So, how DO you drive on ice?

[Rubyfruit]

I am a southern California native so I have no experience with it. I usually try not to go out when it's icy, but this morning I had an appointment I had to keep.

I was going 20 miles an hour and tried to gently brake well in advance of the stop light. But it wasn't catching. I braked harder and the abs kicked in and started doing that pumping thing it does. It slowed me down considerably but I still had to make a right turn on a red light without stoping. Thank goodness there were no cars coming.

What did I do wrong?

 

[freakygirl]

What did you do wrong?

You drove.. I avoid that in ice and snow.. it's wrong.. just wrong..

do not do it again.. call a cab

 

[Wiggles]

Well, did you talk to your car? That's what I do.

STOP! STOP! Stop you stupid piece of shit!!
RIGHT! RIGHT! Grrrr............

 

[Elizabeth]

Well...we have lots of ice and snow in these parts. Break in a firm manner..no pumping as the ABS system is made to keep your wheels from locking. If you start to slide, turn the wheel in the direction you want to go, no gas, no breaking. It's a learned thing, Ruby..but as long as you drive slow (and you did) keep room betwen you and the other cars and don't panic, I think you'll do ok.

 

[Phoenyx]

Check the tires on your car..
Not all tires are meant for winter driving..

 

[celiaKitten]

heh, I live in Michigan, near Lk. Michigan, and I drive a full size van. I think I'm well qualified to answer, Ruby dahling

What exactly was 'well in advance'? My suggestion is to allow yourself time to slow down, let your car coast a bit before applying the brakes. (thus meaning before where you would normally brake)

Anyhow, that's what I do in icy/slick conditions.

 

[Rubyfruit]

Freaky, a cab is a good idea but I had to take the twins with me. It would have sucked transfering the car seats in an out.

Wiggles, I'll try that.

Elizabeth, good advice. I was happy to find out that on the major street that everybody usually does 60 on, they were all going 30 or less. I thought I'd have people flipping me off while they passed me. lol I thought you were supposed to turn into a slide, no? I know I'd freak if I lost control of the car like that.

Pheonyx, thanks. I'll check my tires out. I need a new one anyway, since I'm riding on the spare.

 

[Svedish_Chef]

Very well thankyou...

 

[Rubyfruit]

Celia, I guess I didn't give myself enough time to brake. I was going down a hill and coasting/braking the whole way down. Never applied the gas actually.

 

[patient1]

Untreated ice is just plain dangerous.

We had a couple of major pile-ups on I-80 in Pennsylvania over the holidays, and we're accustomed to it. We get more ice than snow anyway.

When there's no sand or salt or cinders on the ice it's treacherous. Driving slower, keeping lots of distance between you & other cars, and slowing down well in advance are important, & it sounds like that's what you tried to do.

I would have eased onto the shoulder, so that the rougher surface would give me more traction, or else the snow my tires had to plow through would slow me down, but that's a dangerous manuever ,too. As soon as it starts to work the left side of the car tries to pass itself, so to speak , & put the car into a spin. Then the steering gets way tricky, because you have to be expecting it & correct quickly. Not really an option for the in-experienced unless you're to the point of "Hit Something Cheap".

If you do get into a slide, turn in the direction of the slide until your front wheels start steering again.

About the only thing that works is tire chains or cables or studded tires, and they may not be legal where you live.

 

[cymbidia]

You move, darlin'. ~fervently~ You move back to someplace where the weather makes sense.

That's how you drive on ice... and south and west will get you there.

 

[Rubyfruit]

Ok, patient1, you scared me straight! lol I just think I'll stay home from now on if there's ice.

cymbidia, I just found out that my husband's company has an office in your town.

 

[cymbidia]

cymbidia, I just found out that my husband's company has an office in your town.

Oh my god. Could we have a good time together or what?????

Yes!
Move here.
You know this area... good schools, great scenery, liberal, prosperous, cool... you'd love it and you know it.

!!!!!!!

 

[u2slow13]

You move, darlin'. ~fervently~ You move back to someplace where the weather makes sense.

That's how you drive on ice... and south and west will get you there.

come on, you know we have ice here. So what if it costs $1.99 a bag jeesh...

 

[Dillinger]

Exactly what patient1 said - "If you do get into a slide, turn in the direction of the slide until your front wheels start steering again. "

Your natural reaction is to apply the breaks and steer away from the slide - and, in this case, the natural reaction is the WORST thing you can do. Keep your wits about you, steer into the slide...

 

[Weird Harold]

Ok, patient1, you scared me straight! lol I just think I'll stay home from now on if there's ice.

Tonight, while it's still icy (or even icier), after the mall/grocery store/library/walmart closes, go to their big empty parking lot and learn how your car behaves on ice. Do the same thing after you get the new tires.

Try to force your car into a slide -- knowing how to get into one teaches what to avoid as well as how to recover.

Try panic stops at various speeds to see how the ABS works to prevent sliding, and learn how much room you need to come to a full stop.

If you have a manual transmission, practice slowing down by down-shifting so you don't need to rely on the brakes as much. You can downshift with an automatic to control your speed, but it's not usually as effective as it is with a manual transmission.

If you're going to live in Reno, you are going to have to learn to deal with icy roads eventually unless you plan to become a recluse and depend on others for transportation in the winter. It's far better to take advantage of the conditions and learn now in an empty parking lot than learn the hard way on a busy street in an emergency that forced you out onto the street uprepared.

 

[patient1]

Ok, patient1, you scared me straight! lol I just think I'll stay home from now on if there's ice.

I think that's the prudent course of action if you are sharing the road with other inexperienced ice drivers. It never hurts to give the highway crews time to re-act.

 

[Weird Harold]

PS to answer yoru original question: on ice, I drive slowly, carefully, as seldom as possible, and with paranoia fully engaged.

 

[patient1]

Harold is of course, right.

It's good to be prepared for an emergency you expect to encounter again.

He knows way more about your weather than I do.

 

[Rubyfruit]

cym, I've thought about it, trust me. But we've moved twice in the last year - I think we need to stay put for a while. I wish we could though. You know my best friend lives there. She's having such a hard time with the new baby. He's colicky and she's a single mom. She called me the other night in tears with him screaming in the background. I felt so helpless being far away.

Harold, when we lived in CT last winter I wondered if there was a driving class for icy/snowy conditions. Seems there should be, don't you think? You have a great suggestion, except for the fact that the kids are sleeping when the parking lots are empty.

 

[patient1]

last winter I wondered if there was a driving class for icy/snowy conditions. Seems there should be, don't you think?

Call your local AAA, they can tell you.

 

[Weird Harold]

Harold, when we lived in CT last winter I wondered if there was a driving class for icy/snowy conditions. Seems there should be, don't you think? You have a great suggestion, except for the fact that the kids are sleeping when the parking lots are empty.

It would be worth the cost of a babysitter for an hour -- not that the kids wouldn't love going along.

There are classes available for driving on slick surfaces. Check the Yellow pages or Web for "Advanced Driving Courses" and look for one that uses a "skid pan." (You'll have to wait for summer though, because "skid pans" don't work well when frozen.)

 

[Feelin' Naughty]

I had a guy tell me once (after I slid into his car hehe) to shift into neutral, it cuts the power to the wheels or something, keeps the tires from spinning. It really works, I've done it many times since then and haven't run over any more cars.

 

[Guest]

firts lots of room between you and any other object.
gently but firmly apply breaks don't jam them on
if you are still not slowing try to put the car in netural, if the car starts to slide ease up on the breaks the car will not stear if the tires are not turning.if all else fails pray to who ever will listen its all you can do.

 

[sigh]

ruby, sometimes there's nothing you can do...i live in illinois, been used to ice, slush and snow my whole life...learned to drive in it from a master (my dad) and am proud of my abilities

but just last night i drove up to be with my mom who lives in Ottawa...the interstate was fine but when i got onto Deer Park Road (a nice, two lane blacktop) i discovered that the couple of inches of snow they'd gotten during the day had been plowed down to a nice even layer, then frozen into a black, slick sheen

everything was cool though...i took my time...eased around the curves...kept a eye out for the dry groove that's usually there from the passing of other tires

but then i came down into the illinois river valley along a rather steep, curving pitch...again though, everything was cool...no other cars were about so i took my half in the middle and eased on down...

until i came to the stop sign at the route 71 intersection

with the abs system pumping under my foot i slid smoothly out across the highway until i was sitting sideways across both lanes

luckily there was no other traffic about (they being all smarter than me and staying home) so i just turned the wheel to the right, eased myself into the right lane of the highway and then cruised slowly into town