What are YOU doing to ensure safe driving in snow/ice

VfM4meplse · 29 November 2011 at 4:55PM

attila_ wrote: »

Councils have spent all our taxes on shed loads of grit. Apparently there wont be flake of snow this year.

I really hope so! Laast year I go caught in the snow dump the Saturday before Christnas and was just thanking God that I wasn't driving an automatic vehicle. I was on a 30-mile journey - which took 6 hrs! - on an A road, no grit but plenty of serious accidents left, right and centre and held my breath every time I passed one (have had a number of near misses in the past, and hate the feeling of losing control of my vehicle so usually avoid it like the plague). It would have been bad enough being on my own but I had family with me and felt v stressed out by the drive.

Is there a reliable idiot's guide to driving safely in snow and ice? I'm happy to admit that idiot is me if it makes the world a safer place.

mikey72 · 29 November 2011 at 6:10PM

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Anyone got any tips for driving an automatic in harsh winter conditions

Left foot braking when you move off. Power on and gently let it go off the brakes.
Lock it in first for stop start driving, and going up and down hills.

I used to have a V8 SD1, auto, with a manual choke year ago. You either keep the choke out, and it wouldn't stop, it just locked the front wheels and drove on in a straight line, or pushed the choke in and it died on corners.
At least fuel injection keeps the idle reasonable.

sunshinetours · 29 November 2011 at 6:17PM

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Anyone got any tips for driving an automatic in harsh winter conditions

Gentle right foot and minimal braking. Use the manual selector gears for hills so you don't get any unwanted grear changes

oh yes and winter tyres

adouglasmhor · 30 November 2011 at 9:44AM

I am lucky in one way it's got a "W" button for wet and winter. Not foolproof but makes it a bit easier.

SG27 · 30 November 2011 at 1:05PM

Put my winter tyres on a couple of weeks ago. I'm ready for winter

vax2002 · 30 November 2011 at 1:07PM

I will worry about it IF we get any...

TimBear · 30 November 2011 at 2:38PM

vax2002 wrote: »

I will worry about it IF we get any...

Might be too late then, in that if you were wanting to change your tyres, for example, you'd then have to drive to the garage in the snow which defeats the point?

Also, snow can be unexpected so it might be useful to put some supplies in the car just in case beforehand.

AlexisV · 30 November 2011 at 3:08PM

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.

I think that's a myth. Modern glass can take warm water without any problems.

scheming_gypsy · 30 November 2011 at 3:12PM

it can take warm water without a problem, but the issue isn't with warm water, it's hot / boiling water that causes the problems when it goes onto freezing glass. Something to do with rapid expansion or something like that.

Beastface · 30 November 2011 at 3:31PM

Working from home until it's all gone is what I'll be doing. We have an automatic, rear wheel drive car with 400nm of torque and 18" low profile run flat tyres... I'm not even going to try it.