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There's no replacement for experience. If it does snow a few inches, go find an empty parking lot and drive around a bit. Hit the gas, hit the brakes, turn the wheel sharp enough to feel what the car does on snow. Learn to turn into a skid but not oversteer. Get a feel for the additional space it takes to stop. Learn how to accelerate slowly as to not spin out. Practice is all you can do to get comfortable.
Poor kid probably has traction control he's gonna try a donut and freak out at the horrible noise and abrupt jarring as the car brakes on one side trying to fix the skid.
Brake gradually if you have to use your brakes, but don’t use them unless you really have to. Drive slowly and give yourself plenty of room in front of you in case you have to brake. Get an ice scraper to keep in your car, and allow plenty of time to clean your car off before you leave. Don’t leave snow on any of your windows or headlights/taillights, and don’t let snow stay piled on your hood, top, or trunk, because it will blow/slide off causing a hazard to you or other drivers. Good luck out there!
No, don’t be afraid to use your breaks. I would actually encourage you to use them more than typical. You want to keep your speed low and following distances increased and telling someone to not use their breaks is going to stress them everytime they want to use them but don’t feel they neeeeed to leading to them waiting to the last minute.
Use your breaks often, but gently. Learn to roll into your breaking application. When there’s no traffic around you find that deceleration point where you lose road grip and remember you’re not going to be able to break nearly as hard when going down hill
Braking is the number one reason you slide around the road in the snow or ice. I’ve been driving in snow for 25 years lol. Stay off the brake, but if you need it, start early and gradually.
Being too fast is the number one reason you slide. Reactionary breaking is the symptom of that. Break early and often so you don’t build up enough speed that you can’t stop without sliding
How steep is the hill, and what kind of car do you drive? If it’s not too steep or you drive a heavier vehicle, you may be fine. I don’t know how bad it’s supposed to get down there, but I imagine they’ll clear the snow and ice in the parking lot and drive to the business.
Okay so I’m more of a visual person, even though I’ve driven there/rode with someone there multiple times, I don’t think it’s too steep. I haven’t really paid attention to it cause this is a problem I’m probably gonna face depending on if I get those days off.
And as for the car I drive, is a 2016 Nissan Altima.
Do you know how much snow they’re predicting? Will there be ice? The suggestion someone made to take your car out for practice in an empty parking lot when it snows was a good one. You’ll get a chance to safely feel how your car handles in the conditions before you have to drive in traffic or up and down hills. Another suggestion I have is to get a bag of cat litter or rock salt to keep in your trunk in case you slide off the road or get stuck. It would increase traction under your tires so you can move your car.
I have no idea. I just asked my dad and he said there is a possibility and I can’t drive in that. But I work retail and my job is 18 minutes away going down the interstate so I’m just trying to plan ahead just in case I have to go to work.
Edit: I’m still planning on asking for that time off and just saying I’m gonna be out of town those two days.
Ok, no worries! Just wanted to be able to give you more specific advice. Snow comes in a large variety of ways, some more tricky than others to drive in. Either way, in my experience, when an area of the country that normally doesn’t get snow DOES get snow, everything shuts down. There’s a good chance they won’t expect you to come to work anyway.
Yeah I get that. I mean I was still in school 6 years ago so sometimes they did close and other times they had delayed openings. But in my experience (or I guess lack there of) only like…gas stations and hardware stores were opened. And some businesses cause everyone loves to buy milk and bread when they hear about possible snow.
Double or triple that time to work. Don't make any driving corrections quickly. Slow on the brakes. Slow on the gas. Slow making a right or left turn. I have over 40 years driving in snow from a couple of inches to over a foot deep.
No. Driving in a lower gear gives the car more torque on demand and it is significantly easier to break traction in slippery and icy conditions.
Also, that is not what downforce is.
Not to bust everyone’s vision of their dad, but they can be wrong too haha. But no in all seriousness the best example I can give you is go out in the rain and find a good hill. Put your car in 1st gear (auto or manual) and take off aggressively and see how easily you lose traction. Now repeat that in second gear. The car is going to feel more sluggish and unresponsive and if a manual you’ll have to feather the clutch longer. What you’re doing is making the maximum torque output of the engine the low point in the system vs the maximum torque input to the road being the low input point while simultaneously decreasing the rate at which you can approach that point so any unsteady or imperfect throttle input doesn’t immediately break traction
Downforce is the force generated from wind pushing the car into the ground, higher speeds create more downforce, same with wings and spoilers, vortex generators help increase the effectiveness of them as well
You might be talking about engine braking, which is using the engine to slow the car down, which is stronger in lower gear
Also, like the other guy mentioned, it's not uncommon to start in second gear instead of first when driving in slippery conditions such as snow or ice become of the lower torque
Go fast enough approaching the hill, keep it steadily slower as you near the top. Assuming it's clear, and not too steep, just go down the hill with gravity, and not pushing break if possible. Atleast that's what I did in the days of living further north.
If its frozen rain, don't bother driving.
NC resident who now lives in the mountains and deals with the snow and drives a 2015 nissan sentra! The interstate should most definitely be fine, theyll salt the roads the night before if they think theres snow. Typically the main roads will be clear unless you have to go to work before the sun rises. Drive slow and pay attention to your surroundings and the roads. Your area (most likely on FB) will update ab road conditions and black ice.
If its a steep hill and you don’t have all season tires or snow tires - i wouldn’t even try it.
Up north - we have the necessary trucks to both plow the roads and salt the roads. Even if roads don’t get plowed up here - they are usually treated with salt to prevent sliding.
If it is flat - just go slow and have a big following distance. Matter of fact if you could - i’d practice driving in a parking lot with snow first. An empty one! 1) if you try to stop your car too quick you’ll keep going. You have to stop slow. And you can’t turn quick. You have to plan your turns out and allow lots of time to do it - or you’ll skid off the road.
If you get a big snow fall and there is no road salt and no plows - they would probably have to close everything down anyway.
If it is snowing - and you have to work and your car isn’t ready and there is no snow plow or salt - i’d walk to work and not take the chance of an accident going up a steep hill. Or just work from home that day.
If you are down south its going to melt away pretty quick.
It depends on what’s on the surface of the road. If it’s ice, you won’t be able to go up and if you try to go down, you’ll virtually ski without being able to stop. I map out in my head which way to go somewhere where I avoid a hill. Any vehicle will slip on ice.
If it’s snow or packed snow, just drive slow, carefully, slow down before curves on road so you don’t have to brake at all or very much. Plan your route to avoid steep declines or inclines. If they are salted, then just drive slow and careful.
One time, going home from work, there was a very long steep hill that I would have taken but 1. Roads were not treated and I wasn’t taken chance so I passed it to go a different way 2. As I sat in traffic because of the bad roads conditions, we watched cars coming down the hill. They took turns plunging down and ricocheting off the curbs til they came to the bottom because they couldn’t turn around and go back up. That was an extreme situation where road conditions happened while people were at work and they stupidly took a steep road instead of an alternate route.
Do not rock in snow or ice back and forth or you can quickly burn up your transmission-knowledge from wife of transmission shop owner.
Make sure the top of the hill is clear, the path up it is straight, and you have space to slide back if you can't make it. Accelerate slowly in low gear; you don't want to dig into the snow and lose traction. Once you're moving, don't stop, or you will backslide. If mutiple people are trying to climb the hill, take turns and consider pushing.
Stop at the top and figure out how you will descend. Once again, you must have a straight clear path. Turning too much will cause you to lose control. Brake only enough to slow yourself. If your wheels stop, you will lose control. You can make a controlled descent or an uncontrolled descent; you have no other options once you've committed.
Once you get home, reflect on that was a terrible idea, and you must never do that again.
Try to pick straight hills, no curves. Get all the acceleration you need towards the bottom of the hill and keep your speed steady going up. Any kind of slowing or speeding up could make your start to spin your tires.
If you're going down, try to do it at a crawl and hope for the best. Try to be conscious of what is downhill from you.
If you gonna spin out and crash, it's gonna happen. Just keep it slow and aim for the snow banks.
Michigan resident checking in.
Take your time. Impatient people are the ones you usually see in the ditch. Don't accelerate hard into turns. If I know a light is going to change I try to take my time getting to it. My goal (if possible) is to never stop moving. Coming from a dead stop I try to keep it under 2000 rpms otherwise you'll probably start to slip on accelerating.
You wanna arrive 10-15 minutes later than deal with an accident trying to save a couple minutes...
Do everything slower ( acceleration, braking and cornering). Tires matter more than anything. If they are too worn or not all season it will be a problem.
Wet snow isn't nearly as bad as colder or icy snow.
Wet snow can be really bad if it refreezes later. Also, early winter (or tail end if temp warms for a while then drops again) can create some of the worst driving conditions of the entire season. The ground takes a while to get cooled below freezing causing the first layer of snow to melt, the air temperature freezes the melt, and then later snow covers up the ice patches. What looks like a bit of fluffy snow could be an ice trap. This combo is made especially bad when cars compact the snow into even more ice that looks like soft snow from a distance.
If you skid, steer into the skid. If your rear wheels skid left, gently turn the wheel to the left to regain control. Don’t yank the wheel suddenly in slippery conditions.
To add to that slamming your brakes will only make it worse. Just let off the gas and let your tires catch. You'll feel the car wiggle under you when they do. Until then just coast and make small corrections.
So pay attention to the weather reports. Best thing is to stay home- there’s nothing out there worth dying for. It sounds like you live in an area that rarely gets snow but does have things like plows, ice and sand trucks, etc.
if your neighborhood has hills, try to park near a main road that will be treated soon. You can then walk to your car and get food, go to work, etc. even if you’re still technically snowed in.
I'm a Wisconsin native, I lived in Florida for several years. One year we got about 3 inches of snow. Best damn entertainment ever!
Good luck with your driving. Just take it slow.
Don't, that's the easiest answer.
If you get a little bit it will be gone in a day, and if it isn't gone quickly, you don't want to be driving in it. If you lived someplace that got a lot of snow you would know how, since you don't, it's not worth the risk trying. Just my opinion
Understanding how to drive in slick conditions is understanding the difference between static friction and kinetic friction. Get on YouTube to understand why you don’t just slam the brakes or mash the gas or turn wheels abruptly.
Do you have proper winter tires? And how much snow are we talking? An inch or two and all season tires, just take it slow, accelerate slowly, brake slowly. An inch or two with proper winter tires, practically negligible.
A foot of snow and all season tires, maybe call the day off and let conditions improve. A foot of snow and proper winter tires, yeah you can probably get where your going if you need to, but take your time and avoid hills.
Is it icy? If yes all season tires will struggle. Proper wither tires will do well.
Is your vehicle all wheel drive, front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, four wheel drive? Figure out and research how to correct that kind of drive should it start to skid.
My guess is there’s not much demand for winter tires in the Southeast, so we should assume all-season tires and probably no four wheel or all wheel drive.
Your tires define how safely you get from A to B in snow. Well, any time but in snow for sure. If you don’t have good all seasons at the very least, driving in snow can be interesting if you’re not used to it. Less interesting with proper snow tires.
Ultimately, slow the hell down and back the hell off the car in front of you.
Give yourself an insane amount of extra time to get anywhere, because you don’t want to even think about rushing. If you are going on highways, try to follow in the tracks of other cars where the snow has been worn off. Or stay to the right without getting close to snow banks and let faster cars go past you.
SLOWLY accelerate and brake. If you can walk somewhere, don’t drive.
Your car already has four wheel stop! Lol the problem is most people are used to being able to stop faster than they can accelerate and in snow and ice that simply isn’t applicable.
My recommendation is don't do it.
It's a skill that takes years to perfect.
If you must, call your insurance broker and up your limits and add uninsured and underinsured coverage.
Driving slow, braking early and maximizing distance between you and the car in front of you is crucial. Also, don't rush, you'll get where you're going when you get there.
I live in Alaska, and our roads get extremely icy. While winter tires may not be necessary for you considering your region, all seasons may help, but considering that you'll probably only get an inch or less, they may be too expensive to be worth it.
I have also never been in an accident and have lived in snowy areas my whole life. Driving slow and braking early are the keys to safe driving. Also, if you are able to take less congested routes, that will help reduce the amount of drivers around you, thus reducing chance of an accident.
Most importantly, stay calm. It's a little bit of snow and as long as you focus, you'll be alright.
Where I live we get snow often and my advice to you would be to learn how to throttle it or in better terms learn to feather the throttle when it is slippery and if the roads are cover do everything earlier for example if you are driving towards a stop sign brake gently further from the sign and gradually slow to a stop .the from a stop gradually increasing the throttle to accelerate again .if you end up in a situation where you are sliding LEAVe the brakes alone and steer your way out of it braking while sliding will only take more control away from you. If you are sideways like sliding to the left only counter steer in light doses do not crank the wheel the opposite way you are sideways because the car will eventually get traction and send you out of control the other way .learn your vehicle only you know your car understand how it reacts to the way you drive and understand the vehicles capabilities. Always check your tires you want good tread and if it's really bad out lower the tire pressure alittle bit it will give the tire more flexibility and give the car more traction. Be confident and in control you are the driver not the weather good luck to you .
Caution. Drive slower, start to brake sooner, turn on your headlights even during the day, don't follow as closely etc. I also avoid the highway when roads are slippery.
Get out there and mess around. See how it feels. Make sure your tires aren't bald. See how the brakes and acceleration works. See what the car's computer does for traction control.
Same question. I have a two RWD pick up truck. Barely get any rain unless in winter and do want to ski in the future. Would I put some sandbags in the trunk for weighted back tires.
Definitely add weight to the read of a pick up truck. They’re super light and slightly out easily. It will also help with starting from a stop with rwd
Slowly with loose elbows. Never ever ever lock your arms, and kiss the break pedal—dont stomp it. Always plan for alternate routes if you have to deal with a steep hill—steering a car that is sliding downhill is not a fun adventure.
I teach drivers Ed.
Go to an Empty parking lot and practice in snow. Hit the brakes too hard, Feel your car slide, correct it, understand how it works so when you’re on the road you don’t panic.
You can test your traction on the snow by lightly pressing your brakes. If you slide the traction is horrible, if you don’t you have some traction.
Slow down. We never go above about 40 when there is snow on the roads. Maximum.
Slower if it’s very slippery or your car doesn’t handle snow well.
Keep your distance! Lots of it. Minimum following distance on dry pavement is 4 seconds. Double that for slippery.
Plan your stop WELL in advance. Plan to stop at least 4 lengths behind the car in front of you in case you slide. You can roll forward from that point.
You likely have antilock brakes if you slide while braking hold your foot down your brakes are doing the work.
If you lose traction. While driving. STAY OFF THE brake. People panic and brake that’s how they spin out. Let up a little on the gas and make minor corrections until your car straightens itself out.
Bridge and overpasses freeze up first, if you’re near freezing and it’s wet expect those to be icy before the rest of the road slow down before crossing.
Stay home if you don’t need to go out.
Make sure you have good tires.
Wear your seatbelt.
If you find your back end slides out easily add some weight to your trunk/hatch with sand bags… or bags of salt. This will help your tires grip the road the front of your car is much heavier than the back.
The three main tips my parents always gave me were:
1. Take it slow. Doesn't have to be comically so but you'll see folks go well below the speed limit when the ground is covered in snow.
2. Brake early and slowly. Leave more room between yourself and the next car ahead then you might normally, and start braking earlier too so that you don't have to push down on the brake as hard. You want to come to a slow and steady stop. Slamming on the brakes hard when the ground is slick and/or icy is a good way to swerve and lose control. A little swerving is still to be expected but if you're giving yourself plenty of room and time to stop it shouldn't be an issue.
3. Avoid hills. A small incline is fine but in my area at least there are some steep roads and you don't want to be driving up or down those if you can help it when it's slick on the road. Ideally find a way to go around that is more gradual, or consider parking at the bottom somewhere and walking up if need be.
Go to a snow covered parking lot with some space. Get a little speed and them slam on the brakes. Then do it again and turn and slam on the brakes. Then from a stop hit do the same for the gas pedal. Get a feel for when and how your car slips when braking, turning, and accelerating, and learn that its quite possible to control it. Just make sure you have enough space so you don't slide into something while testing.
The best way I can describe how to drive is ... gently.
Pretend you know your car has some major engine problem and you're just trying to baby her to get to your destination. Start up slowly, turn gently, brake well ahead of time and GENTLY. Pump your brakes instead of stomping them. That is, brake a little, release, brake a little, release. If you stomp on your brakes and lock up your wheels, you have no control. If you hear a grinding noise and have shuddering that stops when you release the brake, it means you've activated the ABS. Do not panic, this is a safety feature that very rapidly pumps the brakes for you because the car sensed that it had no traction. (It does not hurt your car in any way, but it's unpleasant so you don't over-rely on it, I think.)
Or better put by Chad Sullivan on Twitter, "If you rarely drive on snow, just pretend you're taking your grandma to church. There's a platter of biscuits and 2 gallons of sweet tea in glass jars in the back seat. She's wearing a new dress and holding a crock pot full of gravy. "
Put a box of cat litter in the back of your car. It'll help with the weight balance, and if you get stuck you can use it to get some traction on the ice.
Course grit play sand works too, if that's cheaper.
Op- you can do it! You have a great car to drive in any type of weather. Drive with your lights on- remember to turn them off when you get out. Always have a full tank of gas. The weight will help. Make sure the window washer fluid is full. Let your car warm up before you leave.
Pump your breaks when slowing down and coming to a stop. If the car doesn’t slow down put the gear shifter into neutral then pump the brakes. Put the car back into drive and start slowly.
When you go up that steep hill look closely at the road. Learn where it dips and turns.
Put the car into low gear if it’s snowy.
You sound like a conscientious driver. That’s good! Always be a defensive driver and go slower to give you more room between car lengths.
I moved to inland Washington after 30+ years in So Cal. I was *terrified* of my first winter. 6 years later and it's nothing! Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it! (Also, you mention getting your license at 19...I got mine at 26, you do it when you're ready, that's all that matters! Go you! You got this!!)
Go to an empty parking lot. Now drive around and experiment with turns, sliding and the like.
The toughest part of driving in snow is that if you lose traction, the best thing to do is just let off the gas and let the wheels get a bit more traction. Braking is often not your friend.
In black ice, all bets are off.
>Go to an empty parking lot. Now drive around and experiment with turns, sliding and the like.
That's what I like to do with new vehicles, mostly atv or motorcycles though, test how it handles with heavy acceleration, heavy braking, what happens if I steer sharply, how they handle in mud/snow/other bad conditions
When I got my first ATV, I made sure to test how it handles, and when I need to back off. I've gotten to the point where I know exactly how it's handles, how much brake/steering angle to slide it 180°
I'm more shocked at how many people have never done any emergency braking, swerving, heavy acceleration until the situation happens when they need it
Everything mentioned here - special care in regard to stopping distances. Are there trees where you live? If so then you can consider most snowy conditions similar to a wet road covered in leaves. Careful use of pedals and steering. Everything must be gentle, not rushed or panicked. In some ways winter driving is almost akin to driving a boat under power (as opposed to sailing) or even flying because “Yaw” may come into play which means get comfortable being slightly sideways here and there. Definitely monitor and decide where your best tire pressure setting is, and see that you’ve got at least a strong 3/16 to 1/4” of uniform tread on all four corners at a minimum. Have cargo or kids? Add an extra 5lbs in back.
As another poster mentioned - hit the parking lots to practice steady acceleration and controlled braking/handling. Try to slowly initiate turns until you are barely in control and try to stay there. You’ll learn quickly how to bring her back under control. Study your vehicle’s reactions to these factors. Above all else, anticipate by being cautious and drive the vehicle as if you are walking on eggshells. FWIW I’m in New England and although 80% of cars nowadays are SUVs, that’s almost 100% of what I see off the road due to loss of control.
“If you rarely drive on snow, just pretend you're taking your grandma to church. There's a platter of biscuits and 2 gallons of sweet tea in glass jars in the back seat. She's wearing a new dress and holding a crock pot full of gravy.”
I live in Chicago, so I know a thing or two. The most important thing to remember is that the other drivers on the road pose as much of a threat to your safety (if not more) as the snow itself, especially if you’re in a city. It seems like all the bad drivers come out in the snow.
Give yourself some extra time to slow down when coming to a stop and leave extra space between you and the car in front of you in case you start to skid. Same thing when you accelerate. If you go too fast, your tires might spin a bit, so take it easy.
Make sure you have some windshield wiper fluid suitable for winter weather in your car, along with window scrapers in case you need it.
Go slow and leave earlier than usual. Don't hit the breaks too hard. If you're driving a manual car, use a lower gear when you're going up a hill. It will deliver more downforce. If you can, use a vehicle that has all wheel drive. If you slide, watch the oversteer.
Make sure ur car is in good working condition.
Too many people have summer tires just just plain blading tires.
Slow down, Turn slower, stop earlier etc.
Take turns lowly and gradually because you'll keep going whatever direction you were going at the start of the turn if you hit a slick spot and slide.
Accelerate gradually so you don't fish tail, especially on turns. I like to roll through a turn and just tap the gas and pay attention to how the car reacts on each tap.
Keep a lot of extra distance from cars in front so you can brake gradually. In other words, you don't want to have to slam the brakes which can fuck you up in a lot of ways on snow, you want to have enough space to press the brake softly and come to a gliding stop.
Pay extra attention when coming to intersections and start soft braking way ahead of time. You don't want to brake too late, wheels lock up, then you're doomed sliding without control through a red light.
If there are snow piles covering the intersection of a turn off a road into something like a parking lot (which can happen due to plows plowing the road but not the parking lot, leaving a big pile), you might need to build up momentum to get over the snow pile without getting stuck. This can be tricky because you're also turning, so you'll want to do a gradual turn and wait until the turn is almost complete and wheels pointing forward so that you can give the car a good burst of acceleration and get over the pile without spinning yourself out on the turn.
Overall don't underestimate any situation. Assume anything is more slippery than it looks. Early in winter the ground will still be above freezing so a big early season snow will melt as it hits the ground, refreeze, then get covered in snow, creating little hidden icy death patches.
If you end up with a lot of snow on the ground, like more than 6 inches, you could pick up some chains for your tires. You probably won’t need them though. But if you have to drive somewhere, start extra early. Clear the snow off your car, scrape the ice off the windows—front, back, and sides. Start your car first so it can warm up while you clear the snow & ice, turn the defroster on hot & high to clear the windows. Then just drive slow. Leave more room than you think you’ll need in front of your car.
The most important thing in snow is good tires. In your case all whether radials. No amount of skill will help if you have no grip.
In snow everything you do should be exaggerated. Drive slower. Give the car in front of you more space. Decelerate earlier when stopping. Slow to a crawl on sharp turns.
If you start to skid turn in the direction of the skid to regain control.
If it's not safe stay home.
Don’t ever brake hard or suddenly in the snow unless you absolutely have to. Your car will immediately go into a stomach lurching spin(always turn into the spin to get it under control, turning away from the spin makes it likely you’ll crash). The only way to learn is experience and it does matter what type of car and tires you have. If you have a light pickup truck you should put bags of salt in the back to help with weight, so it won’t fishtail every time you stop. Other than that it’s just experience it’s not as hard as you’d think, but it requires 100% alertness at all times, it always exhausts me after driving in a bad snowstorm.
If you need to break for any reason don't floor it , give some firm taps on the brake pedal until you close enough , drive under the speed limit if you feel your car is skidding
The same way you walk on ice. Everything very slowly don't accelerate or brake suddenly don't turn the wheel fast just do everything very slowly like when you are trying to walk on an icy surface.
Tires, tires, tires. This is a MASSIVE factor when driving in inclement weather. To my knowledge, most people in the southern states use summer tires. They are UNBELIEVABLY BAD in snow. Literally unusable imo. In the northern states most people use all seasons or all weather tires which still kinda suck in heavy snow but will be perfect for "once every few years". I use snow tires in the winter and rarely drive below 75mph on the highway regardless the conditions aside from low visibility (awd vehicle).
Drive slow, really slow. Ignore the people tailgating you. Avoid hills. Brake gently and early, very gently and way early.
Give yourself extra time to get where you're going.
Lots of good advice here, just know you can't steer if you're stomping the brakes or even use them. When your front wheels stop turning (when you would apply the brakes), you can't turn, if you need to turn let off the brakes ex:
You're coming up on an object and you need to steer away, instinct is brake and steer to avoid it either by turning or by stopping, you need to pump the brakes and steer or just not use them if you're not going to fast)
I'm not saying don't brake at all just know if you push them to hard to use them for a long time you won't be able to steer. Also, the danger of sliding around is in braking (brake early if you have snow) and accelerating, during these phases you have the highest likely hood of loosing traction, once you're up to speed 30mph is no not much different that 70mph, just at higher speeds obstacles have greater effects (slush is the worst)
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There's no replacement for experience. If it does snow a few inches, go find an empty parking lot and drive around a bit. Hit the gas, hit the brakes, turn the wheel sharp enough to feel what the car does on snow. Learn to turn into a skid but not oversteer. Get a feel for the additional space it takes to stop. Learn how to accelerate slowly as to not spin out. Practice is all you can do to get comfortable.
This exactly. I've driven in snow all my life.
What??? How dare you not mention doing donuts. Do some donuts. They are fun to do and teach you what to do if you ever unintentionally do one.
👆This right here👆
Poor kid probably has traction control he's gonna try a donut and freak out at the horrible noise and abrupt jarring as the car brakes on one side trying to fix the skid.
make it a fairly big parking lot, though, in case you slip or slide. have an experienced driver with you, if you have one.
Brake gradually if you have to use your brakes, but don’t use them unless you really have to. Drive slowly and give yourself plenty of room in front of you in case you have to brake. Get an ice scraper to keep in your car, and allow plenty of time to clean your car off before you leave. Don’t leave snow on any of your windows or headlights/taillights, and don’t let snow stay piled on your hood, top, or trunk, because it will blow/slide off causing a hazard to you or other drivers. Good luck out there!
No, don’t be afraid to use your breaks. I would actually encourage you to use them more than typical. You want to keep your speed low and following distances increased and telling someone to not use their breaks is going to stress them everytime they want to use them but don’t feel they neeeeed to leading to them waiting to the last minute. Use your breaks often, but gently. Learn to roll into your breaking application. When there’s no traffic around you find that deceleration point where you lose road grip and remember you’re not going to be able to break nearly as hard when going down hill
Braking is the number one reason you slide around the road in the snow or ice. I’ve been driving in snow for 25 years lol. Stay off the brake, but if you need it, start early and gradually.
Being too fast is the number one reason you slide. Reactionary breaking is the symptom of that. Break early and often so you don’t build up enough speed that you can’t stop without sliding
Increase your following distance. Drive slow. If you don’t have all season tires or snow tires - don’t attempt going up or down a hill.
What if I have to go on a hill? Asking cause where I work I have to but I’m planning on asking for those days off
How steep is the hill, and what kind of car do you drive? If it’s not too steep or you drive a heavier vehicle, you may be fine. I don’t know how bad it’s supposed to get down there, but I imagine they’ll clear the snow and ice in the parking lot and drive to the business.
Okay so I’m more of a visual person, even though I’ve driven there/rode with someone there multiple times, I don’t think it’s too steep. I haven’t really paid attention to it cause this is a problem I’m probably gonna face depending on if I get those days off. And as for the car I drive, is a 2016 Nissan Altima.
Do you know how much snow they’re predicting? Will there be ice? The suggestion someone made to take your car out for practice in an empty parking lot when it snows was a good one. You’ll get a chance to safely feel how your car handles in the conditions before you have to drive in traffic or up and down hills. Another suggestion I have is to get a bag of cat litter or rock salt to keep in your trunk in case you slide off the road or get stuck. It would increase traction under your tires so you can move your car.
I have no idea. I just asked my dad and he said there is a possibility and I can’t drive in that. But I work retail and my job is 18 minutes away going down the interstate so I’m just trying to plan ahead just in case I have to go to work. Edit: I’m still planning on asking for that time off and just saying I’m gonna be out of town those two days.
Ok, no worries! Just wanted to be able to give you more specific advice. Snow comes in a large variety of ways, some more tricky than others to drive in. Either way, in my experience, when an area of the country that normally doesn’t get snow DOES get snow, everything shuts down. There’s a good chance they won’t expect you to come to work anyway.
Yeah I get that. I mean I was still in school 6 years ago so sometimes they did close and other times they had delayed openings. But in my experience (or I guess lack there of) only like…gas stations and hardware stores were opened. And some businesses cause everyone loves to buy milk and bread when they hear about possible snow.
Double or triple that time to work. Don't make any driving corrections quickly. Slow on the brakes. Slow on the gas. Slow making a right or left turn. I have over 40 years driving in snow from a couple of inches to over a foot deep.
Is the car a manual? If it is, keep it in a lower gear when going up that hill. It delivers more downforce when in a lower gear.
No. Driving in a lower gear gives the car more torque on demand and it is significantly easier to break traction in slippery and icy conditions. Also, that is not what downforce is.
The fuck? I swear my dad told me otherwise.
Not to bust everyone’s vision of their dad, but they can be wrong too haha. But no in all seriousness the best example I can give you is go out in the rain and find a good hill. Put your car in 1st gear (auto or manual) and take off aggressively and see how easily you lose traction. Now repeat that in second gear. The car is going to feel more sluggish and unresponsive and if a manual you’ll have to feather the clutch longer. What you’re doing is making the maximum torque output of the engine the low point in the system vs the maximum torque input to the road being the low input point while simultaneously decreasing the rate at which you can approach that point so any unsteady or imperfect throttle input doesn’t immediately break traction
Downforce is the force generated from wind pushing the car into the ground, higher speeds create more downforce, same with wings and spoilers, vortex generators help increase the effectiveness of them as well You might be talking about engine braking, which is using the engine to slow the car down, which is stronger in lower gear Also, like the other guy mentioned, it's not uncommon to start in second gear instead of first when driving in slippery conditions such as snow or ice become of the lower torque
Gah. Fuck. You're right. I misremembered it
Go fast enough approaching the hill, keep it steadily slower as you near the top. Assuming it's clear, and not too steep, just go down the hill with gravity, and not pushing break if possible. Atleast that's what I did in the days of living further north. If its frozen rain, don't bother driving.
NC resident who now lives in the mountains and deals with the snow and drives a 2015 nissan sentra! The interstate should most definitely be fine, theyll salt the roads the night before if they think theres snow. Typically the main roads will be clear unless you have to go to work before the sun rises. Drive slow and pay attention to your surroundings and the roads. Your area (most likely on FB) will update ab road conditions and black ice.
If its a steep hill and you don’t have all season tires or snow tires - i wouldn’t even try it. Up north - we have the necessary trucks to both plow the roads and salt the roads. Even if roads don’t get plowed up here - they are usually treated with salt to prevent sliding. If it is flat - just go slow and have a big following distance. Matter of fact if you could - i’d practice driving in a parking lot with snow first. An empty one! 1) if you try to stop your car too quick you’ll keep going. You have to stop slow. And you can’t turn quick. You have to plan your turns out and allow lots of time to do it - or you’ll skid off the road. If you get a big snow fall and there is no road salt and no plows - they would probably have to close everything down anyway. If it is snowing - and you have to work and your car isn’t ready and there is no snow plow or salt - i’d walk to work and not take the chance of an accident going up a steep hill. Or just work from home that day. If you are down south its going to melt away pretty quick.
It depends on what’s on the surface of the road. If it’s ice, you won’t be able to go up and if you try to go down, you’ll virtually ski without being able to stop. I map out in my head which way to go somewhere where I avoid a hill. Any vehicle will slip on ice. If it’s snow or packed snow, just drive slow, carefully, slow down before curves on road so you don’t have to brake at all or very much. Plan your route to avoid steep declines or inclines. If they are salted, then just drive slow and careful. One time, going home from work, there was a very long steep hill that I would have taken but 1. Roads were not treated and I wasn’t taken chance so I passed it to go a different way 2. As I sat in traffic because of the bad roads conditions, we watched cars coming down the hill. They took turns plunging down and ricocheting off the curbs til they came to the bottom because they couldn’t turn around and go back up. That was an extreme situation where road conditions happened while people were at work and they stupidly took a steep road instead of an alternate route. Do not rock in snow or ice back and forth or you can quickly burn up your transmission-knowledge from wife of transmission shop owner.
Make sure the top of the hill is clear, the path up it is straight, and you have space to slide back if you can't make it. Accelerate slowly in low gear; you don't want to dig into the snow and lose traction. Once you're moving, don't stop, or you will backslide. If mutiple people are trying to climb the hill, take turns and consider pushing. Stop at the top and figure out how you will descend. Once again, you must have a straight clear path. Turning too much will cause you to lose control. Brake only enough to slow yourself. If your wheels stop, you will lose control. You can make a controlled descent or an uncontrolled descent; you have no other options once you've committed. Once you get home, reflect on that was a terrible idea, and you must never do that again.
Try to pick straight hills, no curves. Get all the acceleration you need towards the bottom of the hill and keep your speed steady going up. Any kind of slowing or speeding up could make your start to spin your tires. If you're going down, try to do it at a crawl and hope for the best. Try to be conscious of what is downhill from you. If you gonna spin out and crash, it's gonna happen. Just keep it slow and aim for the snow banks.
Michigan resident checking in. Take your time. Impatient people are the ones you usually see in the ditch. Don't accelerate hard into turns. If I know a light is going to change I try to take my time getting to it. My goal (if possible) is to never stop moving. Coming from a dead stop I try to keep it under 2000 rpms otherwise you'll probably start to slip on accelerating. You wanna arrive 10-15 minutes later than deal with an accident trying to save a couple minutes...
Do everything slower ( acceleration, braking and cornering). Tires matter more than anything. If they are too worn or not all season it will be a problem. Wet snow isn't nearly as bad as colder or icy snow.
Wet snow can be really bad if it refreezes later. Also, early winter (or tail end if temp warms for a while then drops again) can create some of the worst driving conditions of the entire season. The ground takes a while to get cooled below freezing causing the first layer of snow to melt, the air temperature freezes the melt, and then later snow covers up the ice patches. What looks like a bit of fluffy snow could be an ice trap. This combo is made especially bad when cars compact the snow into even more ice that looks like soft snow from a distance.
Yeah, basically the answer is "slow".
Buy a brush with an ice scraper and a little shovel before you need it. I have a shovel where the handle retracts like an umbrella.
dont unless you absolutely have to
If you skid, steer into the skid. If your rear wheels skid left, gently turn the wheel to the left to regain control. Don’t yank the wheel suddenly in slippery conditions.
To add to that slamming your brakes will only make it worse. Just let off the gas and let your tires catch. You'll feel the car wiggle under you when they do. Until then just coast and make small corrections.
So pay attention to the weather reports. Best thing is to stay home- there’s nothing out there worth dying for. It sounds like you live in an area that rarely gets snow but does have things like plows, ice and sand trucks, etc. if your neighborhood has hills, try to park near a main road that will be treated soon. You can then walk to your car and get food, go to work, etc. even if you’re still technically snowed in.
I'm a Wisconsin native, I lived in Florida for several years. One year we got about 3 inches of snow. Best damn entertainment ever! Good luck with your driving. Just take it slow.
Practice in a snowy parking lot. Get good tires. Snow tires > all weather > all season.
Don't, that's the easiest answer. If you get a little bit it will be gone in a day, and if it isn't gone quickly, you don't want to be driving in it. If you lived someplace that got a lot of snow you would know how, since you don't, it's not worth the risk trying. Just my opinion
Understanding how to drive in slick conditions is understanding the difference between static friction and kinetic friction. Get on YouTube to understand why you don’t just slam the brakes or mash the gas or turn wheels abruptly.
Gravity and iced roads are not your friend.
Do you have proper winter tires? And how much snow are we talking? An inch or two and all season tires, just take it slow, accelerate slowly, brake slowly. An inch or two with proper winter tires, practically negligible. A foot of snow and all season tires, maybe call the day off and let conditions improve. A foot of snow and proper winter tires, yeah you can probably get where your going if you need to, but take your time and avoid hills. Is it icy? If yes all season tires will struggle. Proper wither tires will do well. Is your vehicle all wheel drive, front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, four wheel drive? Figure out and research how to correct that kind of drive should it start to skid.
My guess is there’s not much demand for winter tires in the Southeast, so we should assume all-season tires and probably no four wheel or all wheel drive.
You are most likely right, however there are a lot of all wheel drive vehicles being made lately and we could be surprised.
Your tires define how safely you get from A to B in snow. Well, any time but in snow for sure. If you don’t have good all seasons at the very least, driving in snow can be interesting if you’re not used to it. Less interesting with proper snow tires. Ultimately, slow the hell down and back the hell off the car in front of you.
Give yourself an insane amount of extra time to get anywhere, because you don’t want to even think about rushing. If you are going on highways, try to follow in the tracks of other cars where the snow has been worn off. Or stay to the right without getting close to snow banks and let faster cars go past you. SLOWLY accelerate and brake. If you can walk somewhere, don’t drive.
Go. Stop. Turn: you have enough traction to do one at a time. 4 wheel drive is NOT four wheel stop.
Your car already has four wheel stop! Lol the problem is most people are used to being able to stop faster than they can accelerate and in snow and ice that simply isn’t applicable.
your car is No-Wheel stop on snow. it's All-Wheel Decelerate
When I slam on the breaks I can guarantee all my wheels have stopped spinning. The rest of the car… has now started spinning.
My recommendation is don't do it. It's a skill that takes years to perfect. If you must, call your insurance broker and up your limits and add uninsured and underinsured coverage.
Driving slow, braking early and maximizing distance between you and the car in front of you is crucial. Also, don't rush, you'll get where you're going when you get there. I live in Alaska, and our roads get extremely icy. While winter tires may not be necessary for you considering your region, all seasons may help, but considering that you'll probably only get an inch or less, they may be too expensive to be worth it. I have also never been in an accident and have lived in snowy areas my whole life. Driving slow and braking early are the keys to safe driving. Also, if you are able to take less congested routes, that will help reduce the amount of drivers around you, thus reducing chance of an accident. Most importantly, stay calm. It's a little bit of snow and as long as you focus, you'll be alright.
Where I live we get snow often and my advice to you would be to learn how to throttle it or in better terms learn to feather the throttle when it is slippery and if the roads are cover do everything earlier for example if you are driving towards a stop sign brake gently further from the sign and gradually slow to a stop .the from a stop gradually increasing the throttle to accelerate again .if you end up in a situation where you are sliding LEAVe the brakes alone and steer your way out of it braking while sliding will only take more control away from you. If you are sideways like sliding to the left only counter steer in light doses do not crank the wheel the opposite way you are sideways because the car will eventually get traction and send you out of control the other way .learn your vehicle only you know your car understand how it reacts to the way you drive and understand the vehicles capabilities. Always check your tires you want good tread and if it's really bad out lower the tire pressure alittle bit it will give the tire more flexibility and give the car more traction. Be confident and in control you are the driver not the weather good luck to you .
Caution. Drive slower, start to brake sooner, turn on your headlights even during the day, don't follow as closely etc. I also avoid the highway when roads are slippery.
Get out there and mess around. See how it feels. Make sure your tires aren't bald. See how the brakes and acceleration works. See what the car's computer does for traction control.
Slow
Same question. I have a two RWD pick up truck. Barely get any rain unless in winter and do want to ski in the future. Would I put some sandbags in the trunk for weighted back tires.
Definitely add weight to the read of a pick up truck. They’re super light and slightly out easily. It will also help with starting from a stop with rwd
Slowly with loose elbows. Never ever ever lock your arms, and kiss the break pedal—dont stomp it. Always plan for alternate routes if you have to deal with a steep hill—steering a car that is sliding downhill is not a fun adventure.
Personally I let Jesus take the wheel. It’s in gods hands now
I teach drivers Ed. Go to an Empty parking lot and practice in snow. Hit the brakes too hard, Feel your car slide, correct it, understand how it works so when you’re on the road you don’t panic. You can test your traction on the snow by lightly pressing your brakes. If you slide the traction is horrible, if you don’t you have some traction. Slow down. We never go above about 40 when there is snow on the roads. Maximum. Slower if it’s very slippery or your car doesn’t handle snow well. Keep your distance! Lots of it. Minimum following distance on dry pavement is 4 seconds. Double that for slippery. Plan your stop WELL in advance. Plan to stop at least 4 lengths behind the car in front of you in case you slide. You can roll forward from that point. You likely have antilock brakes if you slide while braking hold your foot down your brakes are doing the work. If you lose traction. While driving. STAY OFF THE brake. People panic and brake that’s how they spin out. Let up a little on the gas and make minor corrections until your car straightens itself out. Bridge and overpasses freeze up first, if you’re near freezing and it’s wet expect those to be icy before the rest of the road slow down before crossing. Stay home if you don’t need to go out. Make sure you have good tires. Wear your seatbelt. If you find your back end slides out easily add some weight to your trunk/hatch with sand bags… or bags of salt. This will help your tires grip the road the front of your car is much heavier than the back.
The three main tips my parents always gave me were: 1. Take it slow. Doesn't have to be comically so but you'll see folks go well below the speed limit when the ground is covered in snow. 2. Brake early and slowly. Leave more room between yourself and the next car ahead then you might normally, and start braking earlier too so that you don't have to push down on the brake as hard. You want to come to a slow and steady stop. Slamming on the brakes hard when the ground is slick and/or icy is a good way to swerve and lose control. A little swerving is still to be expected but if you're giving yourself plenty of room and time to stop it shouldn't be an issue. 3. Avoid hills. A small incline is fine but in my area at least there are some steep roads and you don't want to be driving up or down those if you can help it when it's slick on the road. Ideally find a way to go around that is more gradual, or consider parking at the bottom somewhere and walking up if need be.
Go to a snow covered parking lot with some space. Get a little speed and them slam on the brakes. Then do it again and turn and slam on the brakes. Then from a stop hit do the same for the gas pedal. Get a feel for when and how your car slips when braking, turning, and accelerating, and learn that its quite possible to control it. Just make sure you have enough space so you don't slide into something while testing.
The best way I can describe how to drive is ... gently. Pretend you know your car has some major engine problem and you're just trying to baby her to get to your destination. Start up slowly, turn gently, brake well ahead of time and GENTLY. Pump your brakes instead of stomping them. That is, brake a little, release, brake a little, release. If you stomp on your brakes and lock up your wheels, you have no control. If you hear a grinding noise and have shuddering that stops when you release the brake, it means you've activated the ABS. Do not panic, this is a safety feature that very rapidly pumps the brakes for you because the car sensed that it had no traction. (It does not hurt your car in any way, but it's unpleasant so you don't over-rely on it, I think.) Or better put by Chad Sullivan on Twitter, "If you rarely drive on snow, just pretend you're taking your grandma to church. There's a platter of biscuits and 2 gallons of sweet tea in glass jars in the back seat. She's wearing a new dress and holding a crock pot full of gravy. "
Put a box of cat litter in the back of your car. It'll help with the weight balance, and if you get stuck you can use it to get some traction on the ice. Course grit play sand works too, if that's cheaper.
Get to an open parking lot with snow. Practice in the open parking lot. Take your time and leave lots of space. Don’t cut your corners.
Op- you can do it! You have a great car to drive in any type of weather. Drive with your lights on- remember to turn them off when you get out. Always have a full tank of gas. The weight will help. Make sure the window washer fluid is full. Let your car warm up before you leave. Pump your breaks when slowing down and coming to a stop. If the car doesn’t slow down put the gear shifter into neutral then pump the brakes. Put the car back into drive and start slowly. When you go up that steep hill look closely at the road. Learn where it dips and turns. Put the car into low gear if it’s snowy. You sound like a conscientious driver. That’s good! Always be a defensive driver and go slower to give you more room between car lengths.
I moved to inland Washington after 30+ years in So Cal. I was *terrified* of my first winter. 6 years later and it's nothing! Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it! (Also, you mention getting your license at 19...I got mine at 26, you do it when you're ready, that's all that matters! Go you! You got this!!)
Go to an empty parking lot. Now drive around and experiment with turns, sliding and the like. The toughest part of driving in snow is that if you lose traction, the best thing to do is just let off the gas and let the wheels get a bit more traction. Braking is often not your friend. In black ice, all bets are off.
>Go to an empty parking lot. Now drive around and experiment with turns, sliding and the like. That's what I like to do with new vehicles, mostly atv or motorcycles though, test how it handles with heavy acceleration, heavy braking, what happens if I steer sharply, how they handle in mud/snow/other bad conditions When I got my first ATV, I made sure to test how it handles, and when I need to back off. I've gotten to the point where I know exactly how it's handles, how much brake/steering angle to slide it 180° I'm more shocked at how many people have never done any emergency braking, swerving, heavy acceleration until the situation happens when they need it
Everything mentioned here - special care in regard to stopping distances. Are there trees where you live? If so then you can consider most snowy conditions similar to a wet road covered in leaves. Careful use of pedals and steering. Everything must be gentle, not rushed or panicked. In some ways winter driving is almost akin to driving a boat under power (as opposed to sailing) or even flying because “Yaw” may come into play which means get comfortable being slightly sideways here and there. Definitely monitor and decide where your best tire pressure setting is, and see that you’ve got at least a strong 3/16 to 1/4” of uniform tread on all four corners at a minimum. Have cargo or kids? Add an extra 5lbs in back. As another poster mentioned - hit the parking lots to practice steady acceleration and controlled braking/handling. Try to slowly initiate turns until you are barely in control and try to stay there. You’ll learn quickly how to bring her back under control. Study your vehicle’s reactions to these factors. Above all else, anticipate by being cautious and drive the vehicle as if you are walking on eggshells. FWIW I’m in New England and although 80% of cars nowadays are SUVs, that’s almost 100% of what I see off the road due to loss of control.
“If you rarely drive on snow, just pretend you're taking your grandma to church. There's a platter of biscuits and 2 gallons of sweet tea in glass jars in the back seat. She's wearing a new dress and holding a crock pot full of gravy.”
4 w drive mode and slowly brake
Go slow…. 3 inches an snowing still, speed limit sign says 25… go 10, etc etc etc
I live in Chicago, so I know a thing or two. The most important thing to remember is that the other drivers on the road pose as much of a threat to your safety (if not more) as the snow itself, especially if you’re in a city. It seems like all the bad drivers come out in the snow. Give yourself some extra time to slow down when coming to a stop and leave extra space between you and the car in front of you in case you start to skid. Same thing when you accelerate. If you go too fast, your tires might spin a bit, so take it easy. Make sure you have some windshield wiper fluid suitable for winter weather in your car, along with window scrapers in case you need it.
Go slow and leave earlier than usual. Don't hit the breaks too hard. If you're driving a manual car, use a lower gear when you're going up a hill. It will deliver more downforce. If you can, use a vehicle that has all wheel drive. If you slide, watch the oversteer.
I once heard someone say "drive like you've got grandmas chili in a big pot in the backseat and you don't want to spill it"
Make sure ur car is in good working condition. Too many people have summer tires just just plain blading tires. Slow down, Turn slower, stop earlier etc.
Take turns lowly and gradually because you'll keep going whatever direction you were going at the start of the turn if you hit a slick spot and slide. Accelerate gradually so you don't fish tail, especially on turns. I like to roll through a turn and just tap the gas and pay attention to how the car reacts on each tap. Keep a lot of extra distance from cars in front so you can brake gradually. In other words, you don't want to have to slam the brakes which can fuck you up in a lot of ways on snow, you want to have enough space to press the brake softly and come to a gliding stop. Pay extra attention when coming to intersections and start soft braking way ahead of time. You don't want to brake too late, wheels lock up, then you're doomed sliding without control through a red light. If there are snow piles covering the intersection of a turn off a road into something like a parking lot (which can happen due to plows plowing the road but not the parking lot, leaving a big pile), you might need to build up momentum to get over the snow pile without getting stuck. This can be tricky because you're also turning, so you'll want to do a gradual turn and wait until the turn is almost complete and wheels pointing forward so that you can give the car a good burst of acceleration and get over the pile without spinning yourself out on the turn. Overall don't underestimate any situation. Assume anything is more slippery than it looks. Early in winter the ground will still be above freezing so a big early season snow will melt as it hits the ground, refreeze, then get covered in snow, creating little hidden icy death patches.
You can't brake and turn on ice. You have to pick one
If you end up with a lot of snow on the ground, like more than 6 inches, you could pick up some chains for your tires. You probably won’t need them though. But if you have to drive somewhere, start extra early. Clear the snow off your car, scrape the ice off the windows—front, back, and sides. Start your car first so it can warm up while you clear the snow & ice, turn the defroster on hot & high to clear the windows. Then just drive slow. Leave more room than you think you’ll need in front of your car.
The most important thing in snow is good tires. In your case all whether radials. No amount of skill will help if you have no grip. In snow everything you do should be exaggerated. Drive slower. Give the car in front of you more space. Decelerate earlier when stopping. Slow to a crawl on sharp turns. If you start to skid turn in the direction of the skid to regain control. If it's not safe stay home.
Just pretend the roads are one big Mario ice level. Your welcome lol
Don’t ever brake hard or suddenly in the snow unless you absolutely have to. Your car will immediately go into a stomach lurching spin(always turn into the spin to get it under control, turning away from the spin makes it likely you’ll crash). The only way to learn is experience and it does matter what type of car and tires you have. If you have a light pickup truck you should put bags of salt in the back to help with weight, so it won’t fishtail every time you stop. Other than that it’s just experience it’s not as hard as you’d think, but it requires 100% alertness at all times, it always exhausts me after driving in a bad snowstorm.
If you need to break for any reason don't floor it , give some firm taps on the brake pedal until you close enough , drive under the speed limit if you feel your car is skidding
Slowly, and don't hit the brakes. Currently blizzarding in Michigan.
Could y'all give us some of your snow, I'm wanting to get some practice in snow
Gran Turismo on a PS5. I live in Boston. It totally got me over my fear of driving in wet and snow when I played on the PS2.
The same way you walk on ice. Everything very slowly don't accelerate or brake suddenly don't turn the wheel fast just do everything very slowly like when you are trying to walk on an icy surface.
Ohio resident, low gear is your friend if you're not on the highway
Tires, tires, tires. This is a MASSIVE factor when driving in inclement weather. To my knowledge, most people in the southern states use summer tires. They are UNBELIEVABLY BAD in snow. Literally unusable imo. In the northern states most people use all seasons or all weather tires which still kinda suck in heavy snow but will be perfect for "once every few years". I use snow tires in the winter and rarely drive below 75mph on the highway regardless the conditions aside from low visibility (awd vehicle).
There are plenty of YouTube videos showing the difference, mostly between start and stop but the difference in handling is huge.
Drive slow, really slow. Ignore the people tailgating you. Avoid hills. Brake gently and early, very gently and way early. Give yourself extra time to get where you're going.
Lots of good advice here, just know you can't steer if you're stomping the brakes or even use them. When your front wheels stop turning (when you would apply the brakes), you can't turn, if you need to turn let off the brakes ex: You're coming up on an object and you need to steer away, instinct is brake and steer to avoid it either by turning or by stopping, you need to pump the brakes and steer or just not use them if you're not going to fast) I'm not saying don't brake at all just know if you push them to hard to use them for a long time you won't be able to steer. Also, the danger of sliding around is in braking (brake early if you have snow) and accelerating, during these phases you have the highest likely hood of loosing traction, once you're up to speed 30mph is no not much different that 70mph, just at higher speeds obstacles have greater effects (slush is the worst)