Advanced Winter Driving: How To Control A Slide

By Marc Stern

Marc Stern

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403 views October 28, 2009

Evo MR in the snow

If there is one thing about winter, it is this: it presents drivers with a unique set of driving requirements that can put any driver to the test.

For example, if it's early in the morning and you've just had some freezing precipitation and it is still dark you may find yourself on black ice. This is ice that looks for all the world like a normal road surface, until you hit your brakes, then you find that your vehicle is turning sideways or backwards very quickly.

How do you handle it? Slow down and try to drive out of it with a very light, even pressure on the accelerator. Do not turn the wheels and do not attempt any sudden movements. If you even feel the wheels beginning to slip stop and let nature take its course as you will likely backup and out of the area that started the wheel spin.

An Art Form

Thinking about winter driving further, you would have to call it an art form as much as anything else because everything is open to interpretation, as long as the final result is the same, a safe trip. For example, the American Automobile Assn. (AAA) recommends starting from a standstill on ice or slick snow. They also recommend starting in second, in a manual transmission car, because the torque (amount of wheel spin) is lower in higher gear and it let's you start out with more control. Some automatic transaxles and transmissions offer a W/S start button that actually puts your car into a higher gear for starting.

Also, you can never lock your wheels up when you are braking. This is an invitation to a skid or slid because there's no way for a stopped wheel to have any traction only when a wheel is rolling is there a chance for traction.

It is in this situation that anti-lock braking (ABS) stands out and it is somewhat counterintuitive (that's why we called winter driving an art form because it is an art you learn to use). Normally, you would think that you would pump your vehicle's brakes to bring the wheels to the point of lockup and then start them rolling again.

Indeed, before ABS, this was what drivers were taught to do, pump the brakes. ABS, on the other hand, requires you to hit the brakes firmly and then just keep holding them down. Sensors at the brake; wheels and transmission determine that your brakes are in ABS mode and the system automatically starts pumping the brakes to the point of lock and then backing off. This happens roughly 20 to 30 times a second and it does send a vibration through the brake pedal. This is an entirely normal feeling.

Consumer Reports has some interesting advice. It urges you to do one thing at a time. In other words, if you are using the ABS, don't try turning the steering wheel at the same time. Or as they put it refrain from braking and steering or accelerating and steering because this can reduce your vehicle control.

For example, if you are trying to take a turn, lightly and slowly hit your brakes first so you reduce your car's speed while it is going straight. When you feel it has reached the right speed, then begin your turn, remembering, of course, to let up on the brakes while you smoothly execute your turn.

Once you are through the turn and are on a straightaway again, lightly depress the accelerator again, Consumer Reports notes, to regain speed..

Controlling Skids

Consumer reports also has some interesting advice if your car goes into a slide or skid. If the rear begins to slide or skid during a turn, it urges you to let up on the gas gently and turn the wheel in the direction of the slide to straighten it out.

On the other hand, if you find the front end begins to slide, you're urged to easily let up on the accelerator and turn the wheel in the direction you want to go.

Be especially alert for other drivers and drive as defensively as possible because they may not be driving as cautiously as you.