Winter driving

[dave1949]

I bought a set of four mounted and balanced snow tires (Blizzaks) from tirerack.com this Fall. Just swapped them for the summer set two days ago. All perfect, great balance job. FYI.

Dave.

 

[irvingj]

Dave-- same here, for both my cars and daughter's S60. Off-season tires are stored in a shed, with a homemade rack.

I have to approach the subject carefully --tactfully-- but when I have our local service center do state inspections, for which they have to remove two tires/wheels, I let them know my torque wrench will be in the car, on the seat, set to the proper value... and to please use it. I've just seen too much variation with torque sticks!

Bird-- what a great idea your Crown Vic has; I didn't realize ANY US cars had the wiper/lights interlock. Great idea!

 

[Opti-Mist]

Winter driving is easy as long as we remember that there are two things that cannot be done quickly: 1) changing speed, and 2) changing direction. When I was a kid we used to practice things like controlled skids, etc, which helped to prepare us for the unexpected. In those days I used to buy a new set of recapped snow tires every fall. They would be worn out by the next fall. Keep it slower and keep it safer!

 

[The Haymaker]

Merry Christmas to you too!
Good tip on the lights. I like the Euro-style extra bright tail lamp that can be switched on for foggy, heavy rain or snow times. Wish they would make those standard on cars here.


Dave.

Not sure on the euro style tail lights. For me, they are an added stress. I'm constantly scanning and every time I see one of those things farther up in traffic I have to keep deciding if it is a brake light in the pack or not.

Along the same idea, on a night like tonight when it is snowing like crazy on one end of my route and 15f and raining on the other, I intentional get away or get ahead of others just so I no longer have to worry about what they are doing.

Any who, I want to wish a wonderful, non politically correct, "Merry Christmas" to all!

 

[The Haymaker]

Winter driving is easy as long as we remember that there are two things that cannot be done quickly: 1) changing speed, and 2) changing direction. When I was a kid we used to practice things like controlled skids, etc, which helped to prepare us for the unexpected. In those days I used to buy a new set of recapped snow tires every fall. They would be worn out by the next fall. Keep it slower and keep it safer!

I have a more colorful explanation when others ask me how a tractor trailer goes in these storms. "They go better than anything I have ever driven in the snow..... As long as I don't have to stop, start, or turn."

Insert long blank stare here......

E

 

[etcallhome]

Drove about 100,000 a year between my work and personal vehicles. So I glad
to see I've started something. When ever we are traveling or when I was working and it was a dreary day ,if I stopped for gas or a pit stop(boys room) if I seen a vehicle with just there DRL on I would ask them why they didn't have there headlights on . Law in PA,WV,Va,Oh if wipers on turn on headlights. There reply well My headlights turn on auto when ever they need to be on, My reply ,well I just followed you for the last what ever # of miles and AS my Granddaughter would say GUESS WHAT!!!! your taillights were never on meaning your headlights did not turn on auto .
Part of the dumbness is from the DRL using the headlight instead of using the parking light as the DRl Look at how many times you have seen a vehicle going down the street totally dark out side and no taillights ,you pass them and the driver is trying to figure out why is headlights are so dim......driving with only there DRL on.
I seen a Dept of Highway Snowplow the other morning (5am) no taillights ,
passed him looked in my mirror there were no parking lights on ,no side lights on his bed. Driving with just DRL and probably will take vehicle back to the garage and have the mechanic check his headlights because they weren't working. HERE'S YOUR SIGN !!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas to all and a safe New Year
Please remember don't DRINK and DRIVE

Have fun and be safe!!!

 

[dave1949]

Not sure on the euro style tail lights. For me, they are an added stress. I'm constantly scanning and every time I see one of those things farther up in traffic I have to keep deciding if it is a brake light in the pack or not.

Along the same idea, on a night like tonight when it is snowing like crazy on one end of my route and 15f and raining on the other, I intentional get away or get ahead of others just so I no longer have to worry about what they are doing.

Any who, I want to wish a wonderful, non politically correct, "Merry Christmas" to all!

Merry Christmas to you Haymaker. I can see your issue with the bright taillights. It would be nice if they were a different color than a brake light or turn signal. That would still be tough for some of the colorblind. Be safe out there.

About trucks braking, a guy once told me they put on a heck of a show, but you may notice they aren't slowing down much
Dave.

 

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

Most of the country of the last couple of weeks have had bad, bad weather.

If not major snow storm, hard rains, fog

We were talking last evening at the Church Program ,saying,wonder who will show up tonight. Roads are so bad. Someone else said 30-40 yrs ago 15-18" was nothing and all would have showed up somehow , very few had 4 x4, AWD, trucks ,Suv or cars.
But we did have Chains, and Winter tires not All Season tires.
That is why They are called Winter tires for driving in the SNOW and Ice
One other thing that needs to done for every ones safety!!!

PLEASE TURN ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS DRL YOU DO NOT HAVE TAIL LIGHTS WITH DRL.....(daytime driving lights) Follow someone in a major snow storm,fog or heavy downspour that only have there DRL....Autolights DO NOT TURN YOUR HEADLIGHTS AT TIMES WHEN THEY ARE REALLY NEEDED,
and please Do Not Text or send,read,messages while driving down the highway!

Merry Christmas to all !!

Happy New Year
Have fun and be safe !!!!!!!!!!

good advice here is a little reminder my brother deals in tires and said get your winter tires off as soon as the good weather hits he said the tire will heat up and the tire will go hard and be no good the next year hope this helps some one brian

 

[etcallhome]

Thanks for the info to get your winter tires off as soon as the good weather hits.
I always try to unless the tires won't last through out the whole winter, then I just leave them on to finish wearing them out.

Have fun and be safe !!

 

[czechsonofagun]

Ghost drivers irritate me as well - how can you drive without making sure you can be seen?
I had to drive in the storm to feed friends horses, it was actually quite pleasant to know, only plows and me are on the road and everybody else stayed home

 

[The Haymaker]

Merry Christmas to you Haymaker.


About trucks braking, a guy once told me they put on a heck of a show, but you may notice they aren't slowing down much
Dave.

Thanks Dave!

I just say "Newtons Laws apply". Love driving in the snow though. Was in Smyrna 1900 thursday night. Roads were poorly maintained and they had 24" of fresh fall. What a blast!

E

 

[The Haymaker]

Ghost drivers irritate me as well - how can you drive without making sure you can be seen?
I had to drive in the storm to feed friends horses, it was actually quite pleasant to know, only plows and me are on the road and everybody else stayed home

Some yahoo fill-in on one of the radio shows I listen too was complaining about how much fuel the nation would save if we weren't enforcing or pushing daytime lights. Duh. Even on a bright, sunny, day they are a good thing. The human eye sees contrast best. How do you do that? Run lights!

 

[irvingj]

I think we'd save a lot more fuel if people would just look at/check their tires once in a while- ever notice how many are running soft? Now THAT costs some fuel!

 

[dodge man]

I also hate the day time running lights, how much can you dumb down a vehicle. I also hate the fog lights on all the time. People do that because they think it "looks cool". My reaction is "its not foggy out".

 

[aczlan]

I think we'd save a lot more fuel if people would just look at/check their tires once in a while- ever notice how many are running soft? Now THAT costs some fuel!

And in the wintertime could cause an accident... IIRC the general rule of thumb is to run snowtires ~2psi higher than summer tires. The thinking is that high pressure will cut into the snow/ice better and give you more traction.

Aaron Z

 

[harpoonalt]

Winter driving is easy as long as we remember that there are two things that cannot be done quickly: 1) changing speed, and 2) changing direction. When I was a kid we used to practice things like controlled skids, etc, which helped to prepare us for the unexpected. In those days I used to buy a new set of recapped snow tires every fall. They would be worn out by the next fall. Keep it slower and keep it safer!

Best thing you can do for your new teen drivers is to get them in a big parking lot full of snow and have them do panic stops, sharp turns and get the feel of how a car behaves so when they get on the road, they will be prepared. Hard to make them believe that sometimes not braking will give them more control until they actually experience it. And it's fun for them too.
winter tires can turn a horrible snow car into a a winter beating machine. My first set of real winter tires made me a believer.
We live up the mountain off a main route to a ski area. Amazing how many "flatlanders" zoom by going way too fast for conditions. I wish they could see the accidents we see every year from people losing control and crossing the centerline. Slow down, be seen, and be smooth.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Some yahoo fill-in on one of the radio shows I listen too was complaining about how much fuel the nation would save if we weren't enforcing or pushing daytime lights. Duh. Even on a bright, sunny, day they are a good thing. The human eye sees contrast best. How do you do that? Run lights!

They would say lot of gas just by changing traffic lights. In Northern Virginia traffic lights are on 24/7 - whatever happened to flashing orange for nights I don't know, but many times a line of cars is stopped by a single one, because he is pulling from a subdivision to 2 lane and activates that bloody switch! And the road is most of the time empty, no need for the light and a stop at 5:30 AM.

OK, rant mood off

 

[LBrown59]

Yes! Speaking of lights and safety.... I agree 100% about the DRL with no taillights- really a potentially dangerous situaton.

Then there are drivers with "camougflaged" cars --silver, dark colors-- that drive in low-light conditions with NO lights on! I think people just don't realize how well a silver car blends in with a wet road on a foggy morning. 40 years ago in Scandinavia,

a law that if you had your wipers on you had to have headlights on as well.... I see NY now has a similar law;
*why not the rest of the country?

And my favorite peeve.... (sorry!) the "fog" lights that many newer cars come with- folks never turn 'em off!! They switch to low beam, and you're suddenly faced with a wall of light. I also suspect no one ever checks the aim of those fog lights. When someone's behind me and it's bright enough to cast a strong shadow of my head on my car's ceiling.... ARRGH! Too bad there couldn't be a fairly bright indicator light on the dash when the fog lights are on....

Apologies-- I just had to rant!pasted that a few days a
Oh- my daughter's Volvo has that "rear fog light"-- I agree, a great idea!

*My state just passed that a couple days ago effective Jan 2010.

 

[LBrown59]

I have no idea how many people in how many states change tires for the Winter, but my father-in-law, who lived in the south end of West Virginia (very hilly terrain) used to keep 2 sets of 4 tires mounted on rims so he could change them quickly.

In 1971 i bougt a new chevey chevell convertable and a new ford 3/4 ton canper special PU.
I did the same thing for tires for both of them and even inculded studs front and rear.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Winter tires are good. I use them.

DRLs are good. I use them. I had them turned on, even though the car came without them enabled. They aren't headlights and they should not be mistaken for headlights. They are mostly to make sure pedestrians crossing the road notice you, and so cars pulling out in front of you notice you in daylight.

Best saftey strategy is not to drive when the weather is bad if you can help it. Even if you do everything right, it doesn't mean everyone else will.

Just my opinion.
Cliff