driving on icy roads

[RedHerring]

Remind me to never go off-roading with you

No problem.
My off roading experience included racing a VW jetta in my neighbours fields with a mate.
Our prime objective was to roll the vehicle.
Unable to do so I had to lift the car at the sill and rolled it over down the field a few times with my mate still inside. He got out of the car after wards screaming at the top of his voice in delight pumped up with adrenelin.

Precisely, there's no way you could have lifted it by the front or rear and achieved the same effect

 

[wreckedit]

The most sensible thing to do, if its possible, is to see what other drivers are doing first. I think a female has an advantage there. Because blokes will want to impress them with their skill. So, stand and watch them for a while. When we get weather like this very few people are experienced in how to drive in it anyway. So, go and find a quite hill on your own with back-up assistance and have a go. Avoidance is usually the best thing to do if you are not completely sure. Just have fun n finding out. How a car behaves on ice depends on where the driven wheels are too.
I hit a car once, sliding down a hill, because I still had my dry road head on , it was very scary

 

[Donkmeister]

The most sensible thing to do, if its possible, is to see what other drivers are doing first... How a car behaves on ice depends on where the driven wheels are too.

Wise words! If everyone is pirouetting down your street, best leave the car on the drive. The important thing is to try and keep your wheels making traction with the road, so even if you are sliding towards something, it's better to steer the wheels in that direction so you get SOME braking ability rather than to wind on some lock and your wheels slide helplessly. As I found out on a diesel spill, ABS doesn't work when you're going sideways

The fact is, each and every car behaves differently in different conditions, the only general rule for driving on ice is to keep your speed suited to the conditions and avoid harsh use of controls... (isn't that the rule for any conditions though? )

My last car responded well to the "pull away in 2nd gear" rule, but my current car keeps traction better if you pull away in 1st gear with no throttle, then put it into 2nd, and only apply any throttle once you hit 10mph.

In general, 4wd cars are best/easiest/safest in the snow, followed by front-engined fwd then rwd, because you've got weight over the front wheels. Mid or rear-engined rwd is the worst thing to drive in the snow because the front wheels have no weight over them so don't do much, but the rear wheels have lots of traction so constantly wants to overtake the fronts.

Do you really have no alternative to driving on ice? Can't you take a train, or if your boss is desparate for you to come in, could he approve use of a taxi or hirecar?

 

[RedHerring]

In most urban situations a four wheel drive is only as good as the rest of the traffic, 'cos if they're going nowhere, neither are you

I've had some really bad looks just for going past people who were slip-sliding without much progress!

I think I was expected to wait behind them until they reached wherever they hoped to reach, which was uphill, in both directions. I had a little difficulty, they had no chance!

That doesn't mean I'm heartless and will readily abandon anyone in trouble. I've towed many a vehicle clear of dangerous places or to facilitate the flow of traffic. This was an urban situation on a side road and there were several vehicles struggling and some abandoned, some broadside accross the road.

Another tactic which I use, and has already been mentioned by another poster, is to try to drive on the fresh snow, avoiding the ice as much as possible. If this means driving much closer to the kerb than usual, well that's not a bad thing 'cos if you do slide, the kerb will, hopefully, halt your slide without much damage to your wheels. Obviously I'm talking low speed here, not more than 15mph, perhaps.

 

[CortinaV8]

I decended a hill a while back that was basically just ice by using the one wheel on the verge, the other on the road trick. I've also found in extreme situations using a tyre as a brake against a kerb to be useful.

Still a sh!t scary situation to be in, and one I try and avoid at all costs.

 

[Steve]

could he approve use of a taxi

You're ****ing kidding arent you? Taxi drivers round here all think they are driving in calcutta. Speed limit? Whats one of those? The only criteria you need to meet to get a taxi license from Doncaster council is to be of an ethinc minority, or own a Skoda Octavia.

 

[Donkmeister]

Yes, but if/when they stack whilst driving you to work, it's their car and their insurance...

Plus in theory they would be better practiced as they will be driving in it all day. In theory.

 

[ChrisJ78]

I've found my turbo diesel crap in this weather, as there is too much low down torque. Never had as many problems with petrol cars I've owned though.

Well I usually find the TD rubbish in this weather, however wifey stacked it on an icey hill lol.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

One other bad point of using the handbrake and ending up broadside is that if you hit something side-on, there's a lot less protection between you and the impact, especially if you hit something with the door you're sat next to. Cars are far safer in front end impacts.

I can't get more than half a mile from my house without going up AND down a steep hill or two (on all four possible routes) which is why i've only made it to work on three of the last 7 days (including today). I'm not too worried about going up a hill, i usually manage to negotiate them quite easily in all conditions but coming down a hill terrifies me. I usually descend as slowly as i possibly can i.e. >5mph but that usually leads to some goon hanging on my bumper because they think its safer to go faster. One of the best pieces of advice i've seen on here is Don't follow someone up (and i'll add 'down') a hill until they've reached the top (or bottom). Even if you are confident of your own driving skills and how your vehicle is going to cope with the conditions, the person you're following may well do something you totally don't expect.

Chris - i have a petrol car, my wife drives a diesel and my car is far better in the snow - i too find the diesel has too much power at low revs so once you stop, you've had it.