Winter Driving Tips

[My Gym]

I am putting together a list of Winter driving tips for a young man that moved from south Texas to Nebraska. I am looking for the wisdom from this group. He drives a newer rear wheel drive Ford truck with automatic.

Here are a few of mine:

Roads are usually slickest at stop lights and stop signs, approach carefully and avoid coming to a complete stop.

If it is so slick that you cannot stand up or the snow is deeper than your bumper. STAY HOME!

Keep your gas tank full. It adds more weight to rear tires and more gas to keep you warm if you get stuck.

Always carry a shovel to dig yourself out.

Lets hear your input.

 

[RNeumann]

I carry a tug/snatch strap and jumper cables. I also keep a set of warm clothes and gloves.

As far as driving- it’s like driving a boat. Plenty of power and speed but little steering and no brakes.

 

[Sigarms]

1 - Always give your car/truck time to get nice and warm before going out on the road. Not only carry a shovel, but carry an extra set of warm clothes, and also a good tow rope, even if you're only driving a car.

2 - It's the not going that gets you in trouble, it's always the stopping. Hitting your breaks even with 4 wheel drive doesn't do you any good on a slick snow covered road. Don't drive fast, even if you have 4 wheen drive. Remember, you'll find as many 4x4's in the ditch as well as cars in bad weather.

3- ALWAYS slow down BEFORE you hit a bridge in bad weather. Even if there isn't ice on a road, there can be ice on a bridge due to the air under the road. Never hit your breaks while driving on a bridge if you don't have to when it's wet and under 40 degrees.

4 - ALWAYS drive slow on pack snow when approaching a curve in the road. Even in 4 wheel drive, when driving on pack snow, the inertia of the truck can take you off the road if you aren't driving in a straight line (the bigger the curve, the more likely the chances you vehicle will slide if on packed snow).

5 - If you have white outs in your area, either stop driving when you hit a white out or just keep going slow in a straight line. Either way, not everyone will give you the same answer. Hit a white out while driving and just hope for the best on whatever choice you make. You won't believe you can't see anything when you hit one, but believe me, you can't see NOTHING when you hit one when driving.

6 - After a year, move back to Texas

 

[LD1]

If you get alot of snow in that area, and that is his only vehicle....best thing he can do is get a 4wd.

Beyond that.....if his truck has abs....that's good. If not...pump brakes to maintain control.

Add weight. 400-600# of cat litter or sand in bags in the bed will do wonders. And if you do get stuck, open a bag and spread some down.

Go slow. Slow easy starts...slow easy stops. No sudden lane changes.

When roads are bad, and slush between tire tracks, (speaking of divided highways)....pick a lane and stay in it.

Have good tires. Studded winter tires are best...but there are some good all season tires out there. No bald tires, or blocky tread that has no sipes. Sipes are a good thing. As is open shoulders to clear out.

Also good to find an abandoned large parking lot. Go play. Practice loosing control and corrections. Learn the limits of the vehicle and limits of driver skill.

 

[CobyRupert]

- it痴 like driving a boat. Plenty of power and speed but little steering and no brakes.

:thumbsup:
Rule #1: It's counterintuitive, but putting on the brakes is usually the worst thing to do.

Locking up brakes on snow and ice is useless. You're just leaving what direction you travel up to to gravity and momentums fate. Better off using what little friction your tires have to steer.
Most anti-lock brakes on ice and snow are horrible. There are times, despite what I said above, that I'd rather be skidding to a stop rather than have no braking at all because the anti-locks are releasing. Vehicles aren't smart enough to know the difference.

Pumping the brakes works in both cases, because you may be able to steer clear, or pump to reset the anti-lock detection function long enough to actually have some braking before it kicks in again.

Steer into skids and stay off the brakes!
Hit the gas if its front wheel drive and she'll pull out of the skid.
Rear wheel drive, let off on the gas to straighten it out.


Weight=traction. Rear wheel drive trucks are the WORST in snow. Studded tires are the best.
Static friction is greater than kinetic friction. (i.e. a tire not spinning/skidding has more traction than one that isn't)

 

[oosik]

SLOW DOWN

 

[Agvg]

ABS works very vell on ice and snow, cant think of any situation that I could do it better, and it have savnede my *** many times...

 

[kcflhrc]

Call for an Uber

 

[Agvg]

Proper winter tires are a must, where I live you might loose your driver licens and get a very high fine if you drives with summer tires in the snow.

 

[cat fever]

Buy a snowmobile.