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Skunkworks v2.0
W hether you drive daily in snow country or have plans to travel to the mountains for a quick visit, there are some important considerations before you hit the road. Temperature decreases might mean you need to inflate your tires a bit, to help them perform their best with the proper PSI. Or it might mean precipitation that would have been rain last month, which now means snow and ice to deal with. And it’s not always precipitation that causes ice, melting snow might freeze and turn a safe roadway into an ice rink.
Simply put, winter driving is often more dangerous. Few vehicles are prepared for snow/ice travel, and fewer drivers have experience under these conditions. While many believe their AWD/4x4 vehicles are all they need for travel on slick roads, they do not consider the lack of steering control or the inability to stop, neither of which are positively influenced by additional power to their wheels.
Preparing your vehicle and you, the driver, for the surprises of winter driving is well worth the extra effort. Whether it’s switching to winter tires for the season, making sure your washer fluid won’t freeze, or simply keeping a blanket in your car as a backup should roads become impassible…you won’t be sorry that you planned in advance.
If you live in TX year-round, running “All-Season” Tires on your vehicle makes sense, but in the Northeast, there is no such thing as an “All-Season” Tire. Tires that perform best in warm weather are stiffer than winter tires and do not provide enough traction when temps dip below freezing and roads are covered with snow or ice. The chemical compounds used to manufacture winter tires result in a softer rubber that would be worn prematurely in warm temps but help grip the roads in colder climates. Additionally, winter tires have many more sipes (slits that allow for edges to grab the road/snow/ice for greater traction). All this traction improvement not only helps you get going in winter weather but also helps you stop faster and safely steer at higher speeds. AWD might get you going but has no benefits to stopping or steering.
When purchasing winter tires for your vehicle, it’s imperative that you buy tires for all four wheels and not just the front or back. All four wheels must benefit from a winter tire’s stopping and steering advantages, not just the tires connected to the drivetrain. If you keep your cars for more than a few years, purchasing relatively inexpensive aftermarket wheels can be reasonably cost-effective (let the OEM fancier wheels take a break from salt and other road chemicals). You can swap them on in late fall and off in late winter, and the only new expense you’ll have is the initial wheels and labor to do these swaps (the winter tires will wear similarly to your original tires as long as you’re not driving on them too early or late in the season).
While we’re on the subject of cost savings, perhaps consider buying a two-wheel drive versus a four-wheel drive and saving on both upfront and vehicle maintenance costs. Unless you’re off-roading, winter tires will provide more significant benefits than having power to all four wheels, and those advantages go beyond costs. The powertrain necessary to drive all four wheels is inevitably heavier than a two-wheel drive system. That extra weight can make staying in control during an emergency more difficult.
Preparing your vehicle for winter starts before the cold weather is upon us. If space is tight, you might not want to carry an ice scraper and snow brush in the trunk through the summer, but it’s a necessity when snow might surprise you. While we’re covering snow-covered vehicles, it’s worth a reminder to clear all the snow off your car, not just the portion of the windshield in front of the driver. All windows, as well as the roof and body of the car, need to be clear. It’s important that you can see no differently than any time you’re driving, AND if you leave snow on the hood, trunk, or roof of the car, it can blow off and blind vehicles behind you.
If traveling to the mountains, snow chains or “snow socks” might be required in some areas and are always helpful if the weather turns. Make sure you familiarize yourself with how to install and detach them before you’re stuck in a storm. Consider items you’d want if you’re stuck in a blizzard. Roads across the US have shut down due to horrific conditions, and it can be hours before someone can come to help dig you out. Blankets, food, and water can mean the difference between a harrowing tale for your family and something far more tragic.
Finally, recognize that colder temps lead to lower air pressure in your tires. Your vehicle performs best and is safest when the tires are properly inflated. If your car doesn’t provide a dash warning when tires are low, you should check the air pressure regularly, particularly when temps fluctuate. A 70-degree New England autumn day might end with 32-degree temps overnight and underinflated tires by morning. Please pick up a simple air pressure gauge, keep it in your glove box, and consider using it year-round to ensure those tires perform as needed to keep you safe behind the wheel.
Preparing your vehicle for winter travel:
ABS, or anti-lock brake systems, have become commonplace in the U.S., but not everyone knows their advantages or even how to use them properly. The anti-lock braking system, now present in all modern U.S. cars 2012 models and newer, prevents the wheels from locking up and helps the tires maintain grip with the road surface.
An anti-lock braking system is very simple to use. If your goal is to stop in the shortest distance possible, hit the brake with as much force as you can. When you slam on the brakes, you'll hear an obnoxious grinding noise and feel the pedal will pulsate back and forth under your foot, but that's ok. That feedback is your ABS working correctly.
ABS is part of an overall stability system, commonly known as electronic stability control, which monitors wheel speed and other factors. Each wheel on your vehicle has a sensor attached to it. If the sensors detect that a wheel is about to lock up and stop moving, the system will release some of the brake’s pressure—only for a moment. ABS then continuously and repeatedly applies optimum braking pressure to each wheel, allowing the system to brake as much as possible without locking up the wheels.
When ABS is active you may feel pulsations through the brake pedal as you push it. These can feel like minor vibrations or significant pulsations in which the pedal goes almost through its full motion. You will also likely hear various mechanical noises (like grinding sounds). This feedback you hear and feel while the ABS is active is normal and should be almost viewed as “comforting” In a dangerous situation in which you need your ABS because the commotion lets you know it’s working correctly.
The anti-lock braking system prioritizes keeping the driver in control of the vehicle rather than bringing the car to its shortest possible stopping distance. ABS helps the driver continue to steer the vehicle by keeping the wheels from locking up. While it’s possible to avoid wheel lockup by adjusting the pressure you put on the brake pedal in a non-ABS car, that method, threshold braking, is much more complicated and requires some level of skill.
It is a common misconception that ABS helps reduce stopping distance. When used properly, ABS does provide a fairly short stopping distance overall, but it just isn’t the biggest reason we should all have it. Its biggest advantage is that it keeps the wheels turning until the car is stopped, which allows you, as the driver, to stay in control of the vehicle and maintain your steering ability if needed. ABS is straightforward to use and takes a lot of the skill out of avoiding a potentially deadly crash.
Additional Advantages:
It’s always important to drive safely and stay in control, but roads are far less forgiving in winter weather if you drive too fast, follow too closely, or do not plan accordingly.
We have the greatest control over our vehicles when we drive on dry roads. The tires generally have superior traction, and you can stop and steer as well as you possibly can with that vehicle. Once you introduce moisture, those control factors diminish. Further, so in colder temperatures. While the speed limit for a road might be 45MPH in great condition, you should be reducing that speed and allowing greater following distance as wet weather arrives. If it’s snow, adjust even further. And if there is ice, get off the roads. There’s really no way to drive safely if the road is a sheet of ice.
Of course, this is New England, and it might be 70 degrees at noon and drop to 25 degrees at night. Melting snow might pool up and become an unexpected sheet of ice…so if you start to slide, there are a few things to consider. First, turning into the skid may help you steer out of the skid. This is easy to say but a bit harder to do if you’re caught by surprise. Try to look/focus on the safe direction in which you want to travel. If you are afraid of sliding into a tree, looking at that tree will only lead to you gradually steering in its direction (it’s something we just do as humans…we turn in the direction we’re looking). Trust your ABS brakes and slow yourself down gradually.
If you’re traveling in the mountains, you’ll find the weather can change in a matter of miles as you experience dramatic changes in temperature. Additionally, you should be conscious of how much you're using your brakes when going downhill. If it’s a long descent, applying the brakes constantly can overheat them to the point where they will no longer function. Instead downshift, even automatic transmissions allow you to downshift and use the engine to help slow the vehicle. If you do not know how to downshift your car, consult the manual now instead of trying to get a passenger to read it in an emergency!
Planning is crucial to a safe journey, like learning how to downshift. In addition to bringing the right supplies and preparing your car well, look at the route(s) you’ll be traveling. Can you avoid a more dangerous drive around a mountain versus over it? Be aware of construction (GPS or even AAA Trip Kits…they still exist), and download offline maps since you will not have cell service on many mountain roads.
Winter Driving Techniques:
You’ve made it to the mountain; you’re excited to get some skiing in, but let’s not let our guard completely down yet. You’re not the only person excited by the day ahead of them or exhausted by the fun you just had. Be prepared for inattentive drivers as you travel through the lot.
When it comes to parking, try to position your car so that you won’t have to back out of a spot at the end of the day. Your vehicle was designed to drive forward; there are many things blocking your view (headrests, body panels, etc.) in reverse, so whenever possible... do not back up. If you cannot pull through a parking spot on arrival, back into the spot so that at the end of the day, you can easily pull forward…which is far less risky and should help you see that young snowsuit-wearing child rushing to their car or another vehicle speeding towards you on their way home. Drive slowly in these parking lots. You want to be seen and see other things coming. Look ahead and focus on the hazards you’re approaching…not the space you just exited.
Whether you live in snow country or just visiting, it’s hard to beat the views, crisp air and recreation it offers. It’s also a really dangerous place to operate a vehicle, but with a bit of planning, some knowledge, and patience….you’ll safely travel to and from.
Tips for parking lot safety:
Winter driving in the mountains can be challenging, but preparation and knowledge make all the difference. By equipping your vehicle with winter tires, clearing snow and ice thoroughly, checking tire pressure regularly, and carrying essential tools, you’re setting yourself up for safer travels. Adjust your driving techniques to match road conditions, maintain a safe speed, following distance, and always plan your route ahead of time. Whether navigating icy highways or crowded ski resort parking lots, a little patience and preparation ensures you can enjoy the breathtaking beauty of snow country while staying safe behind the wheel.
Looking to improve your driving skills? Check out In Control’s current specials on driving courses to help you stay safe on the road.
