Dealing with Artic conditions

Just after looking at the weather forecast on the telly, and I see a band of very cold weather on our doorstep. Hoping it won't reach us this time, but you can be sure we will see some frost over the coming weeks. We had one morning of iced up windscreens so far, but the roads seemed fine as least in the midlands and west.
So what can you do to minimize the impact of the cold weather on your driving?
Now I would love to say that even a threat of freezing conditions would immediately bring out the lorries for gritting our roads, but I think we all know that this in not true. True, motorways and the National primary roads will get gritted, but you should still be aware of the slip roads and any exposed bridges.

Dealing with Ice.

Drive at a much lower speed, so that your braking can be smooth and gentle. Make sure to leave yourself adequate braking distance from the vehicle in front. As much as 10 seconds would not be out of place. Use gentle steering movements, and do not risk taking any action that might induce a slide.
Remember that your brakes will not get you out of trouble when tyre grip is poor. In fact you are more likely to get into trouble by using your brakes. You should try to use engine braking by changing down gears in good time. Be careful with the clutch and accelerator when changing as they can also cause a skid.
A good way of thinking about a skid is this: A vehicle will skid when the driver is asking more from it with braking, acceleration, or steering than is possible with the amount of grip the tyres have on the road at that point in time.
It is possible to drive steadily on a level road without skidding, it is only when you alter your speed or direction that you may skid.
If you do feel a skid don't panic ease off the accelerator, and if possible stay off the brakes. Try to make a slight movement of the steering in the same direction as the skid, this will bring the front and back wheels into line again. It is very important not to over correct as you will end up skidding in the opposite direction.
Most cars are now front wheel drive, so a lot of front wheel skids are caused by applying to much power to the front wheels by over accelerating.

Dealing with Snow.

Snow is a very different matter to deal with. I teach my pupils that they should think that they are walking on eggs without breaking them. ( this is how gentle all the controls should be used). Try to drive in as high a gear as possible as this will reduce the chance of loss of wheel traction. Make sure to time your  driving so that you do not have to touch the brakes while taking a corner. try to take corners at a steady speed, in as high a gear as you feel safe with.
Take good observation of the road surface if is snowing. If possible keep to the left lane as the traffic will tend to keep this lane clear. Make sure to avoid putting your wheels in the ridges that develop as the snow accumulates.
When starting off in snow avoid wheel-spin. This will only dig your wheels in deeper into the snow. Try moving your car slightly forward and backwards to get out of the rut you are in.
If you are in the unlucky position of seeing a car coming towards you that is out of control, there may not be much you can do about it. Use engine braking if you have time, and avoid any harsh movements.

Do you really need to take that journey?

Ask yourself whether your journey is necessary. When you are out driving in bad weather conditions you should at least be prepared, by having plenty of fuel, a shovel,  snow chains, mats for gripping,
extra warm clothing, chocolate bars, and water.

• Make sure that your tyres are correctly inflated
• Check that your tyres have the necessary tread depth
• make sure your steering is working correctly with no undue wear
• Make sure your suspension is up to standard
• Have your windscreen washer  filled with water and that it has washer fluid to the correct proportion

 

Causes of skidding:

• Skidding is caused by drive too fast for the circumstances
• Sudden or harsh braking
• excessive acceleration
• harsh or excessive steering

Remember you will skid if one or more of your tyres loses their grip on the road, and you the driver are responsible for this happening.
Do not rely on your antilock braking system  to stop your wheels from locking up on a very slippery surface.  If you cause the antilock braking system to be activated then you are not driving within a safe or desirable speed limit.
Some cars are fitted with traction control systems, but they can differ from one manufacture to another. You must check your vehicle handbook and follow their advice on the correct use in a skid situation.

Information on vehicle developments

Antilock brakes (ABS). Most new vehicle are now fitted with ABS, this system is designed to sense  the slowing down of the vehicle, and if it should exceed a  programmed amount, then it will release the pressure of the brakes, and so let the wheels rotate again before they lock up. The drive must maintain full pressure on the brake pedal for the ABS to work correctly. It can activate a couple of times a second if necessary. Remember that it does not increase the grip of the tyres on the road surface, and in most case will cause the car to stop in a slightly shorter distance. On a extremely slippery surface it will increase the stopping distance.
Traction control can improve steering and vehicle stability. It does this by controlling the engine power to individual wheels.  This is very  efficient if one wheel is on a normal surface, and the other wheel is on a slippery surface like snow or ice.
Four wheel drive can give you more of a chance in keeping your vehicle moving on a slippery surface, especially if going uphill. It does this applying power to all four wheels so that the chance of wheel spin is much less. Again remember that it will not stop you from losing control if you are going to fast and have to react quickly.
Safe driving this winter.
Declan Duignan
Duignan school of motoring
www.duignan.ie