tips for driving in snow
in times like these, of 2 feet of snow, it's best not to travel the country roads if you don't have to. but if you do, here are some tips:
• chain.
carry a tow strap, tow rope or chain, in case you get stuck, a kind stranger may be able to pull you out. a chain is strongest, but is too heavy for some. a heavy-duty tow strap or chain will work, as long as it's HEAVY-DUTY. the cheaper, lighter-duty ones can break.
many cars suv's and trucks have pre-made steel hooks bonded the the frame of the vehicle just for this purpose. it's usually just a loop of steel. if your vehicle does does have one of these, then loop the chain around the frame, usually a 3" square tube that connects the tires to the vehicle; i'll add a photo. do not wrap the chain around the shocks or brake cables or anything else but the frame; it will just tear all that out, your vehicle will still be stuck and may be undriveable. placement of the chain is key too. if you are halfway off the right side of the road, then put the chain on the right side (passenger side) of the vehicle.
so loop the chain around the frame and connect the end hook into the chain itself. have your savoir drive slow at first so the chain wont become unhooked. you should remove your parking break, stick your vehicle in first or low and help drive yourself out.
• square shovel.
be sure to have a short, 4 foot square shovel with you, so you can dig yourself out of a snow bank, if necessary.
• carpet.
carry two small pieces of carpet or carpet samples with you. you can wedge these under your tires for 1 second of traction. 1 second may be all you need. you can use your floor mats, but they will get chewed up by your tires.
• add weight.
if you have a rear-wheeled vehicle, it helps to add weight over the back tires. bags of sand from the hardware store is a good solution.
• go slow.
anticipate turns and downhills by decreasing speed ahead of time, so you wont have to use breaks unecessarily. a safe speed is 35 - 45 for highways (depending on conditions), 25 for country roads that normally have a speed limit of 35 - 45, and 15 for city roads with a spped limit of 25.
• speed up for hills.
• coast. do not drive either accerator or brake. this is the most important thing to know while driving in slippery conditions.
coast over slippery spots in the road.
coast at the top of a hill to slow down before going down the hill.
• momentum.
when sliding out of control, let off the brake of accelerator, and coast, while turning the wheels in the direction of the slide, then, once you've regain control, slowly turn the wheels in the dirction you want to go, like towards the road. lots of times, just letting your foot off the brake you will regain control; it depends on how bad the slide is, which usually depends on how fast you were going to begin with.
more to come...
these are tips that i use every time it snows. i'm not liable, in any way, for any damage to property, vehicle or otherwise, eg mailboxes, etc., or injury or death. these tips come from my own experience of learning to drive, sliding off the road, dodging trees, then sliding back onto the road. i would also experiment on hilly parking lots to see what worked and did not work. my driver's ed wasn't all that good. i've always wanted a mandatory class that taught people how to drive in hazardous conditions. not just snow and ice, but mud, rain, floods and whatever. i guess i just learned by doing it.
posted by at large in santa fe @ 8:40 AM
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