Winter Driving Tips

[Slowpoke Slim]

Depends on where in Neb he's headed. Is he going to be in a large municipal area, with reliable, regular city snow plow service? Or is he going to be in a rural area, and required to be "on his own" for snow removal. And, does he "need" to get out when others can safely stay home, aka "snow days". If he has the luxury of being able to stay sheltered in place at home, until the roads are opened up and cleared, then do so. If, he's like me, and must be available as soon as the state police open the road block gates, then he needs a proper snow country vehicle, and proper snow tires. Some secondary and tertiary roads may not be cleared for days, or even a week or more on a really big snow storm. If he needs to get down one of these roads, the "stay home if snow up to your bumper" rule won't work.

Mrs. Slim and I both have 4x4's, with PROPER snow country tires on them. So many people incorrectly think that just getting a 4x4 solves all their snow problems. NOPE. Most of the winter I have between 1000 and 1200 lbs of playground sand in the bed of my truck for ballast. So equipped, I can make it through 3 feet of fresh snow. The ballast weight helps with ice too. Really ice is a bigger problem than snow. My 2wd work van has 600 lbs of ballast sand (in bags) added to the normal weight of tools, equipment, parts and racking in the winter. With proper winter tires, the snow has to be pretty deep before I am forced to park the 2wd van and take my personal 4x4 pickup out of town.

When I travel out of town for work (frequently), I take along a little food, some drinks, and most importantly, a full expedition grade set of insulated coveralls and hooded coat, plus snow boots, not to mention the normal gloves, coat, hat, etc. This is just in case I do get stuck, or slide off the road in the middle of nowhere, I'm not a Popsicle by the time they find me.

 

[cqaigy2]

Like Slim said, be ready to survive if your stuck in the weather. Food, water and warm clothes blankets. Those shorts, t-shirt and sandals aren't going to help you much.

 

[JRobyn]

If not a large vacant parking lot, a public lake, assuming it has been proven safe to support vehicles. My sister and I learned VOLUMES in a short time driving out on the lakes when we visited my aunt in MN.

 

[Ken]

For a few years traveled from Colorado to Rapid city S. Dakota. mostly all on call outs when the storm caused power outages or iced up antennas on communication towers. Always first question when arrived was "What took you so long"
Have had vehicle ice up until engine could not run . get into snow drifts deep enough to prevent fore ward or back ward moving until being dug out.
I always carried enough clothing to keep warm should something unforeseen happened. This was before C.B. bag phone or cell phones . military type wool blankets ,sleeping bag designed for mountain weather.
Cans of Dinty Moore Stew with method of heating.(Sterno) also container of water. frying pan knife and spoon. container of gas/diesel for vehicle as well oil for engine.
And only safe advice is not to trust the driver in front behind or trying to pass you. slow up and let them go.
if you see then in the ditch after honking to pass wave and let them sit in safe area of the ditch.
Also on the first ice or snow .on clear area of highway swerve the vehicle to see how it will react. try to stop and see if brakes lock or pulse to grip highway.
Only way to learn is practice driving .
Some refuse to dim the lights drive to where cannot see any portion of there vehicle behind you . and try to pass the snowplows . Remember them. they will be off road with in 2 miles. waving for help as you pass.
ken

 

[RSKY]

We are required to carry chains where there is deep snow, also carry a long whip with a flag on the top so you can find your car if you get snowed in, I learned that one the hard way after spending two hours digging out the wrong car.
If you get caught in a drift and are covered turn the engine off, using the engine for the heater can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
And, (we actually saw this, wish I had the video camera at the time) when you fit chains, make sure they are on the drive wheels, the one we saw was two young girls fitting chains to a Ford Laser on the back wheels (Ford Laser is a/was a rebadged Mazda 323).
With the auto, on mine I can push the stick sideways in drive and drive it like a manual, forward for up a gear, back for down and it displays on the dash.

I didn't realize it snowed in Australia, much less deep enough you couldn't tell you were digging out the wrong car. So I googled it. I put in "Does it snow in" and before I could finish the sentence "Does it snow in Australia" showed up at the top of the list. So I figure your post caused enough people to ask the same question that it moved that to the top of the Google list.

Good job mate!

RSKY

 

[JK22]

: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)

I agree. Brakes are not your friend. Learn to downshift rather than braking. And I hate ABS. Learn how to drive through a skid. If you are depending on ABS, you’re probably praying at the same time.

 

[bunyip]

I didn't realize it snowed in Australia, much less deep enough you couldn't tell you were digging out the wrong car. So I googled it. I put in "Does it snow in" and before I could finish the sentence "Does it snow in Australia" showed up at the top of the list. So I figure your post caused enough people to ask the same question that it moved that to the top of the Google list.

Good job mate!

RSKY

Snow is above 800 metres in the southern states and most of the areas are national parks or ski resorts although there are a few towns in other areas.
Tasmania gets a lot of snow on the west coast and highlands in the middle.
There are also a lot of seasonal track and road closures in some of these areas as you don't want to be there anyway in winter.
The hills around Melbourne get a dusting most years, enough to throw a few snowballs for a few hours and cause a few minor traffic accidents.
I lost my car at Falls Creek which is one of the bigger resorts, we were up there for almost a fortnight ski-ing and it was a year of heavy snow (and dug out the wrong car).
Snow is pretty much confined to Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria he says sitting here in 33ｰ C heat today and as humid as buggery.

 

[2ndhalf]

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.

I drive 2 hours a day on a mix of back country roads and interstates. I have driven that two hours in all types of vehicles.

LD1 hits most of them right on the money. One thing he missed; leave space for stopping even if the person behind you is an idiot on your tail. Brake check them. The #1 cause for accidents in poor weather in my experienced opinion; TAIL GATING!

One thing about buying tires; go to tirerack.com and see if you can find the tires that are rated excellent for the traction type you prefer (i.e. Winter, Rain etc.) Then walk into the tire shop and TELL THEM what tire you want and if they don't have it make them order it.

The tire guy will sell you what he has a lot of.

 

[RoyJackson]

As a resident of Vermont, I'll add a couple:

If your vehicle's transmission has overdrive ratios, drop it down to direct drive
Let the engine braking slow you as much as possible (which is why you don't want the vehicle in overdrive)
Never use cruise control while on snow or ice
Always remember 4WD will get you going, but is no help in stopping
Resist the impulse to speed up when folks pass you on the interstates....good chance you'll see them off the road, sooner or later.
Dress to walk...good chance you will get stuck at some point.

Use common sense! I always tell people I have 4WD to get home, not to work. If conditions warrant, stay home.

The other posts covered pretty much anything else I'd write...

 

[2ndhalf]

Considering the fact he is driving a 2wd pickup; probably the worst vehicle on snow/ice unless equiped correctly he should heed what has been said about weight and tires.

His truck without the right tires and weight is a sled and not in a good sense of the word. Put 800 lb of sand in the back and get good all season tires; not M&S. I don't know about Nebraska winters like I do Ohio winters but a M&S tire on ice or hardpacked snow are about worthless and frankly scarey.

 

[LD1]

Regarding tires....

Understanding a tire tread design is important. I can just look at a tread pattern and tell if its gonna be good or not. And have had alot of experience with alot of different tires over 15 years of plowing.....and plowing with ~20 other guys and seeing what they use as well.

For starters....NOTHING will beat a true snow tire. They have a real soft compound and designed specifically for snow and ice. And even better if you stud them. But I cannot imagine Nebraska's winters get terrible. And winter tires wear out FAST when not on snow and ice.

But some GOOD all seasons......Look at mastercraft courser HXT, and Michelin Defender LTX. These are two of the tires I'd rate near the top for winter driving on hard pack and ice.
CooperMastercraft - Courser HXT
Access Denied

Both similar. Lots of siping and biting edges, which is what you want on hardpack and ice. Just look at the tread pattern and design of an "actual" winter tire......

Regarding ABS.....

this topic seems to come up alot also. Boggles my mind the number of people that "claim" they hate ABS.
Sure, back in the 1990's......With some only having real wheel ABS, or 2-3 channel ABS....while better than none....wasnt that great. But about everything made in the last decade has true 4-wheel ABS. All 4 wheels have sensors.....and the computer knows the split second that a wheel locks up.....and releases brakes a little to JUST THAT WHEEL. Something you just CANNOT do without abs.

On ANY modern vehicle.....I'd bet thousands of dollars that on snow and ice......you CANNOT stop the vehicle faster if you were to disable the ABS. And ABS is GREAT for maintaining control when stopping.

People that claim to "hate" ABS.....just dont understand how it works.

And automatic vs manual........give me the automatic. Driving on slick dangerous roads....you have enough to worry about.

I have a saturn sl...5-speed manual.....no ABS. Also have a Nissan sentra....automatic/cvt......and 4-wheel ABS.
BOTH cars are equipped with Mastercraft SRT touring tires. I'd take the Nissan everyday over the saturn.....mainly because of ABS.....but the automatic is good too.

 

[fried1765]

Move to Florida!

 

[Thomas]

Leaving early if need to travel,good snow tires w/weight in rear,shovel my come in handy,extra warm gloves,tow strap or chain,set tire chains,good wipers.stay calm.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Best advice is to Go Back To Texas!

 

[turnkey4099]

SLOW DOWN

Then SLOW DOWN some more! My advice to most drivers I know is "slow down", now cut that speed in half and you'll be about right".

 

[Sigarms]

Considering the fact he is driving a 2wd pickup; probably the worst vehicle on snow/ice unless equiped correctly he should heed what has been said about weight and tires.

His truck without the right tires and weight is a sled and not in a good sense of the word. Put 800 lb of sand in the back and get good all season tires; not M&S. I don't know about Nebraska winters like I do Ohio winters but a M&S tire on ice or hardpacked snow are about worthless and frankly scarey.

Missed the part with 2WD pick up truck.

When I moved to Syracuse, it was with a Chevy S-10 2wd truck. Have to admit, I was an idiot as I would never do a 2wd pick up truck again. Depending on the snow and where I lived, I would NEVER make it up some of the hills back to where I was living.

Then, some years later, ended up kayaking in Idaho with a local and he had a dodge 2wd pick up truck. We started talking about winters out there, and he told me with chains on the tires and proper load in the bed, he had no problems with the snow in Idaho. Never done it myself, don't see a reason why he'd be yanking my chain.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Salt for weight in a vehicle turns into a long term problem when the salt container leaks. Same for fertilizer.

 

[shaeff]

Just gonna drop one hint on weight over rear axle- cat litter is great weight but not great for getting you unstuck. It's usually clay based and turns slick when added to snow. Much better off with sand. May have been said already, didn't read the whole thread yet.

 

[RoyJackson]

Missed the part with 2WD pick up truck.

When I moved to Syracuse, it was with a Chevy S-10 2wd truck. Have to admit, I was an idiot as I would never do a 2wd pick up truck again. Depending on the snow and where I lived, I would NEVER make it up some of the hills back to where I was living.

Then, some years later, ended up kayaking in Idaho with a local and he had a dodge 2wd pick up truck. We started talking about winters out there, and he told me with chains on the tires and proper load in the bed, he had no problems with the snow in Idaho. Never done it myself, don't see a reason why he'd be yanking my chain.

I doubt if I'd buy a 2WD truck, but a few decades ago, 4WD vehicles were a rarity. Growing up in the 1950's and 60's, most vehicles were 2WD, rear wheel drive...and people got around. Chains were normally kept in the vehicle and installed when necessary.
I grew up in suburban/rural Baltimore County, 10 or so miles outside Baltimore, MD. Suburban areas, at least where I lived, were not near as crowded as they are now...
But the point is, 4WD is great, but not necessarily a necessity.

 

[Ken]

Missed the part with 2WD pick up truck.

When I moved to Syracuse, it was with a Chevy S-10 2wd truck. Have to admit, I was an idiot as I would never do a 2wd pick up truck again. Depending on the snow and where I lived, I would NEVER make it up some of the hills back to where I was living.

Then, some years later, ended up kayaking in Idaho with a local and he had a dodge 2wd pick up truck. We started talking about winters out there, and he told me with chains on the tires and proper load in the bed, he had no problems with the snow in Idaho. Never done it myself, don't see a reason why he'd be yanking my chain.

Had a foreman that would say the difference of 2 whl and 4 whl drive was 10 feet and dug in deeper.
ken