Winter Driving Advice

 

Just last year at around December I had two car accidents within three weeks of each other. One was in a Tim Hortons parking lot, where the lot was covered in ice. My car slid diagonally into a Buick (which suffered no damage), but my car had $3000 worth of damage. Then in late December I drove down the highway and decided my car could tackle that little "snow bank" in the road. The result was me spinning out and hitting a poor Jeep. I'll try to break down the advice in a simple, easy to follow format. 

Blizzard?

If there is a blizzard, don't drive. Don't even be tempted to drive. It is too easy to lose visibility and when that happens you can become involved in either a multi-car pileup or even worse, a head-on fatality. When radio stations warn that only street plows and police are allowed on the road, take their advice and stay off the road. If you are beginnig a long road trip which could be affected by a blizzard, think about delaying the trip or stopping at a hotel for a few days during your trip.

Snow Tires

Get snow tires. I am trying to find some affordable snow tires for my car. They range in cost for $99 to a few hundred dollars per tire. Snow tires are better at sticking to snow and ice because the rubber tread is much softer than regular all season tires. Extreme snow tires can even have walnuts embedded into the surface of the tires.

Emergency Kits

Buy a cheap emergency kit from your local Auto shop or Canadian tire. It should include a flare, waterproof matches, thread, tape, scissors, a small blanket, candy bars, a glock 9mm handgun (ok I made that up), a small knife, booster cables, portable radio, spare gloves, compass, and maps of your trip.

Take the Bus

When in doubt, take public transportation. If you have severe or bad weather coming, why risk getting into an accident? Just take a bus or train, this way you can avoid problems during your drive to and from work. It's easier to leave the car in the parking lot than to dodge someone who has bald tires and rear ends you on a bridge because they were following you too closely.

Test the Road

One of the easy ways to gauge how the roads are is to take an empty parking lot and take your car around to get an idea on how it handles the snow. There's no better fun than AWD drifting in an empty parking lot. But remember when you take the main roads there will be plenty of salt and sand on the roads. When you take those side streets, often no salt nor sand will be down. This makes driving on those roads very hazardous. Remote country roads that are covered in gravel can become death traps if you are not careful. It's really easy to roll a truck on loose gravel, even in perfect weather conditions. Even if a truck has roll stability control, the dynamics of the truck (height, center of balance) make it very easy to lose control and flip over.

Drive Slower

Too often when driving around town you see people driving like maniacs, oblivious to the road conditions. Just because the speed limit is 60 km/hour doesn't mean you should drive it if the weather is heavy snow and there is ice on the road. Drive slower. Anticipate it will take you much longer to stop, especially with anti-lock brakes. The people who often pass other drivers on roads because they are impatient often end up in the ditch (like I did last year).

Trust your Instincts

Everyone has a gut feeling about situations. If snow is falling and you have the opportunity to go out to the store and think "Maybe I shouldn't go, this is bad weather", then don't go. That little voice in your head can really save you from some nasty situations. It did when I planned on doing some plumbing last month (I almost severed the damn city water line. See my September 2008 archives for that one).

New Car?

Have you recently purchased a new or newer car? One that is a different drive train style? Have you moved from a FWD vehicle to a RWD one? Or maybe AWD? You should really drive your new car in abandoned parking lots to get an idea on how the car handles snow and ice. Some cars, like mine, tend to drift sideways when putting the throttle down. RWD cars tend to fishtail when hard accellerating is done. FWD cars fare better because the weight of the engine is over the drive wheels. FWD cars with a limited slip differential and snow tires make a formidable force. AWD cars with snow tires make an unstoppable combination that ensures you can literally climb any hill out there. But just because you can take off doesn't mean you can STOP on a dime. That's the biggest single mistake anyone can make when driving a car with AWD. Sure, you can take off easily enough, laughing at the FWD people who struggle up the hills. But when you have to stop, fuck, it's a different story. I learned my lesson last year again.

To summarize, take your time, think rationally, and trust your gut. It's difficult to predict all driving behavior when in snow, but with common sense and practical driving, you can master being a safe driver. Good luck out there!