Driving in snow Brake or Drive it?

[saaby93]

Usual dire weather warnings and this advice from SMMT
Brake!!!
Let the ABS take control
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20997094
How old is that guy


Advice from a few years ago
Drive It!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&amp...
Who is right?

[jinkster]

Get some winter tyres! They should be a legal requirement.

[Johnnytheboy]

I was thinking this was going to be advice from BRAKE on driving in snow.

DRIVE REALLY REALLY SLOWLY!

EVEN BETTER, DON'T DRIVE!

JUST STAY IN THE HOUSE!

[redstu]

I saw some of the report this morning and immediately thought that that's not the right advice.
Whilst braking will slow you down it's not likely to give the change of direction that using a gentle throttle will. In fact the Porshe instructor said that at the start.
The mitsubishi driver in the 2nd video should have listened to the guy shouting.

[lightthefuse]

First rule of snow driving: gentle on the throttle
Second rule of snow driving: gentle on the brakes, motor braking is optimal for all but the final stop. In the case of automatics. Press your "W" or similar button, alternatively select the highest gear you can and pull off (I know it's scary but it might be the one below "D").
Third rule of snow driving: DON'T REV THE fkING NUTS OFF THE fkING MOTOR NUMBNUTS!
Repeat and glide.

Oh, and in the case of the OP, "drive it". The best one I've had to do in about 3 feet of snow in Sweden to go past numbnuts spinning their wheels uphill is back the car down to the bottom (no brakes, reverse/neutral then coast/brake to stop on the level, I cannot overemphasise how much easier it is to do things on the level), gently get it up to speed (15-20 mph), glide past the idiots (we have them too unfortunately) with a cheery wave, even on the snow-covered pavement if necessary and ascend.

Edited by lightthefuse on Saturday 12th January 20:38

[nails1979]

What makes it worse is the stuoid people who've already crashed not moving their car's off the road and out of the way when they know tbe road is a sheet of ice underneath.
Should off sent some one further up the road to give advance warning.
Can't believe that 2nd vid though with the blue warrior? A 3 minute slow motion crash. I know people panic but just wtf.

[Rawwr]

My best advice is to drive as if though you're driving on snow and ice.

I don't really have anything to add to that.

[andy-xr]

Video - realistically, what's sticking it in reverse going to help with?

[saaby93]

continuation of no2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqbbwvBt7Jc
Any idea what the SMMT comments would have been - er braking doesnt work - try driving it
followed by this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnYPbphatfA
then
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvZjmcAzMwA
listen for shrill irate voice at end

Edited by saaby93 on Saturday 12th January 21:05

[stevensdrs]

Saw that BBC report this morning and could not beleive they were serious. "Brake and let the ABS do it's job"

You might be waiting a long time for that to happen with zero traction. Makes me even less likely to go out in the snow with a lot of fools who think they can brake their way out of trouble.

[Ozzie Osmond]

saaby93 said:

Let the ABS take control

That is absolutely the right advice. Ignore the daft PH myth that ABS doesn't work.

[Spitfire2]

Ozzie Osmond said:

saaby93 said:

Let the ABS take control

That is absolutely the right advice. Ignore the daft PH myth that ABS doesn't work.

No it's not. Deliberately braking such that ABS is activated is way less safe than driving in such a way that ABS is rarely needed - even in snow. Doing so means you are guessing where the car will stop.

ABS , like cadence braking before it, is for emergencies or once you've cocked up.

[rallycross]

Have done lots of driving in snow/wintery conditions in Scotland in a variety of fwd/rwd/4wd cars over the past 25+ years (with and without winter tyres and we also used studded tyres when it was really bad).

Now living in the south of England and dont get much chance to drive in the snow, so was shocked by how bad my 2007 BMW was in 1 cm of snow before xmas - the factory settings on ABS and traction control make the car dangerous in the snow compared with an old fashioned non abs equiped car (with a driver who knows how to drive in the snow).

The BMW is now on a set of winter tyres so will see how it drives but suspect it would be a lot better/safer with it all turned off.

For the doubters out there, you need to have a drive on virgin snow on some hilly country roads (or an airfield) and see how you get on in a mix of old and new cars.

[EDLT]

I don't think trying to drive that pick up would have helped, if it is still sliding with all four wheels locked it probably won't turn much either.

Also, INB4 people claim you should turn your traction/stability control off an I end up posting that Tiff video to silence their stupidity.

[y2blade]

EDLT said:

I don't think trying to drive that pick up would have helped, if it is still sliding with all four wheels locked it probably won't turn much either.

Also, INB4 people claim you should turn your traction/stability control off an I end up posting that Tiff video to silence their stupidity.

What Tiff video?

[y2blade]

saaby93 said:

continuation of no2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqbbwvBt7Jc
Any idea what the SMMT comments would have been - er braking doesnt work - try driving it
followed by this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnYPbphatfA
then
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvZjmcAzMwA
listen for shrill irate voice at end

Edited by saaby93 on Saturday 12th January 21:05

Brilliant.

[zippyprorider]

jinkster said:

Get some winter tyres! They should be a legal requirement.

No thanks troll

[EDLT]

y2blade said:

EDLT said:

I don't think trying to drive that pick up would have helped, if it is still sliding with all four wheels locked it probably won't turn much either.

Also, INB4 people claim you should turn your traction/stability control off an I end up posting that Tiff video to silence their stupidity.

What Tiff video?

This one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-hHWSQhKuc

[Nick1point9]

zippyprorider said:

No thanks troll

Considering how the country grinds to a halt with just a light sprinkling I think it's a good idea. Would help the country plod along in the inch of snow most of us get once or twice a year and would give no excuse for "I can't go to work because of the snow" when we get that 1 inch of snow.

[JimmyTheHand]

Spitfire2 said:

ABS , like cadence braking before it, is for emergencies or once you've cocked up.

Which I think is what the guy was saying in the report - you are in trouble (sliding towards another vehicle) so try using the abs to get you out of it (or at least reduce the severity of impact)