Winter Driving Tips

[Bingo9991]

Oh, and a good awd system will beat a standard 4wd any day of the week, think Subaru. I have a awd Ford escape that is quite good as well but the Subaru are unbeatable

 

[Agvg]

A locked up wheel on ice has very little grip, it can polish the snow and ice and make it even worse. A modern ABS has av very high lock/release frequency and if you see the marks after the studs on ice its not much it rolls before it locks, older systems was often very slow, japanese cars had often very bad ABS, for some reason they was many generation behind the latest from Bosch, Japanese Pickups had so bad ABS it was frightening. How it was on US made cars i dont know.

 

[Agvg]

Yes, Subaru has good AWD, the same has Audi with proper Quattro, 4Matic from Mercedes Benz are also very good.

 

[Bingo9991]

There's clips of Subarus pulling semis out of slick stuff

 

[DK35vince]

Interesting video full of people crashing who didn't need ABS or ESC; while those with ABS and ESC watched and then get out to help them.

You could tell the ones in that video that got out and helped had ABS, ESC.
Funny I couldn't tell.
Makes me wonder how I've got by just fine without those features driving in the winter the past 40 years.
The only vehicle we have ever owned with ABS is my wife's 2005 Subaru, and she never drives in the snow.
None of my personal vehicles had ABS or ESC.
If its snowing or calling for snow and my wife needs to go somewhere I take her, some times using her car with ABS.
Do I feel I'm safer and more in control with her car with ABS, vs my current and previous vehicles without it. NO, not really, I drive they all the same way in the same conditions.

 

[Agvg]

I have driven for years to but no way I would have a car without ABS, ESP etc. Humans are not design to operate machines that need fast reaction time, we are very slow, our senses are made for walking and all that can help us out of danger are very welcome. Just think what anticollision system will save in injuries/deat and cost, I saw a video where F1 driver Schumacher just his concentration skills and observation skills on a trip to town, we normal people are not close, but a computer and cameras are 100% focust 100% of the time....

 

[LD1]

Talking about car commercials, I forget the brand, but they mentioned about the "ice hill climb" the car could perform (or something to that extent).

Perhaps it's just me, but if you're either going up a hill or down a hill that is covered with ice, I don't care what you're driving, you're going to have a very bad time IMO.

Watch and learn from the pros!

When all else fails, drive slow and don't hit the breaks. Better yet, don't go out. Lived in NC for over 15 years now. I joke with some of my local buddies that no matter what side of the mason dixon line you live on, there is still a crapload of people that can't drive in bad snow weather. Seen just as many people on the side of the road stuck in a snow bank up in NY or Vermont as in NC.

Good video.

Specifically referencing 0:36-0:50.......3:22-3:34......and 4:41-4:52......

Exactly why In my first post when I said:

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

This isn’t personal, or about being a tough guy, or pounding your chest. It’s about realizing in some conditions that ABS increases your stopping distance and is worse than not having it.

Yep, it better for steering while braking, but when you get a surprise (ice) at an intersection, and there’s a car in front of you, cars in the other lane, and parked cars at the curb, I’d rather have braking than steering ability. Other times, I’m glad for ABS.

Like previously said, drivers need to recognize this, and one trick (sometimes) is to pump the brakes (old school like) to reset the ABS detection.

I agreed that yes there are some conditions where ABS increases stopping distance a little. Even gave the reason as to why. But ice.....not one of them. ABS stops faster on Ice and hardpack every time. Gotta have something loose that will pile up in front of the tire and make the tire act like a plow for ABS to lose. Loose snow, Loose gravel, dirt, sand dunes, etc....all examples. Ice....not so much.

All about the tires, you can drive a 2wd with a rear locker if you got good weight, protip, lightly hold the brake while accelerating for poor man's traction control to prevent a tire without traction from spinning

Lockers can get you into just as much trouble in winter conditions.

If one tire has significantly better traction than the other.....an open differential would still make sure there is equal torque (driving force) going to BOTH wheels.....keeping the nose pointed straight. A locker can easily have good traction on one side and not the other. So rather than keeping the torque equal.....it tries to keep the speed equal. And if one side has no traction and the other does.....yup....you are going slideways..

 

[reb]

One general rule: Don't try to make sudden changes in speed or direction.

The only time I got into trouble on icy roads was with a 4wd. Traffic was moving about 30 mph and I had the 4wd engaged. Came to a curve in the road and I backed off the throttle, like normal on dry roads. The sudden attempted change in speed caused the front wheels to lose traction and I ended up in the ditch.

 

[Agvg]

Most primitive 4wd are dangerous for road use, with no center differential thing can go very bad very fast.

 

[Bingo9991]

Also, a vehicle in 4wd takes longer to stop than a the same exact vehicle in 2wd, not talking about two different Chevys but rather one Chevy with a transfer case change