Tips For Driving In The Snow

[kaexbabey]

so it snowed today in NY. BLAH! i really need to learn how to drive in the snow since i didn't learn last year because i'd always use the excuse that i was pregnant to my husband. lol. but i HAVE to learn this year because he'll be deploying in february so i'll be all alone. i'm from CA so i never had this problem til last year =/ i'm just really worried since i'll always have 2 babies in the car with me. soo for those of you who have/do drive in the snow .. any tips? i just want a few tips and advice before i actually try this weekend. thanks!

 

[TamiChoi]

Snow already in NY? Wow, that's crazy.
Try not to go out if you can!
But here are some tips I found. HTH!
weather.com - Driving Safety Tips - Driving in Snow and Ice

 

[jaysgirl]

One, if you have 4 wheel drive, use it. Buuuut 4 wheel drive doesn't mean you can drive normal speed either. Leave early and definitely drive slower than you normally would. If you feel your car sliding don't panic and overcorrect the wheel. Lightly push on the brake until you correct. When you overcorrect and panic is when you have an accident. Also, this sounds ridiculous but keep weight in the back end of the car. Bags of salt or cat litter are really useful. The kitty litter is good to put down on the road in front of the tires if you were to get stuck. Keep a blanket or two in the car and flashers just in case the car breaks down and you don't have heat. Ummmm oh yeah and always make sure you have a snow brush and an ice scraper for the windows. I've lived in Jersey all my life so snow is an annual thing....we got 6 inches today, hope that's not an indicator of this winter. If so, I won't be seeing the hubby til spring since he plows. Hope that helps!!!!!!!

 

[jaysgirl]

Oh yeah and when I said keep weight in the back end of your car, I meant keep the kitty litter in the trunk. You'd be amazed at how much better your car handles in the snow with an extra hundred pounds in the trunk.

 

[purrtykitty]

Slow the hell down!! That's not really aimed at you, but more specifically at those SUV/Truck drivers with 4-wheel drive that somehow think they're immune to the laws of physics. Hello!! You have 4 wheels and forward momentum...if you hit a patch of ice, you're gonna slide faster and further than some dinky little hatchback.

/end rant

Productive tips - low gears are your best friend, and keep a blanket, gloves, a hat, and a shovel in the trunk, just in case (kitty litter is awesome, as well).

 

[banjobama]

Yeah in my Mustang I used to have two 50lb sand bags in the back and it seemed to help. Driving in snow is awful. I'd rather just stay home.

And remember four wheel drive gets you going but it does not help you to stop when the road is slippery.

 

[kaexbabey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysgirl One, if you have 4 wheel drive, use it. Buuuut 4 wheel drive doesn't mean you can drive normal speed either. Leave early and definitely drive slower than you normally would. If you feel your car sliding don't panic and overcorrect the wheel. Lightly push on the brake until you correct. When you overcorrect and panic is when you have an accident. Also, this sounds ridiculous but keep weight in the back end of the car. Bags of salt or cat litter are really useful. The kitty litter is good to put down on the road in front of the tires if you were to get stuck. Keep a blanket or two in the car and flashers just in case the car breaks down and you don't have heat. Ummmm oh yeah and always make sure you have a snow brush and an ice scraper for the windows. I've lived in Jersey all my life so snow is an annual thing....we got 6 inches today, hope that's not an indicator of this winter. If so, I won't be seeing the hubby til spring since he plows. Hope that helps!!!!!!!

kitty litter? what does it do, melt the snow? i've heard of salt doing that. also, where do u get bags of salt and do they really weigh that much that it would add hundreds of pounds in the trunk? i need a lot of space though becuase of my double stroller. we only have an 08 honda civic. i wish we had a van. ugh i heard this winter is supposed to be worse than last years.

 

[purrtykitty]

Kitty litter provides traction - essential for snow and ice driving. The sand bags really only help if you have a rear-wheel drive car, which you don't. I have an '02 Corolla and I've never gotten stuck (knock on wood) and I don't keep any additional weight in my trunk.

 

[jaysgirl]

The kitty litter gives the tires traction to grab onto to get you out of the snow. If you get stuck and can shovel most of the snow out of the way in front of your tires, you'd pour the kitty litter in front of the tires and it's kind of like putting gravel down so that the tires can grip.

And I have a pickup truck with 4 wheel drive and I absolutely understand what you ladies are saying about 4 wheel drive not making you invincible. Everyone thinks I can drive through snow and ice as though it were normal driving conditions. I can't. I slide just as much as everyone else and 4 wheel drive is useless on ice. So for those of you out there who think that they can drive 70mph in the snow because they're in 4wd, you can't! And please stop before you get yourselves or someone else into an accident!
-End rant.....sorry

 

[jaysgirl]

You can buy bags of salt from the hardware store, I think home depot even has it.

 

[kaexbabey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purrtykitty Slow the hell down!! That's not really aimed at you, but more specifically at those SUV/Truck drivers with 4-wheel drive that somehow think they're immune to the laws of physics. Hello!! You have 4 wheels and forward momentum...if you hit a patch of ice, you're gonna slide faster and further than some dinky little hatchback. /end rant Productive tips - low gears are your best friend, and keep a blanket, gloves, a hat, and a shovel in the trunk, just in case (kitty litter is awesome, as well).

UGH YES THATS WHAT I HATED SOOO MUCH LAST WINTER! omg those damn suv's tailgating my husband when we're already going 70 or more (even though we shouldnt since it's slippery) on the highway. ugh i hated them, do they not see the "baby on board" sign?! and the fact that they can just switch lanes and pass us instead of being RIGHT behind our ass ughh. they got the finger from me when they'd finally pass us by

 

[purrtykitty]

Yes, I've noticed people (around here anyway) go pretty much stupid when it comes to driving in any form of precipitation. Whatever, it's not rocket science.

 

[pink_lily002]

When I got my license at 17, it was in the middle of winter here in Maryland (January baby, oh yeah!) and it just so happened to be one of the worst winters the state had seen in years. I can't really think of anything more to add to what others have already said. Most importantly, SLOW DOWN and keep a good distance between your car and the car in front of you. Definitely make sure you have a first aid kit, blanket, one of those triangle reflector thingies (I can't remember the exact name of those!), and an ice scraper. Also, if you can find one, a snow shovel that can be condensed to a smaller size when not in use. I got one of those years ago from my grandparents and thought they were crazy, but it came in handy one evening and has helped out a number of times since!

 

[Dizzy]

If you can, get a front-wheel or all wheel drive car, rear wheel sucks in the snow. You don't have to have the heaviest car or an SUV in most areas, but generally a heavier car is easier to handle in the snow. Make sure you have good tires! They can make a huge difference.

Drive slow- I've hit patches of black ice that were under snow and put my car in a spin. Only reason I've not hurt myself is because I drive ~15 mph slower than the posted speed limit (not slower than 'normal'- it's NY, we speed everywhere). It's easier to get/maintain control of a car that isn't going that fast.

If you lose control of the car, try to react as if you were hydroplaning. It's a similar feeling/situation.

NY wants 1 car length for every 10 mph you're doing (ie: 40 mph = 4 car lengths distance between you and the schmoe in front of you). Double that in the snow, especially if there is already a good amount on the street and it hasn't been plowed yet. You never know if someone will lose control of their car or if they have to stop short. Also remember to leave a bit more of a stopping distance between you and the car in front for added safety.

It's also the law to clean off the snow off the top of your car before driving it. I know it seems a bit silly, but I had my windshield smashed from the snow/ice mix from someone's roof just because they were too lazy to clean it.

Really, driving in snow sounds a lot worse than it is. Just be careful and take it slow.

 

[Korms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purrtykitty Productive tips - low gears are your best friend

Ooh, this has confused me because my Mum told me to stay in a high gear, I had visions of driving through the snow at 20mph in 5th gear (I'm in the UK and drive a manual car)! This is my first winter as a driver, so I am pretty clueless!

 

[kaexbabey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dizzy If you can, get a front-wheel or all wheel drive car, rear wheel sucks in the snow. You don't have to have the heaviest car or an SUV in most areas, but generally a heavier car is easier to handle in the snow. Make sure you have good tires! They can make a huge difference. Drive slow- I've hit patches of black ice that were under snow and put my car in a spin. Only reason I've not hurt myself is because I drive ~15 mph slower than the posted speed limit (not slower than 'normal'- it's NY, we speed everywhere). It's easier to get/maintain control of a car that isn't going that fast. If you lose control of the car, try to react as if you were hydroplaning. It's a similar feeling/situation. NY wants 1 car length for every 10 mph you're doing (ie: 40 mph = 4 car lengths distance between you and the schmoe in front of you). Double that in the snow, especially if there is already a good amount on the street and it hasn't been plowed yet. You never know if someone will lose control of their car or if they have to stop short. Also remember to leave a bit more of a stopping distance between you and the car in front for added safety. It's also the law to clean off the snow off the top of your car before driving it. I know it seems a bit silly, but I had my windshield smashed from the snow/ice mix from someone's roof just because they were too lazy to clean it. Really, driving in snow sounds a lot worse than it is. Just be careful and take it slow.

happened to us too. but windshield wasn't smashed. sorry about yours =/

 

[Cinci]

If there's one thing I love about Thunder Bay, Ontario... it's driving in the winter!!! We get so much snow! it's so fun

as PurrrtyKitty mentioned, lower gears do grip better.. a higher gear will spin the tires....

front wheel drive is nice.. there is a much less chance of the rear or your car sliding out and spinning you around.. but it still can be done, haha!

say you start to slow down as you go around a corner and the car starts to slide.. don't slam on the breaks, cause you'll keep sliding and usually will spin out even more.. let off the brakes and then lightly accellerate as you correct the turn and drive out of it..... but as was mentioned above, be careful not to over correct it...

 

[sharkbytes]

Best advice on here is to not overcorrect...it's the worst thing you can do! And the kitty-litter traction is a lifesaver..I can't tell you how many times it's helped me when my wheels were stuck in ice.

 

[COBI]

Invest in a set of studded snow tires. Before I switched to 4WD, studded snow tires made my sedan feel like it was riding on clear pavement.

Take your time, don't overcorrect, and don't get too anxious about the person riding your ass. Worry about your safety and not going faster than your comfortable with for them.

When I come up on someone traveling slower than me in the snow (or bad road conditions), I assume they are going as fast as they feel safe for their car; I understand that I have no idea how well their car handles. However, there will be many jerks who come right up on you and it can be very intimidating, but block it out. Also, leave enough room between you and cars in front of you.

Driving is less of the issue in the winter: the ability to STOP with snow/ice is more difficult and the bigger issue to keep in mind.

Poor driver's ed instructor: when I was 16, I took that car into a snowbank during my first road lesson. No damage (very slow moving car), but it actually helped me let go of anxiety because I was able to better understand the way the car was going to react.

 

[DominicanBarbie]

everyone already gave you some great advice. Mine is the same.Just drive more a lil slower and be more careful.Not just of your self but of shiny black crazy ice. I sled on black ice about 2 years ago and i was only going like 15miles and hour.It was veryu scarey but just take control of the car and dont brake.lol