Driving in snow

Man of Honour
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17 Oct 2002
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Currently at Taunton Dean Services on M5. No snow. Girlfriend says they've got snow in Worcester and I won't be able to get up her road, they only just managed it in a Corsa. So I'm going to park it on the main road near her house and walk the rest of the way. The trick I guess is picking a parking space that isn't in somebodies runoff...
 
Associate
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8 Jun 2005
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London
Brave Man.

It took my about 20 minutes to get out of my drive on my fazer... then promptly fell off :p . Snow was just far too deep round here. Didn't even move anywhere just slipped and went over just as a council van came round the corner... must have looked funny as hell. (no damage to anything it went down very lightly, was my silly mistake.)

It's snowing much harder now so no chance getting out on the bike, no gritters in sight and the main road hasn't been gritted either. Can't even see where speedhumps or the curbs are.

Took quite a bit of shovelling to get the snow and ice out the way just so i can get my bike back on my drive way.
 
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Associate
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19 Aug 2004
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Stockton-on-tees
roads aint too bad up here, what ive been on anyway id guess the out of town/not used roads up on the hills would be impassable. poped over to teesside park first thing for a magazine and was greated to perfect snow and empty carparks so i had to have a little drifting with the handbrake :) theres some right loons about though, a few times i thought i was going to get rear ended by people braking rather late. Best thing to do is just take it easy and judge the conditions
 
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Soldato
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16 Jul 2004
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[TW]Fox;13409247 said:
Currently at Taunton Dean Services on M5. No snow. Girlfriend says they've got snow in Worcester and I won't be able to get up her road, they only just managed it in a Corsa.
It's rubbish. Press DSC button once and stick your foot down. ADB will keep both wheels going at near enough the same rate and powah alone will get you up it!
 
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couldnt even get the ST out of my road, walked to the main road and that was just as bad so I gave up went home and im gonna chillax for the rest of the day screw work
 
Soldato
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Hmm, after giving it some thought, Decided to chicken out, a mix of bus and train it is. Will take a bit longer to get there and back, but it will be cheaper then if I drop the bike, or ride into someone else.

Snow wise its not that much on currently, and nothing actually stays on the road, but I don't need to leave until 5pm or so, and while the way there it would be fine, just like in the wet, the way back is what I am dreading the most. Probably exaggerating the whole thing, just don't trust my "skill".

*Sigh* could have been pants wettingly fun, but don't want more expense especially with 3rd party only :eek:
 
Man of Honour
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21 Feb 2006
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It depends on the conditions really but on slushy and generally mixed conditions leave everything switched on and simply take it steady, allowing lots of time to stop and ensuring you keep a close look on your rear view mirror for those who don't when you come to stopping. It is best to be delicate with the controls, no rapid movements of steering, pedals or gears and keep as much space around you as you can. In these conditions stopping is much more of an issue that going once you drive to the conditions. Keep the revs lower than you might normally, a gear or two up ideally and also use engine braking when slowing if needed, though again not excessively. Smoothness is the key and minimising the need to react rapidly all helps.

In deep snow or icy conditions with a RWD car this changes a little I would suggest and my advice from many years of driving RWD BMW’s is TC/DSC off when trying to navigate slowly down a very icy road if you are struggling. If you don’t the traction, even with a snow setting, will eventually get to the stage where momentum is lost and the car will stall. In such conditions some wheel spin controlled with the right foot it better and try to maintain a constant throttle if possible, no up and down on the pedal. I found this worked well with my M3’s and keeping a slow pace but with constant throttle and a gear up, so lower revs and torque typically made life easier, not least on hills and badly cambered bends.

Again stopping is the challenge and as above leave lots of space and reduce speed early and then crawl up to the junction, stopping point or turning. As I found out form an early age Scandinavian flicks and handbrake turns are best avoided on the public road as they tend to end up with you facing the wrong way with some, at best, buckled wheels. I remember leaving the house in my 1.6L Cavalier many years back and within 50 yards I’d run out of talent and ridden up a kerb damaging both nearside wheels!
 
Caporegime
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Lake District
[TW]Fox;13409770 said:
I've found the snow! Michaelwood Services. Amazing the amount of tards still flashing past in the outside lane 100mph+ :confused:
Quite obviously the more heat you build up in your tyres the faster it melts it, therefore making high speeds in snow, safe :p
 
Associate
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Southampton
I don't see anyone dissing our "not really 4wd" Haldex systems today :)

ESP is remarkable though, I was getting bored pottering along in the country lanes at 20mph with the traction control light flickering away, so hit the ESP button. Didn't realise it also disengages the steering wheel :p Turn to the left (goes straight on), turn to the right goes straight on). Needless to say it went back on pretty sharpish.
 
Associate
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Norwich
Im looking forward to work tonight, could do with abit more snow though. As much as I love our Sprinters they are pretty crap in the snow, big heavy van + autobox + overly cautious ESP/TC makes the going pretty poor. One thing I dont understand is why people insist on closely following each other up hills in the snow only to find themselves stuck when the car infront cant get up. Got afew strange looks sitting at the bottom of a hill waiting for the car infront to make it before I started.
 
Soldato
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18 Oct 2002
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Sandwich, Kent
Well, I had a right hoot driving in today.

The trains were cancelled, so I had no choice but to use the Baja. Took it on all the unsalted backroads for a bit of a laugh. Great fun fishtailing all the way up hills and then sliding all the way down them. I love how the thing will go sideways at virtually any speed. :p
 
Associate
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Oldham, Gtr Manchester
Try and stick to main roads as opposed to back street/short cut routes you may normally take and set off earlier than you usually would to account for the (likely) increased traffic and slower speeds.

Also bear in mind ABS isn't a huge help in the snow, as I found out last night sliding into a main road from trying to break at 5mph. Untreated little roads that slope down at the end are a nightmare! I was lucky no cars were on the road at the time.
 
Soldato
Joined
16 Feb 2006
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7,346
I experienced 4th gear wheel spin for the first time today, must be all them vtec torx :D
And on a stupid note, my sister is about to go out on her motorbike, think she has a death wish...
 
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