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

harveybobbles

And dont, like the old git in the Micra I followed the other night, drive at 10mph - as this is just TOO slow. Even more so going UP hill... Any slower, we would have slid backwards...

epninety

#1 thing to remember for snow/ice driving IMHO - leave a *huge* gap between you and the car in front. Then you can concentrate on doing everything smoothly - accelerate/slow down/turn etc - with plenty of time to plan ahead.

If you think you're safe because you have 4x4, remember that most cars have had 4 wheel brakes for the last 100 years, and your 4x4 probably weighs more than most of them too!

catflea

Last 100 years?

1909/1910 cars only tended to have brakes on one set of axles, this went on until at least the 20s

Last 80 years more like!

/pedant :rolleyes:

epninety

Well if you're going to be a pedant, I think you'd have to agree that most of the cars made in the last 100 years had brakes on all four wheels. :rolleyes:

OTOH, most cars have not had brakes for 100 years, since most are not 100 years old.

catflea

OK, you got me!

daveyjp

neilmcl wrote: »

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.

Wrong, wrong and wrong again - give way to the person coming up the hill. If they stop everyone else stops, they may not get going again causing gridlock. I saw it yesterday, someone stopped and as a result he ended up with a bus behind stopping and blocking the road.

Anyone coming down the hill should be driving to the conditions, they should be in a low gear and doing a slow speed ready to stop for anyone coming up the hill.

neilmcl

daveyjp wrote: »

Wrong, wrong and wrong again - give way to the person coming up the hill. If they stop everyone else stops, they may not get going again causing gridlock. I saw it yesterday, someone stopped and as a result he ended up with a bus behind stopping and blocking the road.

Anyone coming down the hill should be driving to the conditions, they should be in a low gear and doing a slow speed ready to stop for anyone coming up the hill.

Even driving to the conditions, ie using engine breaking only and you suddenly forced to brake because someone coming up hasn't the patience to wait a few minutes until he can get a clear run could still have disasterous effects.

What I'm saying is at the end of the day on a hilly street where there's only room for a single car to pass safely in snow/ice then neither a car wanting to come downhill or one coming the other way should make a start if it isn't clear to do so.

Radsteral

hearing of snow comming i went to builders merchants and loaded 1 ton of plaster bags on my van even though not needed it.
No skidding and no chance of it lol

kevin0410

flicking your handbrake up as you turn at low speed, then steering into the slide and straightening up as the back end regains grip makes for a beautifully executed hand brake turn.

also doing handbrake turns greatly reduces your turning circle

Ian_W

kevin0410 wrote: »

flicking your handbrake up as you turn at low speed, then steering into the slide and straightening up as the back end regains grip makes for a beautifully executed hand brake turn.

also doing handbrake turns greatly reduces your turning circle

You should "gun" the engine on the way in for greater effect!