Since the start of winter is almost upon us we thought it might be time for a little winter driving recap. For those in warmer climates you might want to skip this one. This is only for those hardy souls that can do snow induced hand-brake turns in their sleep. The Tirerack has a series of winter driving articles for those that would like to know more about the wonderful world of oversteer and understeer. Here's an excerpt of one of the better ones:
>To most effectively control your car on a slippery road, you should always use only one control at a time. While cornering, for instance, you should be off the brake and off the accelerator, coasting through the turn and using all available grip for steering. The proper way to negotiate any curve or corner is to brake on the straightway before the curve to adjust your speed; then coast and steer through the turn. When you start to straighten the steering wheel as you exit the curve, gently accelerate out of the turn.
>Okay, so you didn't adjust your speed properly, and your car is understeering. What now?
>First, there are several things you should NOT do. Don't increase your steering angle, because the tires have already lost grip and increasing the steering will only make it worse. Don't hit the brakes because the front tires are already skidding, and more brake pressure will only make it still worse.
This article seemed especially appropriate Wednesday night as I was travelling through Wisconsin on roads with unplowed snow covering a thick layer of ice. While many of us might consider some of these techniques second nature, it’s probably not a bad idea recap a few every so often. You can read the rest of the article (and others) below:
[ Tirerack’s Winter Driving Tips ] Tirerack
And if you need a good set of snow tires feel free to buy via the ad below. It support this site and takes you straight to the Tirerack.
Gabe,
I’d love for some kind of winter article with tips and tricks, maybe windshield wipers etc. etc.
Cheers,
Mario
Winter tires are nice, but do they sell hurricane tires? Those would be more useful to us in Florida.
So you are rounding a corner, a steep drop off or a semi on your left, and the feeling of understeer lifts your stomach to just above your sternum. I know it’s wrong but you got to have some cajones to not step on something!
this is all fine, but what about heel ‘n toe? 😉
[ <a href="http://motoringfile.com/2005/07/24/heel_and_toe_shifting_made_simple/" rel="nofollow">Heal and Toe Shifting Made Easy</a> ] MotoringFile (7/24/05)
Gabe:
Maybe there’s no snow in Guatemala, but the advice for snow is pretty much the same for rain or rain on oil covered highways. Thanks.
Maybe off-topic, but has anyone ever heard of a MINI being carjacked?
SoCal Winter Driving Tips:
1. RayBans
2. sunblock # 45
3. In and Out location map
4. Randy Newman’s “I Love LA” blasting on you Ipod or anything by Hendrix
5. the best set of low profile tires you can afford!
6. radar detector
7. full tank
8. MCS or MC
9. 2 weeks off
10. Try not to gloat!
I get that enough three seasons out of the year 🙂
Give me six inches of snow and driving snow showers. That makes for a fun day of motoring.
Glad you like yours I’ll stick to mine.
Approaching corner.
150 feet to corner
Downshift.
100 feet to corner.
Revs up to 5500, initiate wheelspin.
75 feet to corner
Turn steering wheel, maintain wheelspin.
25 feet to corner
Back off gas pedal
front end grabs and pulls car into corner
like dry pavement.
But watch out for the kerb !
Gabe, actually I wish more folks were like you! Then they would leave SoCal and go back to anyplace other than here and then maybe we could actually get the paradise of my childhood back. Ha that’s some daydreaming….huh.
Some Tips from Goodyear in Europe…
[Click Winter Driving Tips](<a href="http://eu.goodyear.com/home_en/tires/winter/index.jsp" rel="nofollow ugc">http://eu.goodyear.com/home_en/tires/winter/index.jsp</a>)
I’m a Tire Rack affiliate as welll but I can’t say i agree with all their advice.
Take for example the suggestion to only make one input, steering without throttle input is – I think – an oversimplification.
Off throttle with the drivetrain engaged you’re essentially braking the driven wheels… Trailing throttle in a rear drive car the rear wheels will slow faster than the fronts increasng oversteer, in a front driver understeer might be increased if you don’t have the fronts gently rolling in contact and pointed towards your desired destination, in an AWDer the system is just dead weight unless you have your foot on the throttle to some extent, esp where torque distribution relys on some wheel speed differential.
I’ve always been taught (and trained myself to) fight the urge to lift and have found most cars more stable under a light throttle (esp in a FWD or AWD car).
Granted it’s too complex to generalize given the number of AWD systems alone but worth some thought…
Nice Article.
I live in Sweden, and consequently took my drivers’ examination here. Over here you’re required to pass a three elements of execise in order to get your licence, two of them being the obbvious theoretical test and practical driving exam. The third element is an execise in learning to deal with severly icy/slippery roads, covering about everything mentioned in these articles and some more. This made me wonder if there is any equalient in american ( canadian?) drivers’ exams? I realise that swedish winters probably are significantly colder than e.g. winter in the northern USA.