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What are YOU doing to ensure safe driving in snow/ice
atrixblue.-MFR-.
Posts: 6,887 Forumite
in Motoring
i thought i would post this as i have seen many people post as to why the slide and wheel spin in the snow and ice.
as i respect people have to work to earn a living theres nothing more expensive than smashing your vehicle up paying for repairs or excess and then higher premiums because you lose you NCB discount.
in this weather we should all be checking our tyres and that they are inflated to correct pressure, tread depth if theyre near the legal limit then one question should pass your mind Would they be any good in this weather and would it be safe to drive with them? if your in doubt use public transport or change the tyres for new one's or walk.
if your venturing out in your car then your drive style may have to change.
1. you may have ABS on your car and you think you can slam the brakes on and youll stop because you think your brake wont lock, wrong, in snow covered roads,icy conditions treat your car as if it has no ABS at all keeping a good gap between you and the car infront, useing 1st gear as a brake assist and feathering the brake pedal if you feel the car going into a skid dont hold the brake down release and reapply gently whilt in first gear. if any one has anything to add here feel free this is just my version.
2. rights of way. your in a street it may have been treated with salt, it has parked cars on your side of the road with a few gaps inbetween them but the other side of the road is clear of parked cars so on comeing traffic has right of way. please bear in mind that eventhough the road may have been treated snow and ice may be at the side of the road and pulling into a gap mabe hazardous make sure the gap is large enough for your car to fit in it and stop if the gaps dont look big enough for your car or it'll be a squeeze then best let oncomeing traffic through first, i have seen many people collide with parked vehicle because they have tried to squeeze in the gap applied pressure on the brakes and slide into a parked car to allow oncomeing traffic through use common sense not rush through.
3. do you have enough fuel for the trip your making. in cold weather vehicle's use more fuel than you think, just purely because its cold, your engine will love the cold air and you may feel an increase in power but with more power comes more fuel. air to fuel ratio set by the ecu.
4. does you car have enough juice in its battery. if its donkeys years old chances are it more likely to discharge. batteries can discharge over night even if it was perfectly fine the day before.
5. hill's, just because that van or 4x4 made it up that hill doesnt mean that your little hatch back/saloon will. assess it before you try it there's nothing more embarressing than getting stuck in the middle of the road wasting tread on your front or rear wheels because your trying your hardest to get up it, and risk hitting parked vehicles by sliding.
6. how long does it take to get to where your going by main roads? then multiply it, when it snows it builds up quickly if it sticks, and no.3 three applies here too, visiting a family member of friend or comeing home from work? call the person your visiting to let them know or call home periodicly to let them know your on your way/your stuck in traffic/your stuck. make sure your mobile is of full battery and you have your in car charger and make the call when its legal and safe to do so, my tip is also to have a thermoflask with hot drinking chocolate in it just incase you get stuck for hours and keep a shawl in the boot to keep warm so you can save fuel by turning the engine off completely to save battery too that means not listening to the radio for the whole period and finding out its drained the battery.
7.can you see, defrosting the windscreen with boiled water isnt a good idea, if it has a hair line crack or any cracks/chips in it youll be luckiy if it doesnt smash. just applying the hot water can cause a smash or cracked windscreen and cause other windows to smash, use de-icer clearing snow first or a scraper, warm the car up and put the fornt/rear demister on and all blowers cars warm up quicker than you think and in 15 mins the windscreen could be clear and you could be on your way.
well if anyone has any tips tricks or general info for driving in the snow and ice please post them.
and remeber THERE ARE ALLWAYS THAT VILLAGE IDIOT ON THE ROAD that doesnt have a clue what driving is snow is all about heed caution and use good practace out there people.
as i respect people have to work to earn a living theres nothing more expensive than smashing your vehicle up paying for repairs or excess and then higher premiums because you lose you NCB discount.
in this weather we should all be checking our tyres and that they are inflated to correct pressure, tread depth if theyre near the legal limit then one question should pass your mind Would they be any good in this weather and would it be safe to drive with them? if your in doubt use public transport or change the tyres for new one's or walk.
if your venturing out in your car then your drive style may have to change.
1. you may have ABS on your car and you think you can slam the brakes on and youll stop because you think your brake wont lock, wrong, in snow covered roads,icy conditions treat your car as if it has no ABS at all keeping a good gap between you and the car infront, useing 1st gear as a brake assist and feathering the brake pedal if you feel the car going into a skid dont hold the brake down release and reapply gently whilt in first gear. if any one has anything to add here feel free this is just my version.
2. rights of way. your in a street it may have been treated with salt, it has parked cars on your side of the road with a few gaps inbetween them but the other side of the road is clear of parked cars so on comeing traffic has right of way. please bear in mind that eventhough the road may have been treated snow and ice may be at the side of the road and pulling into a gap mabe hazardous make sure the gap is large enough for your car to fit in it and stop if the gaps dont look big enough for your car or it'll be a squeeze then best let oncomeing traffic through first, i have seen many people collide with parked vehicle because they have tried to squeeze in the gap applied pressure on the brakes and slide into a parked car to allow oncomeing traffic through use common sense not rush through.
3. do you have enough fuel for the trip your making. in cold weather vehicle's use more fuel than you think, just purely because its cold, your engine will love the cold air and you may feel an increase in power but with more power comes more fuel. air to fuel ratio set by the ecu.
4. does you car have enough juice in its battery. if its donkeys years old chances are it more likely to discharge. batteries can discharge over night even if it was perfectly fine the day before.
5. hill's, just because that van or 4x4 made it up that hill doesnt mean that your little hatch back/saloon will. assess it before you try it there's nothing more embarressing than getting stuck in the middle of the road wasting tread on your front or rear wheels because your trying your hardest to get up it, and risk hitting parked vehicles by sliding.
6. how long does it take to get to where your going by main roads? then multiply it, when it snows it builds up quickly if it sticks, and no.3 three applies here too, visiting a family member of friend or comeing home from work? call the person your visiting to let them know or call home periodicly to let them know your on your way/your stuck in traffic/your stuck. make sure your mobile is of full battery and you have your in car charger and make the call when its legal and safe to do so, my tip is also to have a thermoflask with hot drinking chocolate in it just incase you get stuck for hours and keep a shawl in the boot to keep warm so you can save fuel by turning the engine off completely to save battery too that means not listening to the radio for the whole period and finding out its drained the battery.
7.can you see, defrosting the windscreen with boiled water isnt a good idea, if it has a hair line crack or any cracks/chips in it youll be luckiy if it doesnt smash. just applying the hot water can cause a smash or cracked windscreen and cause other windows to smash, use de-icer clearing snow first or a scraper, warm the car up and put the fornt/rear demister on and all blowers cars warm up quicker than you think and in 15 mins the windscreen could be clear and you could be on your way.
well if anyone has any tips tricks or general info for driving in the snow and ice please post them.
and remeber THERE ARE ALLWAYS THAT VILLAGE IDIOT ON THE ROAD that doesnt have a clue what driving is snow is all about heed caution and use good practace out there people.
0
Comments
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I've got one:
When parking your car think about its position and consider if someone else could come along and smash into it. For example, try not to park at the bottom of a snow covered hill. If you have parked at a junction consider is someone coming round the corner could lose grip and slide into your car.
In example 2 of the original post, do you really want to park your car somewhere where some idiot might pull in, lose grip and crash into the back?0 -
How about this one. If you're attempting to go up a snowed up or icy hill, especially with parked cars along the street and there's a car coming down please give them the right of way. It's a lot more treacherous for the driver going downhill who's trying desperately not to brake than it is for you.0
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atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »and remeber THERE ARE ALLWAYS THAT VILLAGE IDIOT ON THE ROAD that doesnt have a clue what driving is snow is all about
Usually disguised as a women in a 4x4 droping her kids at school
Good tips OP. Sure they'll be of use to people on here.
My tip is drive smart! Just because it's your right of way may not mean you should proceed. If you are on a main road going slowly, and you see someone coming from a side road covered in ice, sometimes it's better to let them go instead of making them apply the brakes and possibly slide into the main road.
Obviously don't put yourself/other road users in danger.This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.0 -
keep a spade handy in the boot.
also, warm water in a watering can usually melts any snow off your windows in seconds, use a rubber thingy for a streak free shine!Target Savings by end 2009: 20,000
current savings: 20,500 (target hit yippee!)
Debts: 8000 (student loan so doesnt count)
new target savings by Feb 2010: 30,0000 -
atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »
and remeber THERE ARE ALLWAYS THAT VILLAGE IDIOT ON THE ROAD that doesnt have a clue what driving is snow is all about heed caution and use good practace out there people.
That " Village Idiot " will have no doubt driven on miles of untreated roads, so no need to worry about them, it's the pampered townies that you need to watch out for.:D0 -
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When going down a steep hill, put the car is a low gear and let it trickle down on engine idle speed only. Do not use the accelerator or brake as these can cause a loss of grip.
When driving "normally" stay in as high a gear as possible without labouring the engine means less chance of wheel spin!Proud of who, and what, I am. :female::male::cool:0 -
That " Village Idiot " will have no doubt driven on miles of untreated roads, so no need to worry about them, it's the pampered townies that you need to watch out for.:D
Yes. One mans idiot is another mans experienced driver.
I have overtook plenty of people these past few days doing 20-25 MPH on a straight national speed limit road that is totally clear of snow and has clearly visible salt/grit on it.
Normally the ones doing 20-25 will also sit too close to the car in front.
Giive way to people coming up hill (if your stopped at the top or able to). If they have momentum, they need to keep it.0 -
If you're going along a straight, flat road, and someone's approaching it from a steep side road ahead of you, allow them to pull out without having to stop, if possible.
Although, if you're in Chorley, they're all so dense they'll stop anyway, and not be able to move again. And if you're the one waiting to come out of the side road in stop-start traffic, they'll think you're pushing in, and grip their steering wheel tightly and stare straight ahead, while almost touching the bumper of the car in front. Strange folk.0 -
Thats very true, I've seen many small queues (about 7/8 cars) headed with some plonker trying to wheel spin their way along the road at 5mph and everyone stopped behind with a clear road the other side. It makes so much sense just to nip past and conserve momentum.
And don't I know it. I got bullied into reversing out of a road and DOWN an icy hill by a 4x4 on thursday could I get back up? No! Ended up getting stuck in three places trying to get back down the road and had to dig myself out each time!Giive way to people coming up hill (if your stopped at the top or able to). If they have momentum, they need to keep it.Proud of who, and what, I am. :female::male::cool:0
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