I realise many of you are snowed in and here are some points on how to drive in snow.
1. Tires. There are 3 main types and some sub types of tires.
A) Summer made for dry or wet and warm above 7C/45F.
B) All season, made for dry wet and a little bit of snow also called no season.
C) Winter or snow tires. Made for cold weather and snow ice driving.
D) All Weather made for snow ice in places it doesn't get too cold nor too warm for dry and wet driving. Like All Season but better, not made for cold temperatures below -10C/14F.
E) Performance Snow made for better dry weather traction and driving with performance orientations in mind. works when cold and is okay when warm but not made for hot weather. Better in winter than All Weather not as good in summer.
F) Snow Ice tires made for any temperature below 7C/45F with excellent snow and ice capabilities.
G) (what I use) Studded Snow tires. Made for Ice and Snow when cold. Work on dry and wet roads usually with a small percentage in performance reduction. The only tires that work on glare or black ice or snow covered icy roads. Modern Studded tires do not have old school studded tire problems.
2. Speed. Basically cut the speed limit in half. It is posted 25 go 12-15. It is posted 50 go 25-30. It is posted 70 go 35-40.
Don't go below 12-15. You will likely get stuck, except at intersections or in traffic. Going down hills also should be started at a crawl. Don't try and stop half way down, once you start you are going all the way down.
Up hill should be done at a run, most hills 30-40 mph. without summer tires you should get up.
3. Brakes. Unless you have antilock ABS brakes, don't lock your brakes or ride your brakes. If you don't have ABS you can't steer while turning. This is amplified if you have Front wheel drive.
When driving on ice, without ABS and sometimes with ABS and you are trying to turn, do not put the brakes on. Without ABS if you have to brake pump the brake pedal to slow down and steer away from what you are about to hit. ABS does this brake pumping for you.
Do not stare at what you are about to hit look where you want to go.
4. 4x4 AWD FWD and RWD.
A) 4X4 and AWD helps one get going in snow and on ice. it does not help you stop and typically can't help in a turn. Full time 4WD and AWD can be turned when applying power while Part time 4WD (usually with a locking differential) cant turn well while accelerating. Particularly on dry roads. slippery roads not as bad but not good either. Kind of like FWD and brakes on turning.
B) FWD (Front wheel drive) is a bit different, it is good to apply power to the wheels in ice and snow and turn where you want to go. You can power out of mistakes typically and power through deeper snow. Braking with FWD and turning does not work, if you need to make a corner, power through or take your foot off the accelerator.
C) RWD (Rear wheel Drive) gets a bad wrap on snow and ice but if you drive properly it isn't bad, particularly with the correct tires. I have RWD. I have had AWD and FWD in the past. RWD is slow to start in snow and on ice and will often slip to a low road side. One then turns their wheels and this can be a deficit to driving up a hill or along a road. Once going, a car should with rwd not brake into turns wet dry or snowy/icy. Nor should it power out of a corner, unless you wish to swing the back end around. RWD can turn around in very little room on an icy road. On Icy roads RWD should coast with minimal braking and turning of the wheel. straight and steady and slow.
5. If you are going too fast down a hill you can do three things.
A) Steer for the open spaces, while keeping the vehicle straight and aim for any snowy patches before you start to brake to slow down.
B) Hit the guard rail or curb or ditch, it will mess up your car, but it is better than running someone over or driving off a cliff.
C) The most risky and only should be a last resort, my Father did this once in his 55 Chevy, turn the wheel hard and do a 360 spin once or twice. It works if there are no guard rails or if you are on an icy hill with a turn. Dad did this to keep from going over a cliff on a hill with a turn half way down. He was going slow but it was black ice at the top and he couldn't slow down enough. 2 360's and he lined up with the road / turn and let go of the brakes and drove down the hill. His passenger left finger marks all along his dash board.
Lastly look ahead, one block or so. I remember watching friends driving to school one day at the end of lunch. The first car went past the school and I wondered where they were going. The second pasted the entrance and I figure he was going where the others where. The third also was going there too. I braked to make the turn, hit the black ice and slid past the entrance as well, as did the car behind me. We had a braking sliding stop avoiding each other and eventually all got turned around and headed back to school, much much slower.
Pay attention, slow down and keep your foot off the brakes when turning if you don't have ABS brakes. If possible change to winter tires in winter. Or All weather.
Especially on the slowing down bit: two years back we hit a drifting snow patch in an unpredicted short snow storm, then the ditch; skidded upside down, trashed the pickup and broke BJs arm. The road was closed for some hours shortly after we got onto it, there were at least two other accidents on that 40 mile stretch we know about in that three hour blizzard. We should have holed up in a motel for the night instead of trying to get home.
