount of sliding, and that is usually the worst thing you can do.
 
Plan very far ahead (nothing wrong with walking your potential route to better judge conditions), look at what other road users are doing to avoid getting stuck because they got stuck. Be smooth, maintain momentum. Minimise wheelspin when stationary to avoid building your own ruts and getting more stuck. Steep inclines, wait at bottom/top one at a time. Help each other.
Carpet or mats, shovel, salt/sand/grit in the boot to help you get unstuck.
 
Definitely go somewhere where you can drive and spin without hurting anyone or yourself. Empty parking lots with no speed bumps are perfect. Feel how the car handles and reacts.

Actual driving: slow and plenty of room between you and anyone else.
 
Don't spin your wheels, especially on ice. You'll just heat up your tires and warm tires have no grip.

Brake well ahead of when you want to stop. Sometimes there will be ice at stop signs and corners.

Take corners fairly slow (especially on ice).

Stay off the brakes as much as possible; locked wheels don't steer. And you can lock anti-lock brakes on glare ice - I've done it.
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Get your confidence up, most peoples first reaction is to let off the gas with even the slightest amount of sliding, and that is usually the worst thing you can do.


I don't know about that, especially on understeer setup cars, which is the majority on the roads.
The worst thing I see people do is white knuckle the steering wheel and just hold on with zero, or very little input.
When you're in a skid, you have to work that steering wheel hard.
 
The "no sudden moves" advice is a sound one. This means maintaining ample distance from everyone and everything, to give you time to react without resorting to sudden changes in speed or direction. Of course, that's sometimes easier said than done, especially if others on the road insist on getting too close to you.
 
Do one thing at a time.

Brake without turning
Steer without brakes or acceleration
Acceleration without steering

You only have so much frictional contact with the road, so don't ask the tires to handle more than 1 task at a time.
 
Originally Posted By: NGRhodes
Plan very far ahead (nothing wrong with walking your potential route to better judge conditions), look at what other road users are doing to avoid getting stuck because they got stuck. Be smooth, maintain momentum. Minimise wheelspin when stationary to avoid building your own ruts and getting more stuck. Steep inclines, wait at bottom/top one at a time. Help each other.
Carpet or mats, shovel, salt/sand/grit in the boot to help you get unstuck.


What?
 
Originally Posted By: ecotourist
Don't spin your wheels, especially on ice. You'll just heat up your tires and warm tires have no grip.
...

Hhehehe,
I did that some winters ago. Snow frozen solid around the car. Luckily it was the home parking.
Had to take the bus. Solved 2 days later by a rain (yeah, rain in winter)
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: ecotourist
warm tires have no grip.

Huh?


It's true when you get stuck in snow. Excessive wheel spin will create a very thin water layer under the contact patch and hydroplane. Sort of like ice skates melt a bit of ice and basically hydroplane on a very thin water film.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: ecotourist
warm tires have no grip.

Huh?

I saw, that. car RPM at 3,500. Girl with a stick-shift...
I was trying in vain to explain, go slow...
 
In order to minimize wheel spin, if your transmission allows it, and you're not starting out on an outrageously steep uphill, start off in 2nd gear. This will reduce torque going to the wheels, and lets them begin turning slowly, but steadily.

If my vehicle stability control starts applying the brakes to wheels while I'm trying to get moving initially, I turn it off; I'd rather judge wheel spin, and vehicle direction and speed myself, rather than be bothered by the nanny-design contrivances.
 
Winter driving tip.... DON'T.

But if you must...
Test the road and your braking ability right away. While going slow, hit the brakes. See how far you slide.

For driving in snow, turn off traction control!
 
Last edited:
If you find yourself in a slide in a very low traction situation - you may be able to EITHER brake OR turn. Don't try both at the same time.
 
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