Winter weather driving.

[Ian B Walker]

Had a thought tonight on my way home. Roads covered in ice and biting wind. Felt quite secure and safe in my car, BUT. Thing to remember, your car may be the safest on the road but others are not as fortunate, or have your driving skills. Be careful out there during this cold snap.

Any tips on winter driving would be welcome. No one knows it all.

 

[rf065]

Any tips on winter driving would be welcome. No one knows it all.

Hope the tips come in fast, up to six inches of snow forecast for during the night for most of the UK.

Russ

 

[kjay]

Problem I found this morning was that the w/washers had frozen up. After following other traffic the winscreen became dirty and that makes sun-glare a real problem.
Pulled over to 'wash' the dirt of with some snow from the roof.

.

 

[A210AMG]

IF you don't need to drive then don't.

My tips would be

Make sure you de ice your windows properly not just a hole to peer through.

Top up all your screen wash / anti freeze / check your tyres for grip.

On longer journey worth putting a blanket / food / flask in case you get caught out.

Leave longer than normal gaps when you stop.

Try not to get annoyed when your behind someone really taking it easy. (I had a Z3 with 245 tyres on the rear at one point it was useless in the snow / ice) Almost impossible to keep straight.


Take longer for trips so your not likely to rush, better to be late in this life than early to the next

Just take it easy. Its going to get worse before it gets better.

 

[Dieselman]

Keep the tank well topped up so that when you get behind a stuck Z3 you can still have heat..

 

[fyonn]

Top up all your screen wash / anti freeze / check your tyres for grip.

heh, I recently put anti-freeze *in* the screenwash... I like to think of it as being prepared for the upcoming cold-snap *ahem*

 

[mattc]

what irrates me is people braking too late and not giving it a bit of thought...foot off gas in plenty of time and brake in a straight line (i.e before the bend not IN IT).

Walking back from taking girl to school the other day I have to cross by a small roundabout. Numpty in volvo C70 convertible comes out of one of the appraoch roads too fast and wants to take the exit where i need to cross. I can see he is going too fast for conditions and he has a little moment that leaves him pointing wrong way and stalled. I give him the 5 knuckle salute and he seems a bit upset by this so i walk over to car and explain why..next time he looses control of car it might well come the other way i.e. onto pavement and smack a kid (its near a school FFS!) who has not hung back because he/she does not have the road awareness that an adult has. In fairness he seemed to understand the point I was making and I bade him a safe journey to work.

 

[BTB 500]

Hope the tips come in fast, up to six inches of snow forecast for during the night for most of the UK.

Russ

No snow forecast for the South East:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/se/se_forecast_weather.html

 

[Dieselman]

When stopping an automatic RWD car knock it into neutral otherwise the front wheels will lock before it stops causing loss of steering control.

 

[grober]

mercs + snow =not a good combo

When stopping an automatic RWD car knock it into neutral otherwise the front wheels will lock before it stops causing loss of steering control.

Probably the most important tip ever for driving a rear wheel drive automatic car. :bannana:

Mercs + snow = not a good combination unless they imported some 4MATIC MODELS of course! a rhd GLK would be nice in this weather. http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=21885&highlight=4MATIC

 

[GeorgeA]

When stopping an automatic RWD car knock it into neutral otherwise the front wheels will lock before it stops causing loss of steering control.

Thats interesting I never thought of that before. Can I assume you mean just before you come to a halt ?

 

[GeorgeA]

Mercs + snow = not a good combination

I have to say I always anticipated that a rear wheel merc would be useless in the snow and ice but actually find its not that bad. I do take it extremely carefully in those conditions though. Many years ago I had a Ford Cortina... now that was very poor in icy conditions

 

[Ade B]

When stopping an automatic RWD car knock it into neutral otherwise the front wheels will lock before it stops causing loss of steering control.

Interesting factoid - I'd be interested to know a bit more about this


I hope the weather stays mildish round here - frost forming now - I'm on the bike tomorrow to go to a meeting in North London..


Ade

 

[pjs]

hows this for winter driving, get home tonight and the wife tells me she has had a few 'moments' on ice today in the bmw, and wants to take the merc tomorrow because the bmw is no good in the snow - being a rwd auto and that.

The merc being rwd and auto......the logic being that if she is going to crash, the merc cost less to buy....

Yes, she's blonde

And tips, I've just filled up on screenwash (3 for 2 at Halfords), wiped down the headlights.

 

[A210AMG]

hows this for winter driving, get home tonight and the wife tells me she has had a few 'moments' on ice today in the bmw, and wants to take the merc tomorrow because the bmw is no good in the snow - being a rwd auto and that.

The merc being rwd and auto......the logic being that if she is going to crash, the merc cost less to buy....

Yes, she's blonde

And tips, I've just filled up on screenwash (3 for 2 at Halfords), wiped down the headlights.

Tips............


HIDE THE KEYS

 

[pjs]

Can also drop your tyre pressures a fair bit providing you are not planing high spees antics...

 

[crockers]

When stopping an automatic RWD car knock it into neutral otherwise the front wheels will lock before it stops causing loss of steering control.

I never knew that....does that also count with esp / abs ?

 

[Ade B]

Quick search and this came up.

Linky

and

Linky II

Ade

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Selected W today, although the car was slower the changes were so much more smoother

 

[Subyland]

Can also drop your tyre pressures a fair bit providing you are not planing high spees antics...

That no good at all on ice and snow as you are decreasing the kg/cm2 pressure ratio. The narrower the tyre the more pressure and therefore the more traction.