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Ice Skating No Fun on Tires
Dec 07 2007 by Colette Fischer
12/7/2007
Tips to Stay Grounded During Winter Driving
With winter upon us, I’m having thoughts of hot apple cider, spiced pumpkin muffins and ice skating. The idea of bundling up in a flowing chenille scarf and cozy mittens, then turning a few pirouettes on the ice, surrounded by snow-dusted evergreens, is tempting me to wish for snow, and lots of it.
Naturally, the pirouettes are only a figment of my imagination. The art of graceful movement on ice completely eludes me; slipping and sliding is more my style. Add wheels into the picture and it’s chaos. There is nothing enjoyable about skidding on a surface resembling a glazed donut when you’re in your car. Further, add to that picture kids being kids in the backseat, and just the thought leaves me white-knuckled.
In an effort to better arm us against sketchy winter driving conditions, I’ve gathered the following winter driving tips from the Bridgestone Winter Driving School (based out of Steamboat Springs, Colo.), whose mission is to educate the masses about how to safely drive on snow. This company has been in operation for 25 years and is modeled after some of the most prominent ice schools in Europe. These guys really know their stuff.
Here’s what they’ve got to say about slick, wintry conditions:
• Winter checkup: Ensure that your cooling, charging, braking and suspension systems are in order. (The to-do list grows.)
• Lock them up: Get a feel for the road and determine how much grip you have on the snow. To do this, keep your speed to a crawl then hit the brakes until your wheels lock up. (Take a gander in your rearview mirror to make sure no one is behind you for this one.)
• Don’t be clueless: Know what kind of brakes you have. (Hint: Coffee break is not an acceptable answer.)
If you don’t have ABS: Pump the brakes. If you need to steer, make sure to lift your foot off the brake first.
If you have ABS: No pumping the brakes! Brake as hard as possible, and the car’s computer does the pumping for you while still allowing you to maintain some control over steering.
• Avoid “phantom shoulders”: Snowplows can create a deceiving shoulder made of snow that’s level with the road surface. Going off would mean sinking into the snow.
• Only one action at a time: To ensure you’ve got as much traction as possible, brake BEFORE steering into an upcoming curve. Take your foot off the brake BEFORE steering when entering a curve. Accelerate only when you’ve had a chance to straighten your wheels. (Brake, steer OR accelerate, only one at a time. No multitasking here, ladies!)
• Be alert on hills and intersections: Because everyone is braking at the same place in the road, these areas become super slippery. Learn to read the road, then brake in areas where you’ve got more grip, like on fresh snow rather than ice.
• “Wipers on, lights on”: If it’s time for wipers, then it’s also time for headlights. Good visibility is critical, as is being seen by others. Also, this is the law in several states.
• Winter conditions call for winter tires: No driving through a Winter Wonderland on summer tires. Don’t even try it.
• SUV complacency: Don’t be fooled! There are only four small points of contact between a vehicle and the road, and on a slippery surface four-wheel-drive SUVs don’t have improved braking or steering capability compared to other cars.
• Read the terrain: Because there is a lack of insulation from warmer ground underneath, bridges and overpasses ice over more quickly than do other parts of the road. Learn to spot isolated icy patches created by shaded areas from buildings, large trees, mountains, etc.
• Shade your eyes with quality eyewear: Good sunglasses will highlight subtleties in terrain changes. (You heard it girls — you’ve finally got the green light to dash out and buy the sunnys you’ve been ogling).
• Final note: Anticipate problems, respond to them early and avoid panic.
User Comments
Thanks Colette - some of those tips I really didn’t know! And while I do prefer a coffee break to any other kind, I am aware that I have ABS!
“SUV complacency: Don’t be fooled! There are only four small points of contact between a vehicle and the road, and on a slippery surface four-wheel-drive SUVs don’t have improved braking or steering capability compared to other cars.”
Not only they are the same, they are in fact worse than smaller and lighter vehicles.
Remember the second law from Newton’s law of motions?
F=ma
It means: the bigger the mass, even with the same acceleration, the force will be multiplied.
Put it in simple language, it takes much more braking power to stop that 5000 pound SUV than my 3000 pound sedan.
Courtney, I’m with you on the coffee breaks…
1. Replace your battery at the end of Fall if it is 6 or more years old. This will prevent your car not starting when you are about to head to the hospital for your baby’s delivery (or other such critical travel). It also allows you to catch a battery sale and allows you more time for an intelligent choice of battery. After 6 years your battery owes you nothing.
2. When going down a VERY slippery, steep hill the car should be in neutral. Those that don’t live in places with very steep hills and a severe winter climate (like Ithaca, New York) can’t imagine how much better traction you get in neutral. With the car in gear, the idle speed is pushing the car forward (NOT holding you back) while you are trying to restrain the car to a creep (1 or 2 miles per hour. This causes the car to skid. If you try it once, you will quickly realize how much more control you have by putting the car in neutral in this very special situation. So there are 3 caveats in using neutral braking:
A. It is a VERY steep hill
B. It is VERY slippery
C. You move at a creep (1 to 2 mph)
Do not use neutral braking in any other situations.
Re. the ABS in thick snow it can be better to turn it off - the theory is that with locked brakes you dig in creating a wedge in front of the tires and that this stops you quicker.
Probably, best to look at the manufacturers handbook to see what they recommend.
And just in case throw a tow rope and a blanket in the trunk, you never know if they’ll help you or someone else.