View Full Version : driving tips for this bad weather?
Hi guys
any tips for driving on these icy roads??
last year i nearly had a accident in these conditions
slowing down towards a junction (downhill) and car kept sliding
luckly no cars were out
today my dads car (toyoto verso auto)
was skidding very badly he didnt drive in the end
any tips here people will give??
i know drive slowly
use higher gear
use engine braking
but anything else??
Do not travel unless unavoidable.
AbyssUnderground
03-12-2010, 12:11
Use engine braking.
Use smooth controls movement.
Don't accelerate hard.
Don't brake hard.
Keep 4x the distance from the car in front that you normally would.
Don't go the speed limit, go slower.
If you get into a skid that will cause an accident, take your feet off all the pedals and steer to avoid. That's the advice being given at the moment.
At the end of the day, unless you have to, don't drive at all.
Delta Whiskey
03-12-2010, 12:18
If you start skidding use cadence braking to retain directional control of the car.
"Cadence braking or stutter braking is an advanced driving technique used to allow a car to both steer and brake on a slippery surface." https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Cadence_braking
If you start skidding use cadence braking to retain directional control of the car.
"Cadence braking or stutter braking is an advanced driving technique used to allow a car to both steer and brake on a slippery surface." https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Cadence_braking
I would advise using engine braking more than cadence braking .In the conditions we have at the moment engine braking will be much more effective
If you're a cyclist keep off the road. you're a danger to yourselves and other road users.
honestly. some people.
If you're a cyclist keep off the road. you're a danger to yourselves and other road users.
honestly. some people.
I know i watched some idiot tring to cycle past my house yesterday ,there is still a good 8" on the road all lose snow ,he fell off 3 times before deciding that riding a bike wasn't an option
The one I saw, I was about 3 cars behind him. he was riding in the middle of the road and just went at the roundabout. it only needs somebody to panic (doesn't have to be a woman) and either he gets knocked off and driven over. or she slides into me.
LondonRoad
03-12-2010, 13:34
As much I enjoy commuting by cycle, I've not even considered it as an option to get into work this week. It would be safer to cycle down the motorway and there are reasons why that isn't allowed. ;)
If the vehicle in front has snow/ice on the roof... stay well clear!!
If the vehicle in front has snow/ice on the roof... stay well clear!!
very true i saw any number of cars with 8-12" of snow on their roof ,what they forget is as the car warms up inside the snow making contact with the roof melts and then the lot will slide off when braking covering the windscreen and possibly breaking the wipers... idiots the lot of them
...and it's illegal.
Plus driving along with just one small hole scraped out of the ice/frost on the windows is not a great idea either.
When you first get in the car open a window just a crack to reduce the fogging of interior windows.
papa smurf
03-12-2010, 14:20
my top tip for driving in bad weather -don't-
...and it's illegal.
Plus driving along with just one small hole scraped out of the ice/frost on the windows is not a great idea either.
When you first get in the car open a window just a crack to reduce the fogging of interior windows.
Any good advice for clearing the car? I normally just rely on the heater for the windows but couldn't even do that this morning because my coolant had frozen = engine overheating and no internal heater (Any tips for thawing that out? other than antifreeze? If I had some it would have already been in there).
Then usually while the windows are thawing I make sure my lights are clear and any large amounts of snow or Ice are pulled off by hand.
I've seen a lot of people use a blanket over the windscreen to keep it clear but In my opinion that's only really an option if you have a driveway because I've seen what some people do to cars left parked on the street overnight like that (So many broken wipers :mad: ).
As to the OP I have to agree that engine braking can not be overrated though it wont stop you completely and maintain a much slower speed than usual and you should be fine.
Any good advice for clearing the car? I normally just rely on the heater for the windows but couldn't even do that this morning because my coolant had frozen = engine overheating and no internal heater (Any tips for thawing that out? other than antifreeze? If I had some it would have already been in there).
Then usually while the windows are thawing I make sure my lights are clear and any large amounts of snow or Ice are pulled off by hand.
I've seen a lot of people use a blanket over the windscreen to keep it clear but In my opinion that's only really an option if you have a driveway because I've seen what some people do to cars left parked on the street overnight like that (So many broken wipers :mad: ).
As to the OP I have to agree that engine braking can not be overrated though it wont stop you completely and maintain a much slower speed than usual and you should be fine.
If your coolant froze then you may have a bigger problem ,cracked engine block or burst out plugs in the block either way i wouldn't drive untill you are sure that the block isn't cracked or any plugs burst out ,one way to check is to run the engine for a short period ,initially untill the temp guage begines to rise ,then turn off and leave for 5 mins to allow the heat to spread ,if needed run again for 2-3 mins and leave to stand continue this pattern untill the engine has a good ammount of heat or untill the temp gauge is reading the normal temp if no overheating or leaking water then everything ok
If your coolant froze then you may have a bigger problem ,cracked engine block or burst out plugs in the block either way i wouldn't drive untill you are sure that the block isn't cracked or any plugs burst out ,one way to check is to run the engine for a short period ,initially untill the temp guage begines to rise ,then turn off and leave for 5 mins to allow the heat to spread ,if needed run again for 2-3 mins and leave to stand continue this pattern untill the engine has a good ammount of heat or untill the temp gauge is reading the normal temp if no overheating or leaking water then everything ok
Thanks for the advice. Its running fine now, used it for a couple of hours since this morning and no overheats. Apparently my water pump is leaking slowly and has been for a couple of months. means I have to top up my coolant reservoir every few weeks (which is where my antifreeze must have gone). I'm not a mechanic so I may have been told that as a massive simplification of what's actually wrong but Lack of funds means I cant afford to fix it at the moment so as long as keeping it topped up keeps the car running that will have to do for a little bit longer unless it goes completely :shocked: .
Thanks for the advice. Its running fine now, used it for a couple of hours since this morning and no overheats. Apparently my water pump is leaking slowly and has been for a couple of months. means I have to top up my coolant reservoir every few weeks (which is where my antifreeze must have gone). I'm not a mechanic so I may have been told that as a massive simplification of what's actually wrong but Lack of funds means I cant afford to fix it at the moment so as long as keeping it topped up keeps the car running that will have to do for a little bit longer unless it goes completely :shocked: .
I have the same problem in my tranny ,had it to find the leak in the summer but they couldn't find it so i also have to keep topping up with anti freeze
I have the same problem in my tranny ,had it to find the leak in the summer but they couldn't find it so i also have to keep topping up with anti freeze
It took me a few reads of that post to work out you were talking about a Transit Van, rather than an incontinent cross-dresser with a penchant for ethanol-based products....:D
It took me a few reads of that post to work out you were talking about a Transit Van, rather than an incontinent cross-dresser with a penchant for ethanol-based products....:D
and what makes you think i'm not :D
and what makes you think i'm not :D
What you do in your own time is no concern of ours.;):D
Any good advice for clearing the car?
If it's powdery snow, a soft brush will do the trick. Lift the wiper blades before doing this (this also shows you that your wiper blades aren't stuck to the screen... a common cause of burnt out wiper motors as they motor will draw current until the park switch is reactivated).
If it's icey, just ignore the car until it thaws itself, as dragging ice accross your paintwork is not good for it AFAIC.
If you think the battery might be a little cold, a couple of flashes of the main beam will draw enough current to warm the battery allowing it to deliver more cranking current.
Dip a finger in meths and wipe over the washer nozzles (and locks)... blockages are often just at the tips.
After the severe -26c winters I lived through at the peak of the Belgian Ardennes, I quickly picked up many other tips.
NEVER pour water at any temperature over the car to clear it. You could freeze up the locks, and be unable to open the doors as well as making the area around your car very slippery.
Diesel cars in Northern Europe often have little heaters on timers in the engine area that you set to burn small ammounts of diesel to preheat both the engine block and the interior. Also winter diesel is sold as it doesn't turn to treacle in colder times.
NATO tax-free Smirnoff vodka was cheaper than winter screenwash, so we used that (what a crime).
---------- Post added at 16:07 ---------- Previous post was at 16:04 ----------
And for those of you with leaking antifreeze, please remember that antifreeze attracts cats as it is sweet... and then it kills them within a couple of days. A horrible death. Get the leak fixed!
mine is
Let a little air out of the tires. They can grab a little more traction this way
Another tip is if you have electric windows and there's a good chance that they're frozen. don't let the passenger use the switch to open them. there's nothing more annoying than your glass coming out of it's channel thing.
If it's powdery snow, a soft brush will do the trick. Lift the wiper blades before doing this (this also shows you that your wiper blades aren't stuck to the screen... a common cause of burnt out wiper motors as they motor will draw current until the park switch is reactivated).
If it's icey, just ignore the car until it thaws itself, as dragging ice accross your paintwork is not good for it AFAIC.
If you think the battery might be a little cold, a couple of flashes of the main beam will draw enough current to warm the battery allowing it to deliver more cranking current.
Dip a finger in meths and wipe over the washer nozzles (and locks)... blockages are often just at the tips.
After the severe -26c winters I lived through at the peak of the Belgian Ardennes, I quickly picked up many other tips.
NEVER pour water at any temperature over the car to clear it. You could freeze up the locks, and be unable to open the doors as well as making the area around your car very slippery.
Diesel cars in Northern Europe often have little heaters on timers in the engine area that you set to burn small ammounts of diesel to preheat both the engine block and the interior. Also winter diesel is sold as it doesn't turn to treacle in colder times.
NATO tax-free Smirnoff vodka was cheaper than winter screenwash, so we used that (what a crime).
---------- Post added at 16:07 ---------- Previous post was at 16:04 ----------
And for those of you with leaking antifreeze, please remember that antifreeze attracts cats as it is sweet... and then it kills them within a couple of days. A horrible death. Get the leak fixed!
Thanks for that, very informative. As for your last point, I never heard that one before and will definitely keep it in mind. All the antifreeze had drained out of mine before I knew the leak existed, there's just water in mine at the moment and that was the plan until I got the leak fixed which was why the damn thing froze in the first place.
dgardner
03-12-2010, 16:44
Should be obvious but don't drink.
An other tip is to keep snow OUT of the vehicle. Anyone getting in should sit with their feet outside, then bang their heels together to shake off the snow. Melted snow inside the car will freeze at some future point, and that won't be nice if it's on the mat under the driver's heels. Or it will build up and stink like heck once it lets the carpets get mouldy.
Blackened
03-12-2010, 17:29
If you start skidding use cadence braking to retain directional control of the car.
"Cadence braking or stutter braking is an advanced driving technique used to allow a car to both steer and brake on a slippery surface." https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Cadence_braking
I would advise using engine braking more than cadence braking .In the conditions we have at the moment engine braking will be much more effective
In fairness DW did say "If you start skidding" to use cadence braking. An engine brake is very effective especially when the risk of the wheels locking on ice/snow is high - but once you've brought the engine down to 1st and it's still going, that's the end of your options (unless you want to try throwing it in reverse). Feathering the brake pedal whilst steering (almost like the effect of ABS) may give the driver the opportunity to 'right' the vehicle when ordinarily it would be sliding with locked brakes. Difficult to administer, especially when the urge to stamp and hold the pedal is so high when skidding.
In fairness DW did say "If you start skidding" to use cadence braking. An engine brake is very effective especially when the risk of the wheels locking on ice/snow is high - but once you've brought the engine down to 1st and it's still going, that's the end of your options (unless you want to try throwing it in reverse). Feathering the brake pedal whilst steering may give the driver the opportunity to 'right' the vehicle when ordinarily it would be sliding with locked brakes. Difficult to administer, especially when the urge to stamp and hold the pedal is so high when skidding.
:tu:
I nearly forgot WD40!
Winterise your car with it: lube locks (don't forget locking petrol caps!); a light film over door rubbers to stop them sticking; bonnet catches and hinges; the list goes on and on...
If you have a cat, keep a bag of kitty litter in the boot and put that in front of you drive wheels to help traction.
DO NOT pour hot water on your windows, as they can exploded.
drive slower.
If rear wheel drive it can be an advantage to keep a heavy tool box in the boot, this will help give some traction.
One option but should be only used in emergencies, reduce tyre pressure, but as soon as you hit clear road you should pump them back up.
You should keep in the passenger compartment the following:
1. fully charged mobile.
2. change of clothes.
3. cereal bars.
4. blankets.
5. torch.
6. foldup shovel (the AA do one).
7 thermos of hot tea/coffee.
Those tinfoil space blankets are a godsend for the tiny ammount of space they take up.
High calorie nibbles are a good idea too, as is a small stock of carbonated drinks.
And tune the radio to a local station, you're more likely to get decent local info then.
A wind-up or shake-to-charge torch is a better idea than a battery one.
Dress as if you are going to walk the trip... just in case you have to in the end... a car is NOT an overcoat.
Even on apparently cleared roads, it can still be pretty slippy, don't be lulled into a false sense of security.
MovedGoalPosts
03-12-2010, 19:30
I think the insurance companies must be taking a beating. Direct Line have texted and emailed me with winter driving advice.
LSainsbury
03-12-2010, 21:30
I think the insurance companies must be taking a beating. Direct Line have texted and emailed me with winter driving advice.
I'd had one each of those as well.
Also - another tip - keep a small supply of rock salt in your car. I've got a container in the boot wirh some in. Along with snow and normal shovels, water and a few snacks.
If you suspect that a bend or corner is icy, slow down before you reach it.
Hitting the brakes as you go round is more likely to cause you to skid.
multiskilled
04-12-2010, 20:16
Always give way to vehicles coming uphill even if it is not steep and you have right of way. It is easier for the car going downhill to get going than the car going uphill when traction is poor.
Always give way to vehicles coming uphill even if it is not steep and you have right of way. It is easier for the car going downhill to get going than the car going uphill when traction is poor.
On the same token never assume a vehicle coming downhill is going to or is even able to stop for you so reduce your speed and be ready to stop no matter how annoying it may be because it is harder for a vehicle to stop travelling downhill when traction is poor.
Your post was 100% spot on I just thought I would add that clause because theres a lot of people who don't use their brains when driving, like those who drive on at a green light even when they can see its not safe to (traffic light failure etc). Or people who drive into another car because a car in the opposite direction has flashed to let them out of a side road and they haven't checked.
Remember that ABS is less effective in snow, and braking will be longer..
When you brake with non ABS snow builds up in front of the tyre and acts like a chock. With ABS the build up doesn't happen.
Wine corks used to prop the wiper arms up overnight can prevent the blades sticking to the screen (plus they fall out if you forget to remove them and then operate the wipers).
One classic fail I saw was a guy who placed small mats under/in front of the driven wheels to help him pull away BUT he attached lengths of rope to the mats so that he could retrieve them via the open driver's door once mobile.
Not a problem with rear wheel drive, but this front wheel drive car moved off, then the mats and rope wrapped themselves around the rear wheels.... and he had tied the other end of the ropes to his internal door handle.... :shocked:
A tip I heard this morning: Tie a length of rope round and round each driven tyre, passing it through the holes in the wheel. Works like snow chains for a mile or two.
Any comments?
Also: While starting, depress the clutch. The starter is then only working on the engine, not the gearbox as well.
Make sure you've switched off your wipers before leaving the car.The last thing you want is the car automatically destroying the arms for you next morning. (Thanks for the reminder, Taf!)
I think that would be very dangerous if the rope came loose
AbyssUnderground
06-12-2010, 13:43
I can vouch for the depressing of the clutch suggestion, it does help relieve the strain on your starter and battery.
Blackened
06-12-2010, 13:48
Applies to all seasons I suppose but can be a bit more dangerous when there's chance of a slide on ice. One tip I was reminded of this morning is try and give a little thought to the driver of the oncoming car if you've got the sun behind you and they have it in their eyes. They're not going to see you immediately and while (hopefully) driving to compensate for reduced vision & road conditions they might be appearing bullish and inconsiderate when in fact they simply can't see you yet to give you space. Let them crawl through! :tu:
AbyssUnderground
06-12-2010, 13:53
Another good one is let people in on motorways if they need to move lanes. Nothing infuriates me more when nobody will let you in, especially in such horrible conditions.
The same applies even more so in traffic jams. Keep your distance from the car in front by at least 5 car lengths, leaving room for people to change lanes if necessary and also should the car in front stop you have room to catch up without causing the traffic behind you to stop, causing a stop-start effect which makes traffic jams so annoying.
Letting people in when they need it prevents traffic jams and accidents.
Probably been mentioned before ,
for the love of all that is holy do not drive as you would normally ,use a bit of common sense .
Classic case for me today comming onto my estate is an incline ,there is still about 3"of compacted snow and ice single lane traffic ,car was coming off the estate (the only exit) refused to give way to me comming up the hill ,she blindly just kept on going ,forced me to stop in the only driveable lane and guess what, i couldn't get going again just spinning it took about half an hour to dig out delaying her and others ,i did make it known to the other drivers that the delay was down her.
papa smurf
06-12-2010, 16:36
from what I've seen today - if your stuck on ice the done thing is to put your foot to the floor and hope that the ice wears away before you run out of fuel:rolleyes:
Hi guys
any tips for driving on these icy roads??
Yes: Don't do it.
from what I've seen today - if your stuck on ice the done thing is to put your foot to the floor and hope that the ice wears away before you run out of fuel:rolleyes:
Yep seen it loads today ,it's almost as if they are pretending the snow isn't there ...."i am going at 70 mph ..there is no snow :rolleyes:
Over the past week we have had more than 18" of snow and the gritter has only been up the road twice (on neither occasion did it have its plough down). The road is treacherous even for 4x4s, and yet every day we see at least one numpty trying to get up here in their regular road car.
I aways press the clutch when starting, as I live on a hill I aways park in the relevant to the direction I'm facing.
Another thing, if going up a small hill (I live in a cul-de-sac, and the exit is at the top of the hill) try and get the drive wheels at the back, ie if front wheel drive reverse up the hill, it will also help againt wheelspin.
Park on level ground where possible and then don't apply the handbrake, as the shoes can freeze on.
"When parked in snow or ice, turn the front wheels into the kerb" was taught to me, but I never really understood the logic of that.
Last night I saw some shocking examples of driving.
People overtaking snowploughs and speeding into compacted, non-gritted sections of roadway. :nutter:
One thing I've found useful when screen washers won't work due to temperatures below -10 or so. Pull over where safe & use a handful of snow to clean the screen - there is usually enough heat transferred to the screen from inside the car to melt the snow & a couple of wipes with the wipers should clear it.
- don't do this unless the car has been running long enough for the heater to warm up inside the car, though, you will just end up with a screen covered in ice - test the snow will melt on a small bit of the screen, first.
Last night I saw some shocking examples of driving.
People overtaking snowploughs and speeding into compacted, non-gritted sections of roadway. :nutter:
Not surprised in the least, I remember a few years back when we had a snow storm on the M57 and some idiot went past like a bat out of hell in the outside lane and went into a skid missing all the other cars and ploughing through a sign, he was lucky as it was a BMW convertible and the sign could have took his head off.:nutter:
LSainsbury
07-12-2010, 20:10
"When parked in snow or ice, turn the front wheels into the kerb" was taught to me, but I never really understood the logic of that.
That's so if the vehicle where to slip it would slip into the kerb and not down the road!
Another tip I heard the other day - keep something heavy in the boot to give the back wheels more traction. Suppose that only works for rear wheel driven cars.
I suppose keeping the tank full has has the same effect.
I'm lucky when it gets below 4c and I start my car the front and rear windscreen heater turn on, I turn on my heated seats, and scrape all the windows starting with the sides, then do the front and rear, I then do the lights.
I don't have to worry with the wing mirrors as they are heated.
One thing I make sure I do is not to retract the wing mirrors if cold weather is expected as the build-up of ice can stop the mirror working.
budwieser
07-12-2010, 21:22
If you`re stuck in snow, let some of the air out of your tyres, it`ll give you better traction.;)
LSainsbury
07-12-2010, 21:27
I'm lucky when it gets below 4c and I start my car the front and rear windscreen heater turn on, I turn on my heated seats, and scrape all the windows starting with the sides, then do the front and rear, I then do the lights.
I don't have to worry with the wing mirrors as they are heated.
One thing I make sure I do is not to retract the wing mirrors if cold weather is expected as the build-up of ice can stop the mirror working.
What car do you have?
I've got a Mondeo and the her indoors has a Focus - we both have the Ford electrically front heated screens which get rid of the rubbish on the windscreen in about 3 mins flat! I love setting in the car a watching it all ment away and the flick of a switch!
I've got a Mondeo and the her indoors has a Focus - we both have the Ford electrically front heated screens which get rid of the rubbish on the windscreen in about 3 mins flat! I love setting in the car a watching it all ment away and the flick of a switch!
My tip wasn't intended for clearing the frost from the screen before setting off.
I also have a Focus with a heated screen & agree it is great - but after an hour on the road when the screen has been covered in dried on salt spray, a handful of snow works really well to clean it when the screen washers are frozen up. The snow crystals are nicely abrasive without scratching.
What car do you have?
I've got a Mondeo and the her indoors has a Focus - we both have the Ford electrically front heated screens which get rid of the rubbish on the windscreen in about 3 mins flat! I love setting in the car a watching it all ment away and the flick of a switch!
I have a mondy as well, the Ghia X :D
I forgot to add that it also has heated front screen washers which activate when the front screen heats come on.
I have a mondy as well, the Ghia X :D
I forgot to add that it also has heated front screen washers which activate when the front screen heats come on.
yeah well ..my tranny's got...erm wipers ..and erm heaters that work ..sometimes.. when i turn a nob it's even got a wheel in the cab that turns the wheels outside :D
yeah well ..my tranny's got...erm wipers ..and erm heaters that work ..sometimes.. when i turn a nob it's even got a wheel in the cab that turns the wheels outside :DThat's no way to speak about your driver.....:D
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