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Ice and snow driving, what are you techniques?

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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 08:33   #1
GrahamBrown1
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Default Ice and snow driving, what are you techniques?

With the current weather people will be out and about in the snow/ice. I’m no expert in snow driving but I would say I’ve had my fair share of experience. I was taught to bring a car to an allmost stop only using the clutch and gears from a steady speed if you were traveling in the snow. Obviously this takes a lot of planning and reading the road ahead but it works. As we know if you use the brakes it normally ends in disaster.

But what about if you have an auto? I’ve not driven an auto in the snow before, it’s ok getting going but it’s the stopping that’s important and a lot of our volvos are auto especially the awd models.

So what techniques do you use to get around safely?
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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 08:41   #2
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If I have to drive in these conditions, I use as high a gear as possible, and touch the pedals as little as possible.

Thankfully my Volvo is diesel, FWD and manual, whereas my last car (Lexus hybrid) was RWD and CVT auto,so didn't even have a 'proper' manual mode.

HTH
Malcolm

ps. The three wheeler is fun, by the way, a very light car, RWD through the single rear wheel, making it a 3x1 configuration, but having a short stroke high revving bike engine.....
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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 08:47   #3
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I used to deliberately cycle in really bad snow and ice and believe it's good experience for when you begin to drive a car.

Smooth inputs of the controls, braking very gently and in plenty of time and don't 'provoke' the car at all.
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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 09:30   #4
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Everything as smooth as possible, braking/accelerating/steering. Yes, it needs planning and looking out ahead, no way around it. My XC90 is auto, any downward slope (snow or not) and I shift to manua-mode to apply some engine braking.
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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 10:19   #5
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That is all.
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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 11:12   #6
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Im with owyn, all about momentum. With road tires I needed to keep the speed up or I got stuck and just looking far ahead

put on my winter tires straight away and its just like driving normally, passing a lot of 4x4's out there on the country roads
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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 11:12   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Welton View Post
I used to deliberately cycle in really bad snow and ice and believe it's good experience for when you begin to drive a car.

Smooth inputs of the controls, braking very gently and in plenty of time and don't 'provoke' the car at all.
Absolutely. Every driver should serve an 'apprenticeship' on two wheels - it brings an awareness of road, weather and traffic conditions that driving a car never can. Additionally, modern cars with their standard ABS, EBFD, TC, etc., should theoretically make driving safer, but many drivers negate the benefits by driving with a (misplaced) confidence that they will always get them out of trouble.

Apropos cycling: I used to have a 'winter' bike, equipped with a fixed wheel, which gave a much greater degree of control in slippery conditions than free.

Regards, John.
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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 13:18   #8
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The smooth driving technique reminds me of the concept I saw some years ago regarding economical driving. The 'mindset' is to image you have a dinner plate stuck on the bonnet with a football sitting on it. You then drive in a manner so as to keep the football from rolling off. Yes, its' a crazy idea in practice, but as a mindset to encourage smooth driving, it works wonders for both economy and safety on winter roads.
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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 16:40   #9
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Totally agree with previous posts especially about thinking ahead, much further than "normal" driving. I also look for the untouched snow seen next to the kerb or road edge when driving up an incline, get your nearside wheels on that and it usually gives a bit better grip than the compacted snow on the rest of the road - but doesn't work if the snow is more than six or seven inches deep!
Lastly, I always advise it is better to arrive twenty minutes late in this world rather than twenty years early in the next.
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Old Dec 12th, 2017, 17:13   #10
green van man
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Smooth inputs, use gears and engine to slow the car and brakes at the last moment, if in traffic brake gently against the engine to show those following I m slowing.
Momentum is important so plan ahead. Down hill lower gears and not touch the brakes.


I find when teaching off road driving newer engines which rev freely less capable of holding the car back when decending so advocate gentle brake against the engine. My 300 TDI landrover will decend a 25% slope in low box with no brake input at tickover, if I tried it with the D5 it would be screaming it's nuts off.

Paul.
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