Winter Driving

[Omegarod]

Like Wayne, I know how to handle skids, and hence it doesn't worry me too much. (Other people skidding does worry me though).

The point that I would like to add is that it is (mostly) possible to avoid getting into a skid in the first place.

The golden rule to avoid skids
DO NOTHING SUDDENLY

1. Do not brake suddenly
2. Do not steer suddenly
3. Do not accelerate suddenly
4. Do not let yourself be surprised suddenly (otherwise you will instinctively do 1, 2 or 3)

So... everything gently, gently.
Everything very smoothly.

Rod

 

[Wallenstein]

Me and SWMBO have spent an entertaining 30 mins watching a procession of cars come skidding down the hill outside our house. No great speed but a few whacks into the kerb for some drivers. We also saw a Land Cruiser gently sliding backwards down the hill for a good few metres... should wipe any 4x4 related smugness away

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Thank Wayne,
a very informative and timely post. If only you could come up here and drum your knowledge into most of the drivers up here. Mad. Still, 30cm forecast for tonight, so yippee, no driving tomorrow and no work. .

I'm back to school tomorrow. If it's too snowy etc I have to walk to my nearest school, which will probably shut too. Never happened as I live 2 miles from school.

Like the Borders, they shut the schools but expected the stafff to still turn up, daft, if enough teachers then don't shut the school.

However, leave a big gap.

Nick

 

[stooboy]

The main issue is people driving to close behind me, not leaving a huge gap like I do in front of me. I have seen 4 pile ups since the thursday before Xmas.

Nick

People drive to close behind me i flick on my rear fog light, and they think im braking and slam on the brakes, they get the idea pretty quick.

 

[Beorn]

Finally somebody writes the thruth about winter driving :You_Rock_ ! Be slow and gentle, take your time, it will take longer!

In Austria and Scandinavia they don't wipe of the snow from the streets or deploy salt, the drivers simply KNOW to drive slow and carefull and it works!

In Germany, were I actually am, they try to clean off everything from the streets and everybody thinks, that they can drive as fast as ever :BlueTeamE (IMO too fast). Those were the ones I had to collect from the street, while driving an ambulance during my civil service and then they still asked why we drive that slow! :BlueTeamE:BlueTeamE:BlueTeamE

If you want ti train your winter drivin skills, then take your bike out and try, but don't forget your helmet! You soon learn how soon you'll slide on snow and ice!

 

[TallMikeM]

on the topic of winter driving (and inspired by something said by Eds in another thread) what's a good snow/winter tyre?

 

[Dogoak]

on the topic of winter driving (and inspired by something said by Eds in another thread) what's a good snow/winter tyre?

A lot of people round this area use Vredestein winter tyres, from what I have heard they seem to be a good choice.

I do not have any personal experience with them myself as I have a lifted Nissan Patrol and run 33" Cooper Discoverer STT tyres .

 

[deeps]

As mentioned in my post above, our Vredesteins are doing well on the family road car. Paid about £50 each for them.

It is tyres that make the difference in this weather.

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of pulling a BMW X3 with slick tyres and alloys out of a ditch with my knackered old Frontera fitted with 'proper' tyres. Very hard not to appear smug ;-)

 

[TallMikeM]

cool, thanks guys. I think I shall get a set.

 

[addo]

Cheers for the post Wayne. Ive been out in the landy a lot at work in the backroads and taking it steady has been the main thing. Always good to get the extra advice.

Ive been dabbing the brakes a bit harder than needed on safe sections of road, to check grip limits, and get a feel for the conditions as they change. Handy before entering corners on the compacted untreated roads.

 

[Matt Weir]

Here's a quick tip. Have an old towel/blanket/sack in the boot. My missus rang me last night, she had parked up but when she tried to pull away the front wheels simply span. I grabbed a towel and set off on the rescue. When I got there I simply spread the towel in front of the front wheel and hey presto - it provided enough grip to get the car moving.

 

[Wayne]

Skid Control will be featured on ITV Meridan tonight at 6pm. I rather skilfully palmed the TV stuff on my colleague Richard.

The pan was actually much more difficult to skid on with the snow providing extra grip. Still if it helps keep people safe it was a morning well spent.

 

[bhofmann]

My Skoda Octavia has "ASR" (Anti-Slip Regulation). Whilst I know the approach to driving in snow and ice (gently does it) the electronics in the car can (and do) react far more quickly than I could. I attribute the ASR with my successful exit from the estate in Bracknell (Berkshire) that was a few inches deep in snow. I didn't need it much more after that all the way back to Exmouth in Devon. This video (sadly without commentary) shows the difference ASR makes to driving on slippery surfaces:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3390235225801672570#

All technical assistance aside, the tips and advice you gave are good and certainly appreciated given the current weather conditions.

::

 

[dave k]

Easy way to remember which way your car skids.

Front wheel drive - you crash face first
Read wheel drive - you crash backwards while looking at the driver in the car behind you gripping his steering wheel madly

We've just had a lot of rain here, and it's starting to melt some of the snow. Winter tyres are not as good as summer ones in the wet, as they tend to aquaplane a lot in deep water (this is where you stop driving on the tarmac, and instead drive on a layer of water above the tarmac). Really strange sensation, like the car has suddenly taken off, or it's driving on glass. Best thing to do is to take your foot of the accelerator, and don't move the steering wheel, and hope you drive through it!