Dad’s Top Ten Winter Driving Tips

[Coach13]

Vibes @Coach13 It's a big void that never fully goes away when we lose our parents.

Thanks. It was pretty sudden so I’m still a little numb. He was a great guy and a great father. Most of what I am as a man and father, I attribute to him.

 

[no edge]

I have over the years, driven a lot in snow. Here are a few things I do. 1. start up with no skid = soft touch. Most drivers spin and that is to be avoided. 2. Try to use second gear (standard) even in start up - practice with it. Lower torque will help prevent spin. Snow is usually better than ice for traction for secondary or less roads. Left tire rides on the hump in the middle of the dirt road if possible.

Its already been discused but the the anti-skid button is important to know about and to locate in winter. If you get stuck turn off the anti-skis button to provide maximum delivery of both wheels. If you are climbing a hill and the car is not getting traction, hit that button. In really bad weather I just turn it off. Highway driving at speed is best to have it on.

 

[no edge]

I lost my dad last week, so this thread made me smile. I grew up learning to drive in the snowy mountains of Western Maryland and I think he went thru most of the things mentioned here every time we had snow and I was heading out to drive.

Sorry to hear about your dad, Coach.

 

[crgildart]

Well color me surprised. It's going to snow again this Saturday morning and my princess has a school theater production Saturday night. If she wants to drive her own car there she's going to have to take a winter driving lesson earlier Saturday. Otherwise the high school senior will have to be dropped off there in Dad's station wagon hahahahaha! I suspect it will be cancelled because everything school related in central NC shuts down when there's any frozen water anywhere on the roads :-( I'll be available for winter driving practice regardless.

 

[nightingale]

Start your car early. Let it warm up. And I mean the engine, not the seat heater.

 

[Coach13]

Sorry to hear about your dad, Coach.

Thanks

 

[Popeye Cahn]

For the So Cal folks, carry chains during the winter months regardless of chain controls in the mountains. It is my understanding that if you are pulled over for any reason, the LEO may likely ask if you have chains, and should you not will likely ticket you for such.

 

[no edge]

Well color me surprised. It's going to snow again this Saturday morning and my princess has a school theater production Saturday night. If she wants to drive her own car there she's going to have to take a winter driving lesson earlier Saturday. Otherwise the high school senior will have to be dropped off there in Dad's station wagon hahahahaha! I suspect it will be cancelled because everything school related in central NC shuts down when there's any frozen water anywhere on the roads :-( I'll be available for winter driving practice regardless.

As you can imagin, I am a wonderful parent with excptional judgement. I let my then 16 year old take my car skiing - having just passed her road test. The route was over a mountainous road with lots of terrain, frost heaves and curves. On the way home it snowed 5 or six inches and the driving became nasty - really bad. She encounterd many cars off the road and into the ditch. We planned to meet her at the bottom of the 15 mile stretch of high elevation. But she was a no show for the time set and we waited a long 45 min. Then there she came into the meeting place.

She got out of the car and burst into tears and inquired as to why I let her drive in those conditions. She said cars went off the road and into the ditch right in front of her. One car came across the lane and off the road. She drove very slowly.

She had taken her driving test in the Subaru, a 5 speed with snows. She was accustomed to the manual and had never driven an automatic.

My wife was not pleased.

 

[crgildart]

As you can imagin, I am a wonderful parent with excptional judgement. I let my then 16 year old take my car skiing - having just passed her road test. The route was over a mountainous road with lots of terrain, frost heaves and curves. On the way home it snowed 5 or six inches and the driving became nasty - really bad. She encounterd many cars off the road and into the ditch. We planned to meet her at the bottom of the 15 mile stretch of high elevation. But she was a no show for the time set and we waited a long 45 min. Then there she came into the meeting place.

She got out of the car and burst into tears and inquired as to why I let her drive in those conditions. She said cars went off the road and into the ditch right in front of her. One car came across the lane and off the road. She drove very slowly.

She had taken her driving test in the Subaru, a 5 speed with snows. She was accustomed to the manual and had never driven an automatic.

My wife was not pleased.

Looks like she passed her first winter driving test. Ya my kid's not going out in sketchy weather before some more work. If she ends up going to App State there will definitely be some more advanced training behind the wheel. If it snows here they cancel school and I'll take her to work at her part time job.... That will be a good opportunity for "The snow driving Talk".

 

[no edge]

Yeah, I'd call my judgement call bad parenting.

 

[Stocked2022]

Increase your visability to others by driving with your lights on especially in bad weather.
Try not to turn and brake at the same time. Brake before your turn and enter turn at a slower speed.
Do not sit in a intersection waiting to make a left turn with your wheels already turned. If you get hit from behind you may be pushed into on coming vehicle.
When descending steep hills in icy conditions your anti-lock brakes may not slow you or bring you to a stop. Drive with two wheels in the median strip or edge of the road. Hitting a snowbank is usually a better choice than going thru a light or hitting a car.

Getting off the the road and waiting for the plows and sander is always a good choice. Winter driving takes lots of experience and common sense.

 

[Uncle-A]

Increase your visability to others by driving with your lights on especially in bad weather.
Try not to turn and brake at the same time. Brake before your turn and enter turn at a slower speed.
Do not sit in a intersection waiting to make a left turn with your wheels already turned. If you get hit from behind you may be pushed into on coming vehicle.
When descending steep hills in icy conditions your anti-lock brakes may not slow you or bring you to a stop. Drive with two wheels in the median strip or edge of the road. Hitting a snowbank is usually a better choice than going thru a light or hitting a car.

Getting off the the road and waiting for the plows and sander is always a good choice. Winter driving takes lots of experience and common sense.

The part about not sitting in an intersection with your wheels already turned is good in all weather conditions.

 

[James]

Don’t leave your flashers on all the time just because there’s snow on the road. This seems to be a relatively new thing and is incredibly annoying at night. Everyone is in the same boat, so leaving your flashers on for a half hour does nothing.

 

[snwbrdr]

For people that learned to drive in the rust/snow belt, it's common knowledge... you don't need to be a skier to know this.

For people that grew up in places like Coastal California, winter driving doesn't come natural to them. Heck, they have a hard enough time driving in the rain.

For washer fluid, we don't get to buy all-season or stuff below freezing washer fluids. The stores typically carry "summer" fluid year-round.

Some times at a traffic light, you have to stop mid-hill... then tires or traction devices become important, regardless of 2-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive.

In New England, you can easily tell who has no-season tires and who has winter-capable tires (dedicated winter or all-weather), especially in the vicinity of the ski areas.

 

[snwbrdr]

Don’t leave your flashers on all the time just because there’s snow on the road. This seems to be a relatively new thing and is incredibly annoying at night. Everyone is in the same boat, so leaving your flashers on for a half hour does nothing.

Not really, it's been a common thing to do also in heavy fog, where you wouldn't be able to see the running lights of the car in front of you.

European cars that have rear fog lights.... it's an appropriate use of them, when it's snowing heavy enough that it makes it hard to see the car in front of you.

 

[scott43]

Never drive faster than you can see...

 

[James]

Never drive faster than you can see...

That light stuff is pretty fast.

 

[fatbob]

Be aware that following a trucker after a road closure may mean that they are hustling unduly and thus may need to brake aggressively on downgrades forcing you to brake when you were comfortably managing speed. Which if they've located the black ice isn't a great result for you. (Fortunately tank slapped it into the centre lane snow build up and got traction back before the next big rig slammed me from behind)

 

[slowrider]

Be aware that following a trucker after a road closure may mean that they are hustling unduly and thus may need to brake aggressively on downgrades forcing you to brake when you were comfortably managing speed. Which if they've located the black ice isn't a great result for you. (Fortunately tank slapped it into the centre lane snow build up and got traction back before the next big rig slammed me from behind)

Stay away from trucks,problem solved.

 

[James]

Stay away from trucks,problem solved.

Hey, what’s going on these days? Did they change the standards for what can tow what? I’m seeing tons of pickup trucks with no beds acting as a real truck, towing multiple car trailers, small flat beds. The other day I saw one towing a shipping container! Looked like something someone rigged up in the garage.

They’re all sketchy in my mind.