Driving in Adverse Weather Conditions

[Decado]

I passed my driving test about 6 months ago and so far the worst weather I've had to drive in was a nasty rainstorm. This morning it was snowing and the roads threatened to be icy when I realised that I really don't know how to handle driving in such conditions.

What tips and advice do you have for driving in nasty weather conditions (snow, ice, severe rain etc...), I'd appreciate it if people could share their experiences. What things should you aim to do and what things should you make sure not to do?
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[Vextor]

When I'm driving through a lot of snow, I think of myself as piloting a ship, and that the front wheels are rudders.

When driving on ice though, that won't help. When driving on ice, you wanna keep going in a straight line and avoid sudden acceleration or braking. You'll end up spinning like a top.

[Ujitsuna]

Powerslides! Whatever you do, do it five minutes earlier, and all will be well...

[Buff]

easy just don't put to much force on the gas, when you do you'll slide very easy.
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[Calvin]

Another important thing to remember is not to overcorrect. I live in Las Vegas, and when it rains here the roads get very slick because of the oil buildup, since it doesn't rain too often. Consequently I usually slow down in this weather (although nobody else does, but the fact that Las Vegas drivers lose their minds in rainstorms is another topic entirely), but I've still found myself drifting.

If you find yourself drifting, simply let off the gas and attempt to straighten yourself out. It is important that you don't turn the wheel too far--use only small turns. If the roads are really slick, the vehicle will probably start drifting back the other way, so just keep turning the wheel in very small increments left and right until you straighten out. DO NOT attempt to hit the brakes during this. You could cause the vehicle to lose control very quickly. This is probably one of the most important reasons why you want to keep a good distance between yourself and the car in front of you. It is impossible to stop quickly, especially if you're drifting.

Basically, if you follow too closely on slick roads, you will crash. There's no two ways about it.
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[Sage]

When driving in such weather, when you see things clearing up, be extra cautious. Around here, black ice forms all over the place and people go stupid when they don't see snow on the roads and end up hurt or worse. Be really paranoid about other people. Stay as far away from other vehicles as possible. Also, don't let other impatient drivers get on your nerves. I find that when people get on my tail, I want to speed up so I can put some distance between us, but if you need to go slow, then go slow.

If you apply the gas and aren't going anywhere, don't put on more gas. Let off and try again. Otherwise, you get in a peel out situation and on ice and snow, that's no good. Pay extra attention. As soon as you don't, that's when things can happen.

If something does happen, remain calm and follow what everyone is saying here. Lose your cool and panic and you'll end up in the worst possible shape. These are by no means a way to escape getting in some sort of incident (sometimes nature is just not on your side), but it will definitely end up worse if you don't keep these in mind.

For example, I hit a patch of ice on the interstate going a little too fast, although nowhere near the speed limit still, and I kept calm. I let off the gas, steered the car slowly towards going straight, and eventually stepped on the brakes slowly. I ended up partway in the ditch, but it was better than getting stuck in the ditch and coming to an immediate stop, which would have ended in injury at least.
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[Malt Hitman]

It seems as if everyone forgets how to drive during the first snowfall of the year so I'd recommend that you just stay home until the roads are plowed and salted if you can manage that but I doubt that anyone can all of the time.

It's best if you leave yourself plenty of stopping room if you're driving in snow or on a potentially icy road. When I went though driving school I was told it was one car length for every 10 ten miles-per-hour you were going and in snow and potential ice it was at least double that for 30 MPH and under. The more room you leave for stopping the better your chances to avoid an accident if the driver in front of you runs into a problem and you need to stop or switch lanes.

Also, make sure you're prepared for driving in bad weather in case you need to park somewhere. Have a good shovel in your car in case you need to dig yourself out if you get snowed on, some rock salt or sand is nice to have as well as something to scrape down your windows and remove the snow from your car.

If you're going to clear off snow from your car don't be lazy about it either. Make sure you clear all of your windows as well as your hood, roof and trunk and your headlights and tail lights too. Most people clear off their lights but they forget that the snow on their roof can come down and block their vision if they end up stopping too quickly or blocking their rear window if they accelerate sharply.

[Schala-Kid]

It doesn't snow badly here, and it hasn't rained in too long of a time where i live (we're in a big dry land!) so yeah, when the weather is crappy, i say, plan ahead: wake up earlier, get out the house earlier, and drive slowly. if you wear reading glasses, then wear them when driving too. decrease your distractions and focus better. above all, always get some practice, and even though there are speed limits on freeways (here it's 100km) if it's wet and rainy and all that, then you don't need to max it out, drive at what speed you can control and feel safe at, and stay in the left lane so the lunatics don't start driving up your ass. your life is more important than playing the hero super fast driver in bad weather conditions.

[Axiose]

I drove in snow when I was learning (I have since passed as I rock!) and the only thing I know is to go slowly, but to drive in a higher gear than normal (without letting it konk out). I can't remember the reason but it's in the handbook thing, the instructer told me and Jenna told me (so it must be true). It does help.
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[Axiose] [Fliktor]

[St. Ajora]

All I can say is don't try to rush home. It's AMAZING the amount of idiots who drive on by as if there was no chance of hydroplaning, slipping on centimeters of snow, or crashing.

Just take your time, and...relax. I know this is hard to do. It's just important not to focus on passing people and getting home. Stay in the left lane (don't do that if you live in the east....) and just take your time. Go your own pace. Don't worry about the jackasses around you, being impatient. That goes for any type of weather.

[RedCydranth]

I live in Buffalo, New York. Home of the blizzard. If anyone should know how to drive in wintry conditions its a Buffalonian. I personally do not drive becasue I just never got around to geting the liscence, but that doesn't mean I dont know how to drive a vehicle. I'm just not liscenced to do so because of costs to other people's insurance.

Firstly, know how much snow is on the ground. If there is less than 2 inches, then you should be fine in terms of getting stuck or even skidding a whole lot. As long as you have decent tires (winter snow tires are best but all season radials work fine too) you'll be able to ford a little snow. Like said above, when dusting off your car, be thorough. Ensuring you have full use of your lights as well as your side mirrors are key. I implore you to never take shortcuts when its snowing out. Unless there's a plow in front of you, side streets aren't often plowed and hidden ice under a fresh coat of snow can be a dangerous situation., Stay on main roads, even if it will take you longer to reach your destination.

If you are caught out in a snowstorm, things get tricky. Freshly fallen snow is a lot harder to maneuver in than stuff thats been on the ground for a while. Why? because its not compacted and can quickly cause you to slide and skid. Its uncontrollable and often blinding. If it is snowing and you can not see more than 20 or so feet in front of your car, slow the heck down. When you need to make a stop, for the love of god don't slam your brakes, even if it looks like you're going to crash. Pumping your brakes is far more effective in slick situations than a full on slam. Keep tapping your brakes in a 16/th note fashion (if you are familiar with music, thats a great analogy) and you'll stop a lot more smoothly than if you were to slowly apply brake pressure or slam. Travelling in the snow, of course is not advised, but sometimes you're on the road when the storm hits. In those cases, take the big roads to your destination, take it slow and above all else, be aware of everything. Look for other drivers, falling branches, downed powerlines as well as keeping an eye on your own car's condition.

Here's a tip to help you out if you are worried ice will get into your car door's locking mechanism. W-D40. Spray this into the lock before a cold night and you'll have no problem in the morning. There ay be some ice over the lock, but not in it. W-D40 is found at all hardware shops that I've been to. Another quick tip, to de-ice your windshield, Keep windshield washing fluid in your home. Use the room temperature windshield washing fluid, its not going to freeze and it clears thin layers of ice from your windshield without worry.

Keep an emergency kit in your car in case worst case scenarios do occur. Road Flares, heat packs, blankets and reserve food are life savers. There was one report of a man being stuck in his car in a ditch for 3 days (this was a few years back), and luckily he was on his way home from grocery shopping when the crash occurred. He huddled up in a blanket he had in an emergency kit and waited until someone came and found him. It took three days but he was alive and pretty well off (except the whole peeing in a bottle and pooping on a newspaper thing) considfering he just spent 3 days stuck in his car buried in a snowbank. The next purchase the man made after that was a cell phone. So, if you have a cell phone, keep a car charger there too.

Thats about all I can tell you. I can verbalize everything I know, but nothing beats actual experience. Don't be afraid to drive in snoa, fear will only build up and cause you to make mistakes. Be confident and sure. I hate drivers who are over hesitant and get stuck because they go WAY too slow in a snowy area. Which reminds me, if your driveway has a nice mound of snow at the end from plows, shovel as much as you can out before you try plowing your car through it. If there's still a mound there when you've gotten as much snow out as you can, that is all usually ice and can be over come with a decent amount of speed (15 MPH). Make sure the road behind you is clear of cars and back out with straight wheels and a decent push to the engine, but don't over accelerate causing you to go across the street, haha.

Be aware.
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[Ninjar]

Generally, I look ahead and concentrate on how shitty the roads are looking, working on staying out of a wreck, and making sure not to get in over my head. Beyond that, there really isn't all that much you can do...apart from pull over or even avoid going out driving when there are adverse weather conditions.

[Fu Su Lu]

Just listen to the good advices the folks are giving you. I got my license not much time before than you, but I have driven and travelled a looooot. Just dont run too much. You know the braking distance with snow is twice than ordinary and with ice is ten times bigger.
Lacking experience, you should pay attention to your fear. Better take your time and get experience. Once you have got it, things will go smoothly. :wink:
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[Failure_Urn]

The worst thing i hear people saying is "Oh gotta pull that e-brake!" no no! You always pump your brakes, unless you have anti-lock brakes then it does it for you, but pumping your brake will help you to stop sooner and keep more controll.
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[Kalidor]

Well here's a subject that's right up my alley. I lived the majority of my life, and learned to drive, in Terrace BC. I doubt any of you know where that is, but if you know latitude and such it's at about the 52nd parallel and in the coast mountain range. So yes, we get a lot of snow and yes, I've had to learn how to drive in it. I'll try and share what I know.

First up someone made a very good point about not driving in the first snowfall/icy time of the season. Ice can form without you even being aware of it, and this is when things get dangerous. I've rolled a truck because I was driving in the early evening and as it got later things started to get icy without my really realising it. I came upon a corner that was slick with ice and before I knew it I was heading into the ditch, the truck tipping up on its side. It was a pretty harrowing experience, but it showed me that when it's around winter time you have to be prepared for the possibility that weather conditions are going to deteriorate.

Also, if you live in a place that doesn't have consistent foul weather, you probably don't have snow tires on. In Terrace, once november rolls around, everyone is having snow tires put on their car. Having the right equipment makes a world of difference, as trying to drive in winter conditions with summer tires on is hellish. So, if there's snow and ice and your car doesn't have snow tires on, I would almost reccomend trying to find a different mode of transportation, especially if it's likely that the conditions will clear up within a few days. It isn't worth putting yourself at risk.

If you are driving in the snow, the best tip that I can give is to go MUCH slower than you think you need to. Plan your trips accordingly and you'll still get to where you need to go ontime. Having the adequate time you need to react, not just to your own actions but the actions of other drivers, is essential. This means if the speed limit is ninety kilometres per hour on a highway, go seventy or so. Be warned; other drivers may get frusterated with you, but don't let them put pressure on you to speed up. Just pull over a bit when you can and let them go by you. They can't make you gamble with your safety.

If you do find yourself in a skidding situation the thing that most people forget and one of the things that is most important is that the brake is your enemy. If you feel your control wavering do not push on the brakes. Let off the gas and gently try and correct your steering. Remember, if you are skidding you need to steer slightly into the skid to come out of it. That means that if you are skidding right you need to gently steer left. As others have said, don't bring the wheel over too far. That will only over correct and send you skidding worse in the other direction.

Basically, the key to driving on snow and ice is to be slow, steady, and gentle. Trying to go too fast won't give you the reaction time. Making sharp turns and such will send you out of control. Violently reactions to situations will only worsen them. Be calm, go at your own pace and hopefully you will be fine. Hopefully your vehicle is outfitted with winter tires as well since that really does make a huge difference.