Oh ya man... I know it. I've driven a bike since I could handle the weight lol, I know all too well about the main risk of driving being OTHER people. Especially those women drivers :P

 

Is there a technique when driving on snow?? I still haven't mastered it... Usually, I end up colliding with another car... This time around, I make sure that I let my brother drive, so as to avoid collisions

 

This goes for everybody - if you ever find yourself uttering the words: "Usually, I end up colliding with another car", then maybe driving isn't for you.

 

I've seen a couple of references here to use of sandbags? Two points: 1. Why would you use sandbags (I'm assuming you're putting them in the trunk) on a front wheel drive car? They're useless! 2. In fact, the extra weight in the back may help to cause spin outs if you fail to correct a slide very early on.

I experienced 40+ years of driving on snow and ice during upstate NY winters. The best advice I can give you is as follows:

1. Slow down...alot!
2. Increase your braking distance.
3. Drive as if you had an egg between your foot and the gas and your foot and the brake. Slow and gentle is the way to go if you want to avoid spinning the wheels and/or spinning out.
4. If snow and ice is a constant in your area, winter tires with special compounds for those conditions are well worth the price.
5. In an empty parking lot or some other wide-open area, learn how to counter-steer to correct skids. Then practice, practice, practice until it becomes an automatic reflex reaction to a skid.

 

Lol at Pirate, agreed, you should stay off the road XD

Don - I agree with all that you said and do all of them. One of my friends actually had spiked tires... it was weird to drive with.

 

I like how you think. I've never spun out. I've driven through this winter perfectly fine. Just don't gun it every time off the line. There's a HUGE difference in cornering. If you take a corner in summer at20 mph, in winter, take that same corner at 10 or lower. Winter driving is easy when you get use to it. Last winter I was driving around with a ford tempo with basically bald front tires. I got in an accident, because of those bald tires... haha but other than that, I never got stuck (with the bald tires) because you have to know how to drive. If you get stuck, don't gun it. It just creates friction between the snow and your tires, the heat from friction melts the snow and turns to water, then the water freezes creating ice. If you get stuck, rock the car. give it gas so it lurches forward, let off thegas after you lurch forward so you swing back a bit, then give it gas to swing forward. You do this until you get enough momentum built up to get out of the snow.

Delivering pizza through winter gives you good experience, especially when you drive down those streets that don't get cleared off... lol

 

LOL...

 

Forget sandbags in the trunk. That only applies to RWD cars. Is this your first winter driving? Spinning out in a Civic isn't the roads. It's your driving and/or car.

1. If your car is lowered, raise it back up to at least stock height. Remove any aftermarket thing that hangs down lower than stock clearance.

2. Learn to drive gently on the brakes, throttle, steering, etc.

3. Check to see if you can run studs/chains legally.

4. Get some AWESOME snow tires in a skinny size that is as tall as stock. Europe has several. One of the best ones here for a Civ is the Blizzak WS-50. Equip every wheel.

5. Learn to use momentum to your advantage. It can work for you or against you.

6. Carry good insurance.

7. Carry some traction mats, some kitty litter, and an E-tool.

8. Make sure your brakes are ALL in good shape.

9. If all else fails, buy a beater 4x4 and some Trxus MTs.

 

Easy killer.

My Civic was an absolute monster in the snow, that thing would go anywhere in the snow. When we would get snow storms the only people that could regularly get in and out of my old parking lot were a couple 4x4s and me. If you're having problems parking, leave it in gear and use the ebrake to lock up all 4 wheels instead of two.

 

I'm glad to see that Kommando was thinking right, sandbags will do nothing for your FWD car. the only thing that you need for winter driving are a good set of winter tires, i don't mean the autozone specials. i mean like Bridgeston Blizzaks or something like that. and if you find that you are starting to spin do not start to brake, counter steer and give it gas.