stay home! I’ve been driving in it for 30+ years, and may want to get somewhere. first realize that bridges freeze first.You also can’t stop on ice period,not with anti-lock brakes or anything else.4wd only helps you go, not stop.uhmmm yeah just stay home, please!
It’s nothing like driving in the rain! It’s very slick so you have to drive slow and cautious so you don’t end up in a ditch! Not fun at all! Just wait for the ice!
The trick is to NOT do anything quickly. Don’t slam on the brakes, don’t crank the steering wheel quickly, and be very easy on and off the throttle pedal. Driving in snow isn’t that bad, but you need to be extra careful and plan ahead. Playing around in an empty parking lot will get you used to the snow.
invest in some good snow tires and like the others have said don’t do anything abrupt. take it slow. experimenting in a parking lot is good. your whole car is working with a fraction of the grip it normally does. remember that it may take slightly longer for steering inputs to take effect. good luck. it’s not like rain at all. it is slick. first time out be careful.
Driving in snow is very different from driving in the rain, and even winter conditions can be very different from one another. Conditions vary, but any surface with slush, snow or ice on it is MUCH slipperier than just wet pavement.
Ice–it can be very tricky because it can appear suddenly and there’s no indication that it’s there until you start to slip. If you loose control on ice, it’s often very sudden and unpredictable. AWD is a help to get going but it does nothing to prevent skidding once you’re moving.
Slush/wet snow–somewhat like driving on a muddy road. There’s a fair amount of warning before you slip and it’s generally easy to regain control. Braking can be tricky.
Light snow–Quite variable depending on the surface underneath. Snow on top of ice is a deadly combination. However, light snow on top of bare pavement or gravel doesn’t really pose much of a problem. It does become slipperier once it’s been compacted. 2 inches of packed snow on a heavily travelled road can be quite slippery, since an ice-like layer sometimes forms on the road surface underneath.
Deep snow–you’l likely only find this on very rural roads or parking lots, but it’s where an AWD vehicle has the biggest advantage over a 2WD vehicle. The resistance of the snow means that you can’t go very fast, but it also means that the car will drift or slide very gradually and that it’s easy to stop. In really deep snow, the key is keeping up momentum.
There’s also a difference between a 1-foot snowfall and a 1-foot snowbank. A Subaru will charge through 1 foot of freshly fallen snow like it isn’t there, but snowbanks are much denser and require some momentum above about 18 inches in depth.
For driving on winter roads in general, it’s always a good idea to reduce speed. Snow-covered highways with a 90 km/h (55 mph) speed limit are often only good for 60 km/h (35 mph) after a snowfall. If you’re on a side street or in a parking lot with no traffic, it’s a good idea to gently test the surface to see how much you can corner or brake before slipping.
Also, as far as I’m concerned, four winter tires are a MUST in any place that sees consistant winter conditions. In fact there’s talk where I live (in Quebec) of making winter tires required by law. Even in an AWD car, the difference is incredible.
I suggest looking at the videos below to get an idea of car handling in the snow–it shows how it can be fun but also very slippery and dangerous without experience.
–Edit: No, you don’t need to stay home and drive less than 15 mph in the snow–those of us who have snow for at least 4 months of the year would be in trouble if that were the case! It does require good tires and more cautious driving, however.
Driving in snow is dangerous. It is almost like driving on ice.
People slide when they turn or use the brakes.
When you try to accelerate, the wheels just spin in there place. You need to drive less than 15mph in snow and brake gently and keep a huge distance between you and the person in front of you.
Rain is much easier to drive in because you do not get stuck in rain and you could drive much faster in rain without crashing or slipping.
Reply
Yeah, drive around in a big parking lot for a while. Try making fast turns and stops. You will see the difference right away.
Thinner tires are key…they cut through the snow better.
Lawrence
stay home! I’ve been driving in it for 30+ years, and may want to get somewhere. first realize that bridges freeze first.You also can’t stop on ice period,not with anti-lock brakes or anything else.4wd only helps you go, not stop.uhmmm yeah just stay home, please!
It’s nothing like driving in the rain! It’s very slick so you have to drive slow and cautious so you don’t end up in a ditch! Not fun at all! Just wait for the ice!
The trick is to NOT do anything quickly. Don’t slam on the brakes, don’t crank the steering wheel quickly, and be very easy on and off the throttle pedal. Driving in snow isn’t that bad, but you need to be extra careful and plan ahead. Playing around in an empty parking lot will get you used to the snow.
invest in some good snow tires and like the others have said don’t do anything abrupt. take it slow. experimenting in a parking lot is good. your whole car is working with a fraction of the grip it normally does. remember that it may take slightly longer for steering inputs to take effect. good luck. it’s not like rain at all. it is slick. first time out be careful.
Driving in snow is very different from driving in the rain, and even winter conditions can be very different from one another. Conditions vary, but any surface with slush, snow or ice on it is MUCH slipperier than just wet pavement.
Ice–it can be very tricky because it can appear suddenly and there’s no indication that it’s there until you start to slip. If you loose control on ice, it’s often very sudden and unpredictable. AWD is a help to get going but it does nothing to prevent skidding once you’re moving.
Slush/wet snow–somewhat like driving on a muddy road. There’s a fair amount of warning before you slip and it’s generally easy to regain control. Braking can be tricky.
Light snow–Quite variable depending on the surface underneath. Snow on top of ice is a deadly combination. However, light snow on top of bare pavement or gravel doesn’t really pose much of a problem. It does become slipperier once it’s been compacted. 2 inches of packed snow on a heavily travelled road can be quite slippery, since an ice-like layer sometimes forms on the road surface underneath.
Deep snow–you’l likely only find this on very rural roads or parking lots, but it’s where an AWD vehicle has the biggest advantage over a 2WD vehicle. The resistance of the snow means that you can’t go very fast, but it also means that the car will drift or slide very gradually and that it’s easy to stop. In really deep snow, the key is keeping up momentum.
There’s also a difference between a 1-foot snowfall and a 1-foot snowbank. A Subaru will charge through 1 foot of freshly fallen snow like it isn’t there, but snowbanks are much denser and require some momentum above about 18 inches in depth.
For driving on winter roads in general, it’s always a good idea to reduce speed. Snow-covered highways with a 90 km/h (55 mph) speed limit are often only good for 60 km/h (35 mph) after a snowfall. If you’re on a side street or in a parking lot with no traffic, it’s a good idea to gently test the surface to see how much you can corner or brake before slipping.
Also, as far as I’m concerned, four winter tires are a MUST in any place that sees consistant winter conditions. In fact there’s talk where I live (in Quebec) of making winter tires required by law. Even in an AWD car, the difference is incredible.
I suggest looking at the videos below to get an idea of car handling in the snow–it shows how it can be fun but also very slippery and dangerous without experience.
–Edit: No, you don’t need to stay home and drive less than 15 mph in the snow–those of us who have snow for at least 4 months of the year would be in trouble if that were the case! It does require good tires and more cautious driving, however.
Driving in snow is dangerous. It is almost like driving on ice.
People slide when they turn or use the brakes.
When you try to accelerate, the wheels just spin in there place. You need to drive less than 15mph in snow and brake gently and keep a huge distance between you and the person in front of you.
Rain is much easier to drive in because you do not get stuck in rain and you could drive much faster in rain without crashing or slipping.