Driving in snow / ice…any tips?

[TJJL19]

Forty yeas in Law Enforcement and one thing I learned about ice, driving, slow down, plenty of stopping distance, put your car in neutral before coming to a stop!

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[2mnycars]

Forty yeas in Law Enforcement and one thing I learned about ice, driving, slow down, plenty of stopping distance, put your car in neutral before coming to a stop!

Good suggestion.

And don't use cruise control.

 

[TheBirdie72]

I know the topic is “driving” on icy roads. But it also helps to allow your car time to warm up before going out on those roads in sub-zero temps. Everything works better when fluids are moving and engine isn’t trying to work hard right after a cold start. Still see too many people just “start up n’ go” when it’s only 6 degrees out. If you have remote start, use it.

 

[Dale's Jeep]

Also one thing to remember is it may not be you to worry about its others out there with all these safety Features people thing nothing is gonna happen to them. AWD, ABS, TRACTION CONTROL etc. These are not always helpful.

 

[Heimkehr]

...it also helps to allow your car time to warm up before going out on those roads in sub-zero temps. Everything works better when fluids are moving and engine isn’t trying to work hard right after a cold start.

Yep. Mechanical sympathy. Do it!

I woke up to 9°F this morning. For the metricated, that's -13°C. The oil temperature at start-up was 34°F (same as the garage's interior). I allowed the oil to warm up to 60°F before backing out, as I do for every cold start.

 

[old mike]

Florida boy now living in North Carolina where we are supposed to get a decent amount of snow. Any things I should know or tips for driving in snow or ice in the event it’s needed?

Yes, I have a tip for driving in snow or ice. Don't do it.

 

[LuvHydro]

Yep. Mechanical sympathy. Do it!

I woke up to 9°F this morning. For the metricated, that's -13°C. The oil temperature at start-up was 34°F (same as the garage's interior). I allowed the oil to warm up to 60°F before backing out, as I do for every cold start.

I always have and always will warm up my vehicles before rolling when it really cold out.

 

[RoadiJeff]

I used to do this as a kid in Iowa. At one point my dad bought an Audi, which had front wheel drive. Not much fun in the snow, I felt. So, I would take it to a big, empty parking lot that had packed down snow, get going fast in reverse and snap the steering hard left or right and just enjoy spinning round and round.

That brings back a memory of what a HS friend did with his dad's car. After (or during) a heavy rain he would take it to a particular school parking lot, get going fairly fast, pull up on the emergency brake and snap the steering wheel so that it would do 2-3 360° rotations. I only knew about it because he told me the stories but I never went with him.

One day, he stopped by my house and offered for me to ride along. We got to the wet parking lot and he started with the 360° spins. The front wheels went up over a small curb and started sliding along it. The car broadsided a rather sturdy basketball post at about 15 mph and did extensive damage to the car. It was driveable but repair estimate was more than the bluebook value so it was considered totaled. It was his dad's family car.

My friend made up some story about driving along and a truck running us off the road into a tree. I don't know if his dad believed the story but I wonder if he ever told him the truth. This happened over 40 years ago. If I see the friend at a HS reunion some year I'll ask him. Ahh...the good old days of youth.

 

[Beaching631]

If you live in NC and there is ice, just stay home. You are a ton more likely to have someone else who doesn't know how to drive in it crash into you!
If it's just snow, put it in 4H, turn off that bullshit traction control, and leave lots of distance between you and the car in front of you. If you have big tires, take some air out...the deeper the snow the more PSI you remove.

 

[Micky]

Anything sudden is bad. Sudden acceleration.... loss of traction. Sudden turn..... spin possible. Sudden brake..... slide, spin . speed limits, if icy multiply by 50% or more, thats the new speed limit when icy. be slow and give yourself time for everything.

 

[Mudduck]

If you live in NC and there is ice, just stay home. You are a ton more likely to have someone else who doesn't know how to drive in it crash into you!
If it's just snow, put it in 4H, turn off that bullshit traction control, and leave lots of distance between you and the car in front of you. If you have big tires, take some air out...the deeper the snow the more PSI you remove.

Driving through "IZZY" on my way to Indiana.... everyone going slow, out of no where here comes a JK, just bee boppin along like it wasn't nothing. I was upset my JL was parked at the shop. I wanted to bee bop too.....

 

[NBB]

+1 - test, do not assume. Learn to safely slam on the brakes a bit at ever increasing speed, then use this technique to verify ice on the road. The main problem is getting caught up with surrounding traffic either going way too fast or too slow for actual conditions. Find out for yourself, frequently, and adjust accordingly. Also builds confidence and technique for when you do lose control a bit, to get things back in line quickly. Move to the center of the road a bit, straight-away ahead, no cars behind - test.

 

[PuppyJeep]

If you live in NC and there is ice, just stay home. You are a ton more likely to have someone else who doesn't know how to drive in it crash into you!
If it's just snow, put it in 4H, turn off that bullshit traction control, and leave lots of distance between you and the car in front of you. If you have big tires, take some air out...the deeper the snow the more PSI you remove.

lol@removing air pressure for snow.

4h if the snow is serious, otherwise stay in 2wd and take your time. Practice in a wide open parking lot, have some fun!!!

 

[ReimundKrohn]

Keep your Jeep rubber side down. Do that, and you’ll be fine.

 

[Terminex]

I will add another suggestions

if you drive over any bridges do the following
-slow down BEFORE the bridge
-make sure you are aimed correctly for the exit of the bridge
-do NOT move the wheel, brakes, or gas while on the bridge.

i have driven on the highway in freezing rain / sleet many times over the years. The bridges were almost always covered in ice.

i cannot tell you how many crashes & almost crashes i saw due to the ice on the bridges.

people get used to decent traction on the road, but due to ambient air sucking all heat from bridges, they always freeze long before the road.

also +1 on the wildpeak at3w’s. They are awesome in rain & snow. (KO2’s are really good as well)

all of the Mud Tire variants seem to suck in the rain / snow.

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