Driving in icy conditions (use of gears etc.)

BrianD3

I've heard a lot of people giving advice to drive in the highest gear possible in icy conditions. This is bad advice in my view. I'm pretty experienced when it comes to driving in ice and snow and I've never found driving in a high gear to be an advantage. Admittedly, if the driver suddenly boots the throttle there's less acceleration in a higher gear so less chance of wheelspin. But only a total idiot would do this in icy conditions.

In my opinion you're far better off being in the correct gear for the speed you're travelling at. You have more control and more engine braking this way and often on an icy road engine braking is the only effective way to slow down. If you're in a high gear there's an increased risk of stalling at low engine revs which could result in the drive wheels locking up and subsequent loss of control. And to avoid stalling, you'd have to downshift, and which can unsettle the car and cause loss of control.

Smooth use of controls, allowing plenty of stopping distance, good anticipation, a good feel for what the car is doing and an ability to "read the road" are the most important things in ice/snow (apart from the obvious - drive more slowly and leave plenty of time for your journey)

What do others think? Has anyone any tips for driving in ice/snow?

PS has anyone else noticed that many women drivers are totally useless when it comes to driving in these conditions. Lots of women even admit this and refuse to drive in frosty weather. Women's idea of safe driving is "slam on the brakes at the first sign of trouble" which is ok in normal conditions but doesn't work too well if the road is like a skating rink....

Brian

ando

Originally posted by BrianD3
PS has anyone else noticed that many women drivers are totally useless when it comes to driving in these conditions. Lots of women even admit this and refuse to drive in frosty weather. Women's idea of safe driving is "slam on the brakes at the first sign of trouble" which is ok in normal conditions but doesn't work too well if the road is like a skating rink...

Brian, well said

Chimaera

Generally I've found that smooth and gentle use of the controls is best, and give yourself plenty of room. Starting in second gear can make it easier to pull away if the clutch in your car is a bit abrupt. Using the least revs possible is probably a better catch-all for driving in slippery conditions than using the highest gear possible. Especially in powerful diesel engines that can spin tyres in higher gears on dry tarmac

mike65

Nice 'n easy does it every time, no question, I tend to use a higher gear
but only one up not two!

The best way to avoid an accdent is simply to be alert to whats along way off, drive like you have no brakes.

As for women drivers you're spot on, they're crap in poor weather or hectic traffic. And they can read maps either!

Mike.

Calibos

Sorry for taking this further off topic into the realms of 'women driver's'.

I have to say though that in my experience of all the women drivers I know (excluding my mother who really is a good driver:) ), their general attitude to driving seems to be that as long as they know how to start, stop and steer the car they think they know enough. They can't and refuse to learn how to park, intermittent use of indicators at best, don't thank you for letting them out, never let you out, lousy clutch control, they dont realise that 3rd gear is not appropriate if you are doing 60 on the dual carriage way unless you happen to be driving a porsche etc etc etc. I had an ex girlfriend go mad and call me a perfectionist because she said I was nit-picking when I pointed this out to her. I couldn't get it through to her that (a) the gearbox would melt, (b) she'd use 10 times more petrol and (c) people within a 10 mile radius could hear the car.:D

Its like their attitude to say, learning how to use a video recorder. "Sure I only need to know how to play a tape and press stop and rewind." Unfortunately they seem to apply this attitude across the board......" Sure I only need to know how to make the car go, stop and turn". Sorry loves but this ain't no video recorder, you are driving a 1 1/2 ton killing machine so I think you may want to strive to be a little bit more proficient in its use.

Women Drivers.....wha ya gonna do eh!! Peh!:rolleyes:

Ba$tard

Well lads,

Lots of women even admit this and refuse to drive in frosty weather

I can't agree more.....70% of 'ladies' did not turn up for work yesterday because of the frosty/ice..... BAH


As for me...I had a laugh...at 6.25am the roads were pretty icy and pretty empty in Cork...I WOULD LIKE TO THINK(que rampage of ranting) I am a pretty good driver and enjoy the odd challenge, but oh the iceeeee!

Coming out of roundabouts, or exiting the apex of a corner when I could see straight onwards, I put down more power ( to about 5,000rpm ) and slid around the road, weaving while opposite locking....fannytastic stuff...although keeping it pretty sane, as in below 20-25mph...

I even got on a drift-slide into a one-way bend at about 10mph with the assitance of my handbrake...as I entering to turn, just put the boot down slightly and let forward grip straighten me up...all great fun...

Yes, my 2 paragraphs above seem senseless and indeed they may be normally...but keeping the speed low (<20mph) and you can have some containable fun....

On the topic of course...I would tend to agree with Calibos, and as my frolics suggest, having power on tap when you need it on ice is better than having no power when in high gears...

The an important thing is to know you limit...the most important thing is to know other people on the roads may not know THEIR limits....always allow that bit so you can pull off an emergency maneuver if Deirdre the flying secretary in her Seat Ibiza gets it wrong....

As for tailgating...dont..keep a good 50yards....if anyone tailgates you, be sure to insert your foglights into their retinas*.

*This goes for that prick in Glanmire (who might even read this) in the red mk3 Golf who followed me up & down Glashaboy hill in the ice staying about 5 feet from my rear bumper......praise be your ignorance and thanks for putting me in danger...

J..
"As the infantry soldier once said...'It's a tankless job..' "

kayos

Originally posted by Ba$tard
if Deirdre the flying secretary in her Seat Ibiza gets it wrong....

Here the Seat Ibiza is a perfectly good car so leave it alone ....

Back on topic, I tend to drive about a gear up when driving in the ice and never have any problems. But sometimes I wish I had 4 wheel drive just for that extra safety.

kayos

Saruman

I find the best way to go is to use second to move for a few seconds and then slip into 3rd when its ok to do so, and NEVER stay in a low gear when you increase your speed as you more than likely will wheelspin.

You know what bugs me though?? the other day when the freezing road conditions i got onto the m50 and there were a load if idiots doing 30 and holding up everyone... firstly WHY???? I mean not only was there no ice or snow on the m50 it was barely even wet!! There is no need for this on a road like the m50... in front of these people were gaps with no cars for miles... once i got past them i went on at 60 - 70 just like any normal day.

MarkR

I never drove on the m50 myself, but there was 4 or five cars in the ditch on the dual carriageway into shannon. Is the road condition that much better where you live that you hit 70 yesterday morning? You should have seen the industrial estate yesterday, like an ice rink. Great fun in the car park.

seamus

Mostly agree Brian, except

Originally posted by BrianD3
You have more control and more engine braking this way and often on an icy road engine braking is the only effective way to slow down.

Vigorous engine braking however, can lead to just as much loss of control. As you say, if you don't use everything smoothly, driving will become a whole lot more difficult.

In my experience too, 1st gear is completely useless. Even with the slightest amount of acceleration, most cars (that I've driven) have trouble gripping the snow when starting in 1st.

Don't get me started on women drivers

Kell

I would have always advised people to drive in a higher gear than normal to avoid wheel spin in icy conditions. Another thing I do (in a very controlled manner of course) if breaks become necessary, is to handbrake to about 1/2 very slowly. This is assuming that your doing sub 25 otherwise you just lose the back end of the car. Distance is paramount though. I roughly treble the distance between me and the car in fron in icy conditions which is better than a mate that I know who has overtaken snow ploughs and travelled from Scotland to England at 70 with an inch of snow on the ground the whole way. I dont scare easily, but I was terrified!

sutty

Well I came off my bike on Tuesday. Someone had poored water on a road coming onto keven street (just where the DIT is) turned very slowly (>5, didn't lean) but the back went from below me still. Tips all bikers should know, when traviling sub 20MPH keep a leg down (I use the one for the gears just incase I need to use the back brake) When taking turns, try not to lean into it. Watch the middle of the road as that is full of ice (seeing as not *many* cars drive on it) be very carefull of the bus laines as well.


oh yeah and lets not forget BODY ARMOR IS YOUR FRIEND!!!

As for the women drivers. I find them to be ok. The people in large cars are the one's that scare the hell out of me (men or women) they seam to think they own the road. The amount of times I've seend them change lane with out indacating, or over taking for that affect is a joke

Gmodified

As for the women drivers. One nearly killed me in the morning when loosing control of her A6.
I was just waiting on T junction when saw this A6 coming in rear view mirror. She was flying to the
last moment, then jumped on the brakes and wasn't stopping.

ABS ? Yeah. I think she didn't know what happened with brake pedal.

The result;
She went sideways and leapfrogged over the curb and landed on the path just beside my car.
I could see her bonnet when looking through passenger window.

A6 on ICE please.

Gerry

I would agree with the people who say that smoothness is the key. Very, very gentle acceleration in 2nd gear starting off, and keep gear changes to a minimum. A lot of people know that you can have plenty of fun in icy conditions, say in a car park or on an empty road or whatever. However, if the ice on the road is patchy, you can do some damage to your tires, say if 1/4 of the tire is contacting tarmac, and 3/4 on ice, it will spin pretty freely, but will burn up the rubber which was contacting the tarmac.

It does show how little car control most women have when they refuse to drive in frosty conditions. They don't really have a notion what is going on. ( I'm not referring to all women drivers here, just most of them ).

Occidental

As an add on to this, I'm much happier driving something with manual, rather than power steering in icy weather, as I find I get a much better feel for the road conditions, especially when driving cross country.

I've noticed a lot of people in newer cars who seem to think they are invincible on wet and icy roads and wonder if they really have a clue whats going on outside their little cabin. ABS also seems to have added to this sense of invincibility, but didn't do too much good for the idiot trying to get his 02 Mondeo out of a ditch near Mullingar this morning(straight stretch of road too).

sceptre

I never realised how many people don't drive in icy weather until this week. I've quite a few 9:00 lectures this term (which is handy in one sense as if I'm out to UL before 9 I can slide into the free carpark as opposed to spending a tenner a week in parking). Freebie car park was half empty on Wednesday at 9:10 - normally* I'm lucky to find a space left out of the 200-odd available if I arrive at that time.


*"normally" is relative. I had no lectures at 9 last term so I'm basing the above on four trips out in total. Wednesday is hardly a special "let's stay at home in bed all day like that lazy sceptre did yesterday" day though.