Driving in low/sub-zero temps...
Discussion
I do a test to get a feel for it. Coming up my road there's the opportunity when the turbo kicks in (giving all 99 bhp) to have a fairly controlled bit of wheelspin to give you a feel for what the road is like
Then again I do have winter tyres on, so as well as solving the euro crisis, wars in parts of the world and other such things, my wheels dont tend to spin up too often.
ETa - I do remember driving up the A42 with the outside temp showing -15 a couple of years back, no slip issues at all
Then again I do have winter tyres on, so as well as solving the euro crisis, wars in parts of the world and other such things, my wheels dont tend to spin up too often.
ETa - I do remember driving up the A42 with the outside temp showing -15 a couple of years back, no slip issues at all
andy-xr said:
I do a test to get a feel for it. Coming up my road there's the opportunity when the turbo kicks in (giving all 99 bhp) to have a fairly controlled bit of wheelspin to give you a feel for what the road is like
Then again I do have winter tyres on, so as well as solving the euro crisis, wars in parts of the world and other such things, my wheels dont tend to spin up too often.
ETa - I do remember driving up the A42 with the outside temp showing -15 a couple of years back, no slip issues at all
Did this this morning leaving my drive. Very brief low speed test for grip under load, braking and turning. Then again I do have winter tyres on, so as well as solving the euro crisis, wars in parts of the world and other such things, my wheels dont tend to spin up too often.
ETa - I do remember driving up the A42 with the outside temp showing -15 a couple of years back, no slip issues at all
Road grit/salt stops helps stop the road from freezing down to about -8C
So, provided you're confident that the road has recently been gritted, and having a white residue as you describe would suggest that it has, you should be OK to drive by just taking it sensibly.
On un-gritted roads, or with very low temps, all bets are off, and as those above have suggested, you just have to drive based on what you can see through the windscreen and feel though the steering wheel and seat.
It's better to drive slowly and find you could have gone faster, rather than sitting in a wreck wishing you'd gone slower.
So, provided you're confident that the road has recently been gritted, and having a white residue as you describe would suggest that it has, you should be OK to drive by just taking it sensibly.
On un-gritted roads, or with very low temps, all bets are off, and as those above have suggested, you just have to drive based on what you can see through the windscreen and feel though the steering wheel and seat.
It's better to drive slowly and find you could have gone faster, rather than sitting in a wreck wishing you'd gone slower.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Agreed it doesn't give a comprehensive answer to grip levels for the whole journey, but a small indicator is better than none.What i would like to do is insert the people carrier that was in my f
king boot all the way along the bypass this morning being driven by a busy mum, up her fking saggy carrier bag full of custard fking arse. 60mph, half a degree indicated and i couldnt see her fking headlights. I hope her next st's a fking pineapple. .Basically slow down if you arent sure, our tyres work down to 8c if they are summer types, the wet road tends to be greasy, just err on the side of caution and watch out for sheltered areas where ice may not have melted, watch for run off from fields that could have froze, leaves, puddles that have been hit and spashed then frozen.
My 944 is a liabiltiy this time of year, gets very twitchy at the back, controllable but very little grip.
My 944 is a liabiltiy this time of year, gets very twitchy at the back, controllable but very little grip.
The roads round my end (Sheffield) currently have a lot less grip than when warm / dry. It's not so noticeable in a car (although I'm sure it would be if I had to emergency stop), but I've been out on my bike a few times and I can sense wheelspin / skidding / skipping a lot more than I can in the car - I can feels the wheels sliding around in a way that just wasn't happening a month ago.
So yeah, watch out, because although the roads can look clean and just a bit damp (having been gritted), they're likely to have a lot less grip than you're used to.
So yeah, watch out, because although the roads can look clean and just a bit damp (having been gritted), they're likely to have a lot less grip than you're used to.
VinceFox said:
Agreed it doesn't give a comprehensive answer to grip levels for the whole journey, but a small indicator is better than none.
What i would like to do is insert the people carrier that was in my fking boot all the way along the bypass this morning being driven by a busy mum, up her fking saggy carrier bag full of custard fking arse. 60mph, half a degree indicated and i couldnt see her fking headlights. I hope her next st's a fking pineapple. .
Brilliant use of the "fWhat i would like to do is insert the people carrier that was in my f
king boot all the way along the bypass this morning being driven by a busy mum, up her fking saggy carrier bag full of custard fking arse. 60mph, half a degree indicated and i couldnt see her fking headlights. I hope her next st's a fking pineapple. .k" could do with a few more though.I have just noticed as well, when you quote the comment that someone has said a naughty word in, You can see what they put.. Awesome!
You should of run her off the road.
Stay well back from the car in front, especially on slip roads that might not be gritted!
And remember, listen to the road! If you can't hear your tyres, you're probably on ice! You'll notice a lightness in the steering sometimes too. Just take it easy. I've come home from work on pitch black, countryside dual carriageways at -3'C and lived to tell the tale.
And remember, listen to the road! If you can't hear your tyres, you're probably on ice! You'll notice a lightness in the steering sometimes too. Just take it easy. I've come home from work on pitch black, countryside dual carriageways at -3'C and lived to tell the tale.
skip_1 said:
Don't rely on Grit where the roads have been done, especially at night/early morning when road use is light, as grit needs trafficking to be effective.
This +1My road is well gritted but probably only gets a couple of hundred vehicle movements a day...
Just take it bloody easy!
I just go into slow cruise mode, even if I end up taking twice as long for the journey. I'll never forget many years ago, on my way to Barnds Hatch to marshal at a race meet in March, a sudden temp drop had turned the roads to sheet ice. Got almost to Brands at about 20 mph max, and then stuffed the car. It just slid down the camber of the road on a country lane, couldn't stop it. The nearside wheel met the grass verge, dropped into a pothole, turned the car broadside across the road, and it slid sideways, taking about 12" off the nose when it collected a concrete post.
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