Kocakola
December 5th, 2007, 11:01 AM
So I'm going to start off by explaining. There has been alot of inccident lately with proteges and accidents. I know most of them, or all of them were unavoidable, but it gave me the idea to start this thread. I have read numerous tips to people, as well as some things that were wrong, so I figured I will collect it and put it all in one thread.
*NOTE* anything in this thread is a suggestion. Practice it. and use it at your descresion, nothing more.
I have two tips and I'm going to open it up to others.
7 days below 7*degrees; switch to winters. Winter tires will out preform all seasons, or summer tires in the snow wet and cold conditions. There is no price that trumps your safety. Winter tires also do not last forever, keep in mind their manfacturing date.
do you know what sipes are? a good read and guide http://www.wheels.ca/article/470620
_______________________________________________
1. Go find a big snow covered parking lot and practive sliding around. Test out your breaking distance. I would even suggest going to the dollar store first and buying afew of though little pylons and work with them. (Again this is just a suggestion, I have heard some people get in trouble with police for this. I never have. I got asked by a cop once when I was 17. I told him my parents knew I was here doing this, and I would rather be prepared, and know what to do in case a skid happens, so I am practising. Never had a problem, but again, if you do, this was only a suggestion)
2. If your car is like my car, your ABS sucks. Especially on ice. I could stop my car faster with an anchor than by just mashing the breaks. This is something you will want to practice, again maybe in a parking lot, but when you feel the abs kick in (thudding under your foot) ease off just enough that the thudding goes away and then SLOWLY start pushing the break in more and more. I've tested this, at least on my 01 SE, and I stop MUCH faster. my ABS works well in rain or dry, but on snow or ICE especially, I'd rather not have it.
3. please note ABS is not meant to stop you faster.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions out there.
It was designed to give the driver more control of the car while braking.
If you lock your tires you will not be able to stear. ABS prevents the tires from locking and thus gives you the potential to stear away from danger.
(Bumble G)
4. Just remember to take your time and keep your distance just incase. Also if you have winter tires that doesnt make you a race car driver, its still very slick with or w/o winters
(nautical_lifens)
5. practise Downshifting in a manual car to help slow your car down.
(shibby)
Even helps with Auto w/ manual option. Keep your distance
(Marleymar)
6. on on-ramps, don't wait till the very end to get on the hwy, this annoys other motorists and results in tailgating, finger flipping and overall nasty ness.
7. do not cut off big rigs, they leave plenty of space between themselves and the car ahead of them because of the extra stopping distance they need, this space is not for you. SIGNAL the truck drivers will then compensate for the space and let you in, then merge. If for some reason the car infront of you has to stop in a hurry, you will have a 18wheeler parked ontop of you and you will then have a closed casket funeral.
8. wipers and headlights. if you have to use your wipers, turn on your headlights. for any inclament weather keep your lights on. this not only helps you see, but helps keep you visible to the peope behind you.
9. for you manual/5spd owners, keep your foot on the brake pedal when you're at a complete stop, bad weather reduces people's perception of distance and if you're moving or not. Brake lights will help the person behind you know that you are stopped or stopping.
10. Check your tire pressures, cold temperatures result in a drop in your tire pressures. Read your Manual for proper tire pressure specs.
11. Always buy snow tires in sets of four. If you are seriously strapped and can only afford 2, put them on the rear. Everyone assumes that FWD cars would need them in the front, so the car can turn and stop faster.
The thing they leave out, is if your front has more traction than the rear, what happens when the rear tires max out at their traction limit, but the fronts are still gripping? You spin.
When you have the good tires on the rear, spinning is near impossible (unless you do it intentionally), and you can adjust your driving style to compensate for the lack of traction in the front. (i.e. go slower while turning, accelerate lightly, brake early). When the car is tail happy, if you're coming around an onramp and you realize traffic is coming to a stop, and you release the throttle... the weight will transfer to the front, the front will stick, the rear will let go, and now instead of rear ending the people stopped with your front end... you are now spinning towards them, and are most likely gonna hit 2 or 3 of them all at once.
12 In inclimate weather, do all your braking while going straight. Braking and turning is asking too much from the tires, with the limited traction that they already have.
If you hit a patch of black ice while at highway speeds, do NOT hit the brakes or try to countersteer aggressively. Let go of both pedals a lightly try to steer out of the skid. If you still end up into a guardrail or ditch, at least you were facing straight. If you slam on the brakes and try to counter steer hard, the moment you get traction the car will fly into an uncontrollable spin, and you'll have no idea where you'll end up or be able to brace yourself for impact.
13. If you are sliding towards a curb and impact is imminent, make sure the steering wheel is turned straight. This will allow the suspension and tires to absorb the shock, as opposed to the frame, control arms, tie rods, rims.
If you are trying to turn a corner and the front tires loose traction, so that the car is not turning as much as it should be for the amount you are turning the steering wheel, DO NOT keep turning it to a full lock, and DO NOT slam on the brakes. As Brian mentioned in the other thread, when you start to slide, you are using 100% of the tires available traction. If you continue to turn the steering wheel, you are just making it less likely to recover, because you're asking it to do even more. Same goes if you stomp on the brakes while sliding and turning. Not only were you using 100% of the tires traction by attempting to turn, but now you are asking the tires to also slow down the car, again... making it less likely to recover.
14. Clean off your roof and drive in the appropriate lane! (Slow = Right)
15. when driving through town with high snowbanks try to avoid driving in the curb lane if there is more than one lane. gives people turning off of side streets more time to see you and vice versa. and when you are the person turning off of a side street, creep out slowly until you can actually see what is up the road.
16. when driving on un plowed back roads where there isn't quite 2 lanes, be courteous and move over as much as you can to let oncoming drivers pass without getting into a head on collision.
17.
_______________________________________________
Okay so now its everyones turns. Post up below and I will add it to the first post with credit to you and delete the post below.
Hoping this will be helpful to some.
(midnitehour edit: added some more tips.)
*NOTE* anything in this thread is a suggestion. Practice it. and use it at your descresion, nothing more.
I have two tips and I'm going to open it up to others.
7 days below 7*degrees; switch to winters. Winter tires will out preform all seasons, or summer tires in the snow wet and cold conditions. There is no price that trumps your safety. Winter tires also do not last forever, keep in mind their manfacturing date.
do you know what sipes are? a good read and guide http://www.wheels.ca/article/470620
_______________________________________________
1. Go find a big snow covered parking lot and practive sliding around. Test out your breaking distance. I would even suggest going to the dollar store first and buying afew of though little pylons and work with them. (Again this is just a suggestion, I have heard some people get in trouble with police for this. I never have. I got asked by a cop once when I was 17. I told him my parents knew I was here doing this, and I would rather be prepared, and know what to do in case a skid happens, so I am practising. Never had a problem, but again, if you do, this was only a suggestion)
2. If your car is like my car, your ABS sucks. Especially on ice. I could stop my car faster with an anchor than by just mashing the breaks. This is something you will want to practice, again maybe in a parking lot, but when you feel the abs kick in (thudding under your foot) ease off just enough that the thudding goes away and then SLOWLY start pushing the break in more and more. I've tested this, at least on my 01 SE, and I stop MUCH faster. my ABS works well in rain or dry, but on snow or ICE especially, I'd rather not have it.
3. please note ABS is not meant to stop you faster.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions out there.
It was designed to give the driver more control of the car while braking.
If you lock your tires you will not be able to stear. ABS prevents the tires from locking and thus gives you the potential to stear away from danger.
(Bumble G)
4. Just remember to take your time and keep your distance just incase. Also if you have winter tires that doesnt make you a race car driver, its still very slick with or w/o winters
(nautical_lifens)
5. practise Downshifting in a manual car to help slow your car down.
(shibby)
Even helps with Auto w/ manual option. Keep your distance
(Marleymar)
6. on on-ramps, don't wait till the very end to get on the hwy, this annoys other motorists and results in tailgating, finger flipping and overall nasty ness.
7. do not cut off big rigs, they leave plenty of space between themselves and the car ahead of them because of the extra stopping distance they need, this space is not for you. SIGNAL the truck drivers will then compensate for the space and let you in, then merge. If for some reason the car infront of you has to stop in a hurry, you will have a 18wheeler parked ontop of you and you will then have a closed casket funeral.
8. wipers and headlights. if you have to use your wipers, turn on your headlights. for any inclament weather keep your lights on. this not only helps you see, but helps keep you visible to the peope behind you.
9. for you manual/5spd owners, keep your foot on the brake pedal when you're at a complete stop, bad weather reduces people's perception of distance and if you're moving or not. Brake lights will help the person behind you know that you are stopped or stopping.
10. Check your tire pressures, cold temperatures result in a drop in your tire pressures. Read your Manual for proper tire pressure specs.
11. Always buy snow tires in sets of four. If you are seriously strapped and can only afford 2, put them on the rear. Everyone assumes that FWD cars would need them in the front, so the car can turn and stop faster.
The thing they leave out, is if your front has more traction than the rear, what happens when the rear tires max out at their traction limit, but the fronts are still gripping? You spin.
When you have the good tires on the rear, spinning is near impossible (unless you do it intentionally), and you can adjust your driving style to compensate for the lack of traction in the front. (i.e. go slower while turning, accelerate lightly, brake early). When the car is tail happy, if you're coming around an onramp and you realize traffic is coming to a stop, and you release the throttle... the weight will transfer to the front, the front will stick, the rear will let go, and now instead of rear ending the people stopped with your front end... you are now spinning towards them, and are most likely gonna hit 2 or 3 of them all at once.
12 In inclimate weather, do all your braking while going straight. Braking and turning is asking too much from the tires, with the limited traction that they already have.
If you hit a patch of black ice while at highway speeds, do NOT hit the brakes or try to countersteer aggressively. Let go of both pedals a lightly try to steer out of the skid. If you still end up into a guardrail or ditch, at least you were facing straight. If you slam on the brakes and try to counter steer hard, the moment you get traction the car will fly into an uncontrollable spin, and you'll have no idea where you'll end up or be able to brace yourself for impact.
13. If you are sliding towards a curb and impact is imminent, make sure the steering wheel is turned straight. This will allow the suspension and tires to absorb the shock, as opposed to the frame, control arms, tie rods, rims.
If you are trying to turn a corner and the front tires loose traction, so that the car is not turning as much as it should be for the amount you are turning the steering wheel, DO NOT keep turning it to a full lock, and DO NOT slam on the brakes. As Brian mentioned in the other thread, when you start to slide, you are using 100% of the tires available traction. If you continue to turn the steering wheel, you are just making it less likely to recover, because you're asking it to do even more. Same goes if you stomp on the brakes while sliding and turning. Not only were you using 100% of the tires traction by attempting to turn, but now you are asking the tires to also slow down the car, again... making it less likely to recover.
14. Clean off your roof and drive in the appropriate lane! (Slow = Right)
15. when driving through town with high snowbanks try to avoid driving in the curb lane if there is more than one lane. gives people turning off of side streets more time to see you and vice versa. and when you are the person turning off of a side street, creep out slowly until you can actually see what is up the road.
16. when driving on un plowed back roads where there isn't quite 2 lanes, be courteous and move over as much as you can to let oncoming drivers pass without getting into a head on collision.
17.
_______________________________________________
Okay so now its everyones turns. Post up below and I will add it to the first post with credit to you and delete the post below.
Hoping this will be helpful to some.
(midnitehour edit: added some more tips.)