Winter driving

[MarkyB]

Sorry to put what is basically an advert on the site but it does illustrate a common problem when conditions get slippery;

http://www.youtube.com/user/TomTomOfficial?feature=mhee

Note how many cars have their wheels locked or the steering hard over, also how fast wheels are turning when people are trying to get the car moving.

When a car stops doing what you want the answer is usually to ask for a bit less, slower turning wheels will get more grip, less lock is more likely to make the car turn and if the car is skidding under braking come off the brakes and try again repeatedly (and quickly!).

Friction decreases with speed, so letting you foot off the brake will reduce the speed differential between the road and tyre, as will easing off the loud pedal when the tyres can't grip.

[beero]

One dipstick was reversing a front wheel drive car with the handbrake on!!

[mike.perry]

Was that Jeremy Clarkson falling out of his car?

[cadetchris]

snow chains show chains snow chains.
fixes all in this situation

[chrisryder]

snow chains show chains snow chains.
fixes all in this situation

not always...



The thing to remember with driving in snow/ice or even in the wet, or even for that matter, every day driving:

You can't steer a spinning wheel, and you can't steer a locked wheel.

[Matt Tomkins]

what are anyone's thoughts on town and country tyres for the winter months? (not that i can afford them :p)

[MarkyB]

You can't steer a spinning wheel, and you can't steer a locked wheel.

Succinctly put!

The problem is that ones instincts are telling you to push harder on the brake or accelerator or apply more lock, not lees.

[twincamman]

That pic of the BMW was taken in Swansea. How anyone can go out and buy a BMW without knowing that it's RWD is beyond me!
The fact it's RWD is the USP of a BMW.

[cadetchris]

maybe they liked fantastic steering capabilities instead of the forward motion.

[Alan Pearse]

After living and working in Shetland for twenty years i learned hard and fast the first winter i was there (76). Slow and steady wins day. At the start of the second winter i bought a pair of VERDISTIEEN WINTER PLUS tyres. Even though Shetland is part of the uk, being so far north and once being a Nordic country some of the Nordic laws still apply. The use of studed winter tyres is allowed, brilliant for driving on ice and snow but not so good on town roads. This wasn't a real problem as the only town roads that were cleared where Lerwick, Scalloway and the outlying smaller towns of which were few. The other roads were cleared of over night snow and drifts were not gritted or ploughed and are left to clear by thaw in the spring pot holes were few. You learnt to DRIVE TO THE CONDITIONS. In twenty years living there i only ever had two winter driving accidents. Almost all drivers there had a set rims fitted with winter tyres and changed over at the start and end of winter, chains were hardly ever used the commercial vehicles even had set of winter tyres fitted. the snow clearing vehicles were noting like these dinky toys we have here they were built to a job and only that job six wheel drive high powered laviations.
WINTER TYRES WILL HELP, but what helps even more is using a higher gear to start off 2nd not 1st, lower revs when moving, small movments in steering and using the engine to brake not the the brakes. DRIVE TO THE CONDITIONS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR TRYING TO DO. Last thing to do is switch off the traction control in a modern car they are not designed for ice and snow driving they are a stabbility conrol for normal or wet conditions.

[MMaurice52]

snow chains show chains snow chains.
fixes all in this situation

not always...



.

I imagine, if the weak link broke, in one of the snow chains it would cause a considerable amount ($$$) of damage to the fender (wing) of that car!

[Alan Pearse]

Not only that but it would wrap around the suspension and drive shaft if front wheel drive and cause complete loss of control. why the numpty in this BMW has put chains on the front i'll never know, lack of basic knowledge i think of ones car, chains may be fine on ice as they dig into it. You have to stop when you get onto the cleared roads to take them off as you can't drive safely with them on.

[robberred1993]

I love driving in Ice and Snow , I love taking my Morris Out in the snow, not sure how much of a good thing this is, but its great fun, and It's never done any harm and I have never got stuck!