Any advice for a first-time winter driver?

hill bill y

go to a parking and practice stopping, first slow down and second dont get in a hurry and if it get realy bad out stay home

Catherine E: VT

You can actually take a class in winter driving.

I'd highly recommend it. They'll teach you all the tricks, and you'll be able to actually practice getting yourself out of a slide. The class only takes a couple of weeks, and could be well worth it if you live in a snowy area.

Fred C

What tires do you have on your car? If you have summer touring tires, not winter or all-season with the M&S logo, you need new tires, fast.
Otherwise, slow down, make all decisions regarding stops, starts, and turns earlier, if possible, book a lesson or two with an experienced winter driver.
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/winterdrive/winterdrive.htm
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/popular-topics/driver_info/winter/winrd1.htm

JetDoc

Slow down! You don't have the traction or the control of your vehicle while driving on snow or ice that you did on dry pavement.

I used to teach winter driving classes for new drivers at my military base in the northern USA. The first thing I told drivers that had no experience in driving in winter conditions, is to do everything in slow motion... slow acceleration, gentle turns, gentle braking. Leave more space between your car and the one in front of you... Pump your brakes when coming to a stop (not required if your car has ABS)

If your car is rear-wheel drive and has an automatic transmission, it's a good practice to shift into neutral when approaching a stop sign (less than 5 MPH.) If the road is icy, your front wheels may lock up and skid, while your rear wheels will continue to push you past the stop sign and into the intersection.

what u talkin' bout?

Slow down, that is a plus. Always be prepared to brake. Don't follow too closely to others. If they have to stop, you don't want to rear end them! And, as in any weather........don't talk on a cell phone, or text message while driving.

Michael M

be real careful and stay alert. slow down. it is one of the most dangersous conditions to drive in. you can slide with your brakes. so careful. go to an empty parking lot and practice.

Josh

hey brother! me too! (I live in Manitowoc county) and this was my first time today also! I would say you should load up your trunk (if its a rear wheel drive car) with sandbags, to make your tires grip better. You could also put snow tires on your car. Personally, I like sliding around in the snow... lol

good luck!

ahanix1989

If your car is rear-wheel-drive (RWD)....
1) Full tank of gas, depending on your tank's positioning. Mine is right behind the rear axle, and that extra 200lbs (35 gallons of gasoline) helps a lot in traction
2) Aggressive tires. Touring tires are a deathwish, you need the more aggressive tires, or winter tires. I just put a set of Trail Mark Radial APR's on mine two weeks ago, and they do a good job.
3) Don't rely solely on ABS -- it doesn't help in every situation. If you can tell your tires are skidding, pump the brakes.
4) At an intersection, leave about a car's length ahead of you, so you can slowly roll forward to get moving.
5) Make sure you have jumper cables and a tow rope, as well as an extra coat/gloves in your trunk, just in case.
6) Take turns without accelerating, and as wide as you can reasonably allow. Remember, your front wheels are leaning and not facing quite the same direction in a turn.
7) Especially on a RWD vehicle in turns, your rear tires are trying to push your straight forward, and your front tires are trying to change that. Take it carefully.

Overall.... drive slower, and leave a LOT of space for stopping -- I drove my mom's fullsize van, and it took over a block to come to a complete stop from 30mph. We can't change the brakes because Explorer Conversion put fancy-*** rims on that don't work with our tire iron.

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