driving lessons

[rekop1]

Have any of you ever driven in snow ? and if so is it difficult. I Know it is not the same as driving in the rain. But, I am helping someone move by mid December and I was curious to any precautions I must take.

 

 

 

Anthony

Edited November 22, 2006 by rekop1

[Myk]

Have any of you ever driven in snow ? and if so is it difficult. I Know it is not the same as driving in the rain. But, I am helping someone move by mid December and I was curious to any precautions I must take.

Anthony

Ever driven in the snow?! I live in Canada, lol....hell ya, I learned in the snow.

 

Anyway, precautions. Depends on the conditions. Basically some good ideas are not to drive too fast (duh), if you don't have anti-lock breaks then you can 'pump' your breaks when stopping on ice, if you start skidding don't break turn the wheel and gas it a little. Precautions remove snow from car, scrape ice off windows, maybe winter tires? Most of this is pretty straight forward...just use common sense and go slow. One thing that is usually true though...after snow storms the main roads are better than side streets...plan your route.

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions

 

Greg

[C James]

Myk is giving some very good advice here.

 

The only things I'd add are the depending on how much snow, chains might be in order. Also, if you have a choice of vehicles, a 4 wheel drive is a good choice.

 

Above all, as Myk said, go slow.

[Tom]

a couple more pointers, start slowing down sooner than normal when coming up to intersections and start out slowly too. Sudden stops or starts can cause your tires to let go of the road. when you're trying to stop that's a bad thing...when you're trying to go, it's just frustrating.

 

BTW, if you're driveng a rear wheel drive vehical you don't want to give it gas when you slide, but you still want to turn your front wheels into the side

[NickolasJames8]

It seems like you'd have more fun if you drove fast and made your car spin a couple of times while you drove....at least I know I would have more fun that way

[DarkShadow]

Have any of you ever driven in snow ? and if so is it difficult. I Know it is not the same as driving in the rain. But, I am helping someone move by mid December and I was curious to any precautions I must take.

Anthony

 

Seems you've gotten just about everything as per good advice. The other thing I would suggest, if this is a cold area:

 

For your trunk:

Put a THICK WARM blanket in the trunk in case you get stranded.

Get a couple of flares... So you can be seen in case it is night time or a blinding snow

Double check your spare tire once a month during the winter. They have a tendancy to go partially flat in the winter months.

1 big bag of kitty litter. For traction in case you get stuck.

 

Get a cell phone from the local police department. They're usually free, and will only dial 911 in case of an emergency.

 

As it has been said already, drive slower. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to stop faster than you would like, putt the engine in neutral, or taking it out of gear (stick shift) and hitting the breaks will slow you faster than if you just pump the breaks. When the engine is in gear, you are fighting against it. You'll maintain a lot more control in your 'unexpected' stop when the engine isn't still trying to push the car forward.

 

One last thing... even if you're doing great, sometimes it's the idiot sliding into the ass of your car that can cause the problem. Definately keep an eye on cars approaching from behind when you're sitting idle at a stop light/sign. If you see they are going to hit you, same as above. Take the car out of gear, be ready to hit the breaks and turn the wheel into the curb. It'll help you keep from being pushed out into traffic. If you are hit hard enough, the butt of your car will usually go into traffic instead the front.

 

Take care out there!

[sat8997]

Be sure your windshield washer fluid is full. If the roads get sloppy, you're going to need it.

 

Sharon

[old bob]

Be sure your windshield washer fluid is full. If the roads get sloppy, you're going to need it.

Sharon

and be sure that the fluid dont get frozen by low temperature !

old Bob

 

and about chains, if you need ones, dont forget to learn how to put them on your tyres BEFORE you leave. To study the "directions for use within a snow storm is not so funny !

Edited November 22, 2006 by old bob

[Dio]

That's all pretty good advice I guess. But the one thing that all new snow drivers need to experience is

 

'Fun with fresh snow in an abandoned parking lot with your handbrake.'

 

Er...make sure you do it with someone who knows how though

[Drewbie]

And if you have a RWD, do get snow tires. Yes and drive slowing, esp if the road isn't been treated, I slid on a road going 25.

 

It is fun locking up the breaks in a Neighborhood , and sliding

[rekop1]

Thank you Everybody, I will be driving one of these babies. So hopefully I will not do to bad.

 

 

 

Nickolas I am sure that may be fun with a car, but I will not risk it with this truck. I wanna live to see another day.

 

 

 

 

Anthony

[Myk]

Thank you Everybody, I will be driving one of these babies. So hopefully I will not do to bad.

Nickolas I am sure that may be fun with a car, but I will not risk it with this truck. I wanna live to see another day.

Anthony

Holy crap...be careful with that thing!

 

good luck,

Greg

[Drewbie]

you never want to break in netual it will ruin ur transmission if you do it more then once.

Edited November 23, 2006 by Drewbie

[Tom]

there is one more thing that I forgot to mention

 

you're driving a big truck with an automatic, at slow speeds, on ice covered roads, if you have problems stopping put it in "N"...the engine can force the rear wheels to continue to turn while the front wheels have locked up!

[Tom]

you never want to break in netual it will ruin ur transmission if you do it more then once.

 

sorry, Mechanic here...how will it damage the transmission?

[Graeme]

There's one more piece of advice that should be offered. It's true at all times of the year, but the one winter I spent driving in the UK reinforced it:

 

Drive with the assumption that all other drivers on the road don't know how to drive.

 

It was actually some locals in the UK who gave me that advice. They were complaining that, even though it snowed every year, as soon as there was snow on the roads, the country stopped....

[C James]

Drive with the assumption that all other drivers on the road don't know how to drive.

 

I think that holds true in any weather or road condition. :2hands:

[DarkShadow]

sorry, Mechanic here...how will it damage the transmission?

 

I'm curious about that too... though I am NOT a mechanic. It is just what we were told to do when I was in school, and I found it worked marvelously in the past.

 

LOL I know where the oil goes.. cause it says 'oil' and I know where the gas goes. Other than what I have been taught and my experience from driving in the snow, that is all I know

 

I have to admit though, while sitting in line at a drive through with the car in neutral, and the brake pressed for several minutes, nothing ever seemed to happen to the transmission. It still went forward when I put it back into gear.

[Red_A]

Hints for you.

Where it snows regularly, people can drive in the snow, where it only occurs one day a year, BEWARE, other drivers are idiot and do not know how to drive. Cascade are safe, Seattle is dangerous.

 

Go for diesel, if you can, yes it is cheaper, but also the natural gentle breaking when you take your foot off the pedal is useful. Try it efore you hit snow.

 

Comment Nicholas James 8 idea is not as provocitive as you think. Yes find an empty carpark with a small carwith snow or a skidpan, and go for it. It is fun and, also you know what to do when it happens for real.

Edited November 24, 2006 by Red_A

[NickolasJames8]

Nickolas I am sure that may be fun with a car, but I will not risk it with this truck. I wanna live to see another day.

Anthony

Well maybe if you get the chance you can take a car, or even better, a motorcycle out and have some fun

[Red_A]

Well maybe if you get the chance you can take a car, or even better, a motorcycle out and have some fun

Yes,Yes a car.

No, No, No, not a bike, not even with full body armour. I have picked up too many body parts.

[rekop1]

Well maybe if you get the chance you can take a car, or even better, a motorcycle out and have some fun

 

 

 

I will think about it..... K

 

 

 

Anthony

[nifter]

OK first off you should never shift into "N" when drivig in the snow. Not that it will harm your car because is wont...if the car is in "N" the tranny is not even in contact with the rear end so if you shift into "N" you loose all ability to control a slide using you drive tires. Anyway The only tip i can give that i dont see is use your engin to slow the car allong with the brake. Down shifting or shifting into 1or 2 will only let the drive tires spin so fast..for example when going down a hill in a car in "D" your car can role as fast as car wants but if you shift into "1" the engine will only let the drive tires role about 10mph and this is all without using your breaks.

[NickolasJames8]

Well maybe if you get the chance you can take a car, or even better, a motorcycle out and have some fun

Yes,Yes a car.

No, No, No, not a bike, not even with full body armour. I have picked up too many body parts.

Ok, I agree....it sounds like fun though

I will think about it..... K

Anthony

Let me know how it goes

[glomph]

There's snow and then there's snow.

 

Warmer places often have what we call "wet" snow. It is pretty icy, and the snow is more like driving on ice than on a "dry" snow like those you get more often in colder climates.

 

So places where it snows just a few times a year, not only are the drivers more dangerous due to inexperience in snow driving, but also the snow itself is usually more dangerous.