Winter Driving Advice

[fizzy_drink]

Can anyone with advanced driving skills / good driving experience, please post your knowledge on here for those without ESP.

What to do to avoid a skid.

What to do whilst in a skid.

How to look-out for hazards (other vehicles / ice etc...).

Ta,

Oms.

 

[lawson706]

buy a tank

 

[Ignis_Rally_Beast]

drive slower!

buy an ignis sport (contraversial)


seriously, if u lose grip at the front wind the lock on the way u were intending to go and hit the clutch, leave the brakes alone (did a skid pan course). It scrubs speed off and then suddenly you grip again and go the right way, and the extra steering makes up for running wide. If you brake you kill any grip you had and go straight on without slowing down as much

 

[Scott]

don't go too fast
take corners steady
going down slippery hill select a suitable gear and let the car do the work
don't slam on the brakes, jab them
allow for longer stopping distances
don't panic if in a skid
don't trust other road users too much

 

[Scott]

drive slower!
buy an ignis sport (contraversial)

those two are related :evil:

 

[Steve]

Don't drive like this;http://www.transbuddha.com/mediaHolder.php?id=1063

 

[Donz144]

Its all about awarness..... Check Temp.....all the time.
Look up.....if your back country then fallen leaves will stick and your car wont.
Rule of thumb...if your front wheel drive and you understeer....then back off...this does'nt always mean using the brakes....dipping the clutch quickly will make a difference.

In really wet coditions your tyres will work at disspearsing water...its the damp cond that you MUST be carfull in. Its all about being smooth..if you loose traction its not wise to thren become aggresive with the wheel to correct!!

 

[run115]

Well, when skidding its not so easy to explain what to do, cos there are different type of skids. But if the tail comes out to the right, DO NOT touch the brakes, always engine brake the car, counter lock steerind to the opposite direction of the slide, and obviously it all depends the speed at which you lost it! Vince

 

[Harry_manback]

POWER POWER POWER, seriously, when its icey, go to a car park and play, + when it snows, this way u find out the easy way.

the big thing it that brakes kill u on ice, if u turn and nothing happens just wait, eventually the back end will come round, hopfully round the corner, then bags of POWER!
cant wait for it all!

 

[LegoHead]

sounds like fun! Seriously would like to have a go at all this in a controlled environment though, dont fancy being caught out on the roads.

 

[Gary G]

smoothness is the key

 

[wozzaa]

What me and my mates went doing on the industrial estate late at night when its frosty my mates dad was doing it as well.

Theres no roads through it so only people that know where it is will find it hence why we go down there and mess about no one to upset etc just a place for us usually 3 cars couple people in each to have a bit of fun.

 

[haitch]

plenty of skid advice^. you can never use your mirrors too much, look out for ppl slowing down in front, ppl on the phone or talking to passengers etc, if you have a passenger yourself you dont need to look at them to talk eh, try to read several cars in front & give yourself room/distance to take evasive action.

 

[iPap]

plenty of skid advice^. you can never use your mirrors too much, look out for ppl slowing down in front, ppl on the phone or talking to passengers etc, if you have a passenger yourself you dont need to look at them to talk eh, try to read several cars in front & give yourself room/distance to take evasive action.

That's the best advice.

Prevention is better than cure!

 

[mr_merc]

Read up on the Institute of Advanced Motorists' Website perhaps?

Common sense things really.

Car:

Tyre pressures
Coolant Level
Windscreen Wash
Brakes
Consider Handbrake freezing
Warming up
Battery
Oil
Sunglasses in the car

Road situations:

Leaving gaps
Smoothness (as someone mentioned) is key
Considerate driving to others
Road Positioning (in different situations both allowing others room, and allowing yourself adjustment time)
Do all your braking early, don't leave it until the last minute

Above all else, the best thing I could offer is trust yourself and no one else. It's xmas time, people begin drinking (sadly) and driving, the sun is lower and can reflect off ice and blind you, people aren't paying attention, people driving too fast for the conditions, tired people and so on.

James.

 

[Aust1n]

drive slower!

buy an ignis sport (contraversial)

Yep.. Surely thats the same thing...

 

[fizzy_drink]

What about the temp gauge?

I've been told to expect ice at anything below 5c.

Over 5c and generally it's ok.

 

[Pete]

What about the temp gauge?

I've been told to expect ice at anything below 5c.

Over 5c and generally it's ok.

But your tyres will still be cold so don't pay too much attention to that, just take it easy.

 

[Cookie]

De ice your washer jets in the morning, and change the mixture in the washer bottle now. Should be more antifreeze in there than you'd put in for the summer.

 

[CHRIS172CUP]

Watch out for all the dick heads out there, they're you main hazards.

 

[mr_merc]

De ice your washer jets in the morning, and change the mixture in the washer bottle now. Should be more antifreeze in there than you'd put in for the summer.

Don't put anti freeze in your washer bottle....

.... winter washer fluid will be fine

 

[The Hoff]

My tips would be:

1. Make slow deliberate steering actions, turn the whell in a smooth manner. Sharp rapid directional change = loss of traction before hitting object.

2. Also ABS or not i firmly bleieve in engine braking, you can come to a complete stand-still without even touching your brakes if your travelling at a reasonable speed. It also helps you to understand your gear ratios. So with correct change downs on approach to corner, while letting the clutch out slowly, and some light braking you can be a lot more in control of your vehicle.

3. Don't drive like a tool, you'll hate yourself when you crash.

4. Use 1 gear higher than you normally would do in good conditions. So if you normally steer a corner/roundabout in 2nd, make sure your in third. This means your revs are lower and a blip of the throttle won't cause catostrophic reaction like chronic understeer.

5. Also, make sure you test your brakes before you need to call on them, ice can develope on the disc itself and until thats gone, your brakes are ineffective.

The biggest thing though is common sense and logic, be safe

 

[Cookie]

Don't put anti freeze in your washer bottle....

.... winter washer fluid will be fine

I meant that

It does have anti freeze in it though

 

[Andy.]

Careful driving is the way forward. Avoid the possibility of having to react to lossing control.

I worked two winter seasons in the Alps and drove minibusses up and down the mountain roads daily. They had snow tyres on which helped a great deal but it makes you a bit cockey.... i used to get the back end sliding out when driving up the roads with the passengers in the back going very white/ green. It was great fun though.

It took a large wake up call for me to slow down, I was driving down hill and coming up to a 180 degree bend going way too fast, I tried to brake with what I thought was a huge distance to go but the slightest touch of the pedal locked the wheels.

In the end some engine breaking through the gears, lots of brake pedal pumping and sheer luck got me around the corner. I stopped afterwards, got out and got some fresh air as I really felt sick. There was only a small railing and a 50 meter drop on the other side.

Moral of the story, be careful and dont drive anywhere near the limit!

It is definately worthwhile going to an empty carpark and playing at sliding etc, when you get used to the sensation it reduces the feeling of panic when it goes wrong and therefore reducing the knee jerk reaction of hitting the break pedal!

 

[Rob669]

Wear a hat and put on gloves for that cold knob (fnah). Stops running down your battery because otherwise the heater is on continuously. Keep your distance from other mortals on the road, that way you see them skid first, also it saves your car from stone chips and muck etc. Wait for the dry days when temps warm above 4 degrees - then let your car enjoy some cold dense air by going for a blast (on an airfield of course!)

Rob669

 

[ant_v6]

Do a day with www.carlimits.com and for £170 you'll be safer and faster. Or just drive like your grannie when it is cold, wet or both.

 

[Mattie h]

What about the temp gauge?

I've been told to expect ice at anything below 5c.

Over 5c and generally it's ok.

well lets put it this way....freezing point is at 0 degrees C ...anything above and there shudnt be ice

 

[fizzy_drink]

^^

If the temperature drops from say +10 to -2, then one shouldn't worry about ice until 0c.

IF the temp is climbing from -10 to +10 , then there will still be forst/ice on the road until about +5c when it very quickly disappears.

If you think about it - leave an ice cube at outside at +1c, and it will take all day to melt.

 

[Day]

As most accidents happen within a 3 mile radius of your home, park 3 miles away.