by 5 Star
5. December 2011 22:46
Tips for driving on snow and ice
- Pull away and accelerate gently and progressively. In slippery conditions such as snow and ice, aggressive acceleration will almost certainly break traction at the driven wheels. The resulting wheelspin can lead to loss of steering control in a front wheel drive (FWD) car, or an oversteer slide in a rear wheel drive (RWD). Both of these situations will prevent you from going in the direction you want and can be difficult to recover from.
- If you do notice wheelspin (or the traction control systems fighting for grip), don't floor the throttle, instead back off the gas and then reapply smoothly.
- Best practice is to keep engine revs low in order to maximize your grip in winter conditions. Keep a constant gentle throttle for best results.
- Change up sooner rather than later, pull away in second gear if possible, and use the highest practical gear at all times. This reduces the torque at the driven wheels and will therefore reduce the chances of wheelspin – also a useful trick when trying to climb a slippery muddy hill.
- Avoid any sudden driver inputs (such as steering, braking, acceleration or gear changes). You only have a finite level of grip available and you don't want to overload your tyres unnecessarily. Driving smoothly will conserve grip, and make you a safer driver.
- Brake soon, and gently. Be prepared to ease off the brakes (if you do not have ABS fitted) in order to steer. Locked wheels cannot steer!
- If you do have ABS, you'll be able to tell it has triggered by feeling a pulsing sensation through the brake pedal. If this has occurred do not 'pump' the brakes – rather keep a firm pressure on the pedal for maximum effectiveness. ABS is designed to help you steer as you're slowing down so use this to your advantage and avoid obstacles..
- Even if you do have ABS fitted, don't get into the habit of using the system unnecessarily.