10 Tips For Driving in the Snow

Sounds like one of those idiot bosses. You'd think he would learn his lesson after putting two in the ditch!! LOL

Takes guys like your dad to shut em up every time!!

 

Gold ! great post. Heading to Mammoth tomorrow..hope I don't cross @jberry813 path...lol

 

Love my KO2s

 

I wuss out and have two sets of wheels and tires, during the winter I don't mess around and just run studded snows.

 

My Dad still has a set of studded tires he used when he was still working. They're illegal in Texas, but when he had to run them, the police were too busy to check to see why he could go and they couldn't.

 

In Texas I can understand that they're illegal, here they're okay 365. Some states they're restricted to certain months.

 

What's this snow stuff you speak of?
we dont get much of that round here....

 

a couple of observations.
A 4x4 is not 4wd. a 4X4 is really a 1x1 unless you have lockers. and a 2wd is really 1wd. unless you have lockers.

This past new years we rented a cabin up in lake tahoe like we do most years. and the roads were covered in snow and ice.
my 2wd (rear arb locker) with snow chains and RTT rack + all the crap we carried did a really good job getting me up the mountain and to our cabin.
however on the last day before we were leaving, they plowed the streets and right at the end of our street there was a sharp right turn in a down hill curve. really nasty and everytime i went up or down it it was a challenge.
well this last time it was straight ice. i crawled down it as slow as i could and my truck just went off on its own, there was not stopping or turning it.
there was a straight drop off into a forest at the end of the road but how they plowed it, they made an embankment. luckily my truck stopped into that. wife was screaming in terror, my kids were screaming cuz it was fun. lol

everyone else we were with were fwd or 4x4 had no problems. several were in mini vans or regular SUVs...
next truck will be a 4x4...

 

Ya; ice, lockers and off camber lines combine for high pucker factor.

 

Here's what you do instead. The ABS is actually a great help in the regard it's telling you you're slipping. Whereas when you don't have ABS sometimes you don't realize it before it's too late. ABS kicking in? Off the brake and reapply to threshold. Threshold braking is where you're applying maximum braking before the tires lock up and slip. The only time you're going to have a better time braking with ABS on is on deep snow and off road where you can get a good solid buildup of snow/gravel/dirt to act as a berm for your tires. Otherwise keep the ABS on and leave more distance for braking/or get better tires.



My credentials? Primary Care Paramedic in Alberta Canada. The above is a picture of my partner and I driving (Obviously) the wrong way down the highway. Why? Cause the 30 car accident we were tasked to blocked the route going south. So we had to bypass and access it by heading north. It was a very eerie drive.
So when they shut down the highways due to bad weather, my ass is the one out there pulling you from the ditch. (So I know a thing or two about bad weather driving.)

Other than that the first post was bang on. Only thing I would add is if you live where snow frequently flies in winter, buy winter tires. They'll pay for themselves (Instead of wearing your all seasons in winter you'll wear your winters, so essentially you're buying your second set of tires early, but for a good purpose.)

Oh, and should you find yourself in the ditch...STAY IN YOUR GODDAMN VEHICLE!
I can't tell you how many people get killed because they exited their vehicle and got creamed by the next car/truck that hit the same patch of ice and is coming in hot to the ditch where they were. And instead of being inside a nice metal box with safety restraints and airbags, it's just their meat bag carcass vs two plastic bumpers bolted to 2250-5000lbs of metal. And the metal always wins. And I really hate looking for body parts in 2 feet of snow. Don't make me look for body parts in 2 feet of snow. Stay in your vehicle.

 

Well said! Been driving in snow my whole life up here in Maine. Yet, every single year several people forget how it's done during the first storm. I am out in the middle of the storms plowing. So I see it all. A 4x4 is great but it doesn't help you stop. That's the hardest part of winter driving. The NICE thing about ABS is that you can usually still steer. That was the point. If you don't know what you're doing it doesn't matter if you have a 4x4. Chances are you'll end up on your roof if you don't take it slow and learn. My first truck was a 2wd short bed Ford Ranger. Had it in the ice storm of 98. Had studded rears, a lot of sand bags and was on the fire department running around like a crazy person. I got stuck once. But I learned what a rear wheel drive does in the snow (which came in handy later during my law enforcement career). I love to drive in the snow. Hate to drive on ice. We get our fair share of both here on the coast. Dealing with ice right now actually. Take your time. No need to rush. Play follow the leader on the highways and be safe.

 

Great write up. And I can attest to rule#9. Although we get very little snow, most of our locals cannot drive in the snow for shit. 90% of people here do not clear their car or truck, especially the roof.

 

Couldn't stop laughing and picturing the dipshits in range rovers and BMW X SUVs that's are all over!!!

 

I saw some interesting incidents in Anchorage during the record winter I was there in 2011. By spring it seemed most out of state cars (mostly with military tags) had front and rear bumper damage. Literally. Especially the cars with Flori-Duh tags.

 

You are Channeling my dad!!!

 

I knew I liked you. lol.

I live in Wyoming, and I see all the stuff you mention. One thing I would add as the first and most important step: If the weather is worse than you are used to or comfortable with, do you really HAVE to make the trip? Can it wait a few hours for the weather to clear, or until tomorrow? Not driving in shit weather is always an option.

 

Another tip: Avoid Atlanta if there is the slightest chance of snow and ice.

 

And rain

 

Tip #1 - Drive responsibly
Tip # 2 - Pay the frick attention

 

Seriously excellent post! Wife and I make our way up to the mountains often and way before our first trip I made sure I was well educated on driving conditions. I pack a 65q container of roadside gear should anything ever happen, luckily I’ve not had to use all of it but the piece of mind knowing I have it is nice. And you’re right, dipshits are everywhere! Thanks for this info!

 

Wisconsin. Farms. It's where Grandpa put us on the tractor and in the truck at about 10 years old. Why? Because there's almost nothing around to damage that cannot be fixed with a wrench or hammer.

Find a big empty parking lot near the first snow, every year, and see how your car/truck handles and reacts to emergency braking, turning while emergency braking, wheel spin on acceleration. How it feels, what those distances are, re-acclimate that muscle memory for time/distances/feel. Please, put down that damn phone.

 

Pro tip:
Every winter, I pick up a bag of the cheapest cat litter without the clumping or blue stuff and keep it in the truck. If I have to, I throw a little down behind the tires then back up. Then I throw more litter down in front of the tires and off into the direction I'm going, then roll on smoothly. I actually help more people then anything. End of the season, I give the rest of the litter to someone with a cat.

 

pfft. outta my way fools.

 

I25 traffic navigation...

 

Tires tires tires. Snow tires.

Up here in Buffalo we get quite a bit of snow. People here still don’t get it. It’s all about tires.

Few years back my wife had a tiny little Mazda2 . ( See: Yaris. ) We put snow tires on it and it ripped in the snow. No issues ever. 2100lb FWD car. I do remember passing a coworker in his Tundra on the way to work. He was so pissed. Haha

No matter what wheels drive the vehicle, most important aspect(s) is driving according to conditions and proper TIRES.

 

You should change the subject of this forum post to '10 things you'll remember when you're wrecked in a snow ditch wearing New Balance shoes and a Tommy Bahama shirt.'

I dig the content, although it was more of a 'Mike Babcock' delivery in the initial post... but I fully agree. Drive according to the conditions, drive defensively, prepare for safety, and more importantly don't underestimate snowy/icy road conditions, especially when you are running studded/winter/snow chains. My point being that you can't go out and drop $1400+ on the best snow tire and expect to drive 10 mph over the speed limit ... although inevitably some people have yet to figure this out...