Driving in the snow
Preparation is key.
If you can you should at least pack some of the following gear with you:
Starting out in the highest gear possible will provide more traction because of the lesser torque being applied to the wheels. If your vehicle is equipped with a traction aid like a differential locker then ensure it is engaged to start out then disengaged it once moving. We'll talk about differential locks later on. Occasionally you might need to get some wheel speed to start out and to do this on some vehicles you will have to disengage the traction control, but this is on rare occasions and is a more advanced technique.
Slides
Review
Snow driving can be hard and it can be a bit scary at first. The main thing to remember is to SLOW DOWN. A lot of problems can be avoided if you just slow down and pay attention.
Driving in the snow is a very difficult task that a lot of people can't do. The problem is that most places only get snow on the roads for a few month (maybe). Therefore they don't get a lot of practice to drive in the snow. If you look at the NTSB (national Traffic Safety Board) for the US there are significantly more traffic accident in January than there are in July or August. Even in parts of the world where snow is common there are still more accidents during the winter months. This can be a result of inexperience or sometimes an unexpected snow storm hits that people aren't prepared for.
Here are a few driving tips and techniques that can significantly help you when the snow starts to stick.
Preparation is key.
If you can you should at least pack some of the following gear with you:
- Winter tires- remember that all season tires really aren't good for any season and you should try to get studded tires or specific snow tires
- Snow chains/cables - snow chains are great for bigger vehicles but snow cables are cheaper and work well for smaller lighter vehicles
- Snow shovel- just a small lightweight shovel that you could use to dig yourself out if needed
- Food and water - at least enough for 1 night
- Ice scraper and other common sense items
Starting out in the highest gear possible will provide more traction because of the lesser torque being applied to the wheels. If your vehicle is equipped with a traction aid like a differential locker then ensure it is engaged to start out then disengaged it once moving. We'll talk about differential locks later on. Occasionally you might need to get some wheel speed to start out and to do this on some vehicles you will have to disengage the traction control, but this is on rare occasions and is a more advanced technique.
While Driving
Once you get moving things really start to get more difficult. Snow adds so many factors to an already difficult task. As always you should maintain two hands on the steering wheel, if you drive a manual transmission you should shift gears then put both hands back on the wheel. This is in case you need to make an evasive maneuver. While driving you should never drive faster than you can react and in the snow you might be able to react quickly but your vehicle cannot. You will need to double and sometimes triple your stopping time and turning time. If your vehicle is rear wheel drive it can be difficult to make turns as your vehicle will want to continue to go straight. If this happens do not slam on the brakes, ease into the brakes and control the vehicle to a stop or until you make your turn. As for differential lockers while driving, these can be very dangerous for someone that is inexperienced. The differential locker lock both wheel together, if one wheel hits a piece of ice and slips it can cause you vehicles to go into a dangerous slide. The locker it a great tool to use off road and to help you start moving but it should not be used at speed.
Braking
The snow makes the surfaces slippery and when vehicles drive on the snow it melts then refreezes causing ice and because of this braking can be very difficult. As stated before you should double or triple your distance to stop. Always ease into the brakes and never slam them to the floor. If you slam them on you can cause a slide which can be very dangerous. If your vehicle is equipped with ABS it might be a new sensation to fell you pedal move as you press on the brakes. This is because the ABS is working to not let the tires lock up for too long thus preventing a slide..With ABS you do not want to pump them, this will negate the ABS system and could cause more problems. Just take your time, give yourself plenty of space and don't hurry when it comes to braking.
Braking
The snow makes the surfaces slippery and when vehicles drive on the snow it melts then refreezes causing ice and because of this braking can be very difficult. As stated before you should double or triple your distance to stop. Always ease into the brakes and never slam them to the floor. If you slam them on you can cause a slide which can be very dangerous. If your vehicle is equipped with ABS it might be a new sensation to fell you pedal move as you press on the brakes. This is because the ABS is working to not let the tires lock up for too long thus preventing a slide..With ABS you do not want to pump them, this will negate the ABS system and could cause more problems. Just take your time, give yourself plenty of space and don't hurry when it comes to braking.
Slides
There are a number of different slides that occur because of the driver and because of the environment. We aren't going to get into how to get out of all the different slides but we'll talk about the most common. That is when you hit you brakes and start to slide sideways. If this happens and you have space just let off the brakes slightly until the vehicle regains traction the slowly reapply the brakes.Try to steer the front wheels into the direction of the slide. As always try not to make erratic movements as this will usually just complicate things.
Review
Snow driving can be hard and it can be a bit scary at first. The main thing to remember is to SLOW DOWN. A lot of problems can be avoided if you just slow down and pay attention.
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