Jump to content

Driving in Snow tips ?


Buzzlt

Recommended Posts

18 minutes ago, mike597 said:

Agree with this, the number of drivers I've seen that are not driving to the conditions is scary.  Particularly around Harpenden it's the YM set in their 4x4s on summer rubber thinking they're invincible because they're in a RRS.

A few trips up to the alps has taught me a lot about respecting the conditions and being prepared.

 

I know it doesn't compare but living in the back end of Huddersfield teaches how to drive to the conditions, the weather can come in so quick there you have to know what you're doing. 

And agree about the RR/Audi set, seen a few slithering about thinking they're gods. I'm sure we'll see them on a video somewhere.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 81
  • Created
  • Last Reply
9 minutes ago, That986 said:

I know it doesn't compare but living in the back end of Huddersfield teaches how to drive to the conditions, the weather can come in so quick there you have to know what you're doing. 

And agree about the RR/Audi set, seen a few slithering about thinking they're gods. I'm sure we'll see them on a video somewhere.....

I suspect it's largely the same in Huddersfield - a steep icy hill to negotiate is always a learning experience

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, mike597 said:

I suspect it's largely the same in Huddersfield - a steep icy hill to negotiate is always a learning experience

Especially in a 1914cc aircooled street beetle on semi-slicks. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MY main tips are:

Be smooth !

Don't become tunnel fixated on the road 2 meters in front of you.  Try to look further ahead and pre plan your driving.  AIM teaches this and it's more defensive in this weather than "progressing"

Ensure you clean off all snow from windows, roof and bonnet.  Although the latter does help when your squirties freeze.

When you park up, lift up the wipers.  Especially on the 981 where they have a separate park feature.  This will stop them freezing to the warm screen when parked and save the motor and drive gear from excess strain.

Carry a trigger bottle of de-icer in the car and a pair of gloves.  It's no good de-icing your car when you leave home and have nothing for the return trip.  Gloves for picking up snow and using to clean your screen when all else fails. 

If your screen has frozen, slip in behind a HGV and use the cr*p in it's wake to get your screen wet and then flick of your wipers.

In the 981 I have found turning of the traction aids better and especially turn off the auto wipers.

 

I took a women home yesterday when the office shut (a non driver).  She was fearful of my usual speedy (summer) driving, but after the first roundabout she could feel the car slipping and the control I had.  She even suggested I overtake at one point ! I was not breaking the speed limits, but I was also not crawling.

Winter tyres and 4x4 are great, but don't change the laws of physics - many forget this !

Be safe peeps.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another thing I've noticed is people not brushing the accumulated snow off their bonnet, roof and windows before setting off.  This really ought to be an offence - it might already be. Either way it's downright stupid as its easy to brake and have a load of snow slide off the roof and cover your windscreen.  Or, fly off your roof and cover the windscreen of the person behind you.

The number of people I saw last night in the station car park whilst I was diligently brushing the snow off my, just jump in, pop the wipers on once and drive off with 15 cms of snow on their roof.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did see some brave soul driving a Boxster through the village last night, not much snow on the roads but slushy.

Some of the main roads round here are getting have 3-4ft snow drifts across them:o

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were talking about clearing all windows in work this morning. 

I made it to the office by 7:30, with little drama other than in the car park itself when we got there (and had shovels to sort it).

I just drove home and fortunately had an escort of 2 tractors with a snow plough on the front. Very greatful I was. Until i got to my slighly uphil un driven road and got stuck awkwardly at the bottom. A kind couple pushed me to the side and I walked  the 40 yards to my door.

Good luck to the chap wanting to dig my z4 out the garage tomorrow!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just had the week off using hols up, had been planning to do stuff outside...

BUT

Apart from buying a sack of coal and normal food for a week, I've pottered around indoors, so my way of dealing with the snow has been ignoring it, not set off on long journeys etc.

 

However, I did learn how to handle snow with a 3ltr capri and a large snowed over pub car park, empty, safe, learn how bits behave.

Later did have winter tyres on the rear, they don't entirely solve the problem just move the params higher.

The biggest threat driving in snow is other folk, the ones that don't appreciate how long stopping might take, but also the ones who dawdle approaching a slight hill and THEN accelerate when on the incline, when a bit more momentum would have got up easy, if poss accelerate on the flat, allow your weight to work for you....

As for 4x4 gods with summer tyres, some folk will never learn....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, thanatoid said:

As for 4x4 gods with summer tyres, some folk will never learn....

I have seen a few of these today.  Speeding through the town, oh someone’s stopped in front of me/stepped out into the road/whatever.  Hit brakes.  And slide...

Or think they can drive up a steep ungritted hill because they have 4WD then go nowhere ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My big problem with the snow is eating too much, last night was fillet steak, boursin on top, wrapped in ham, only trouble is all the extra bits mount up and up..... mind you it IS winter! :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, thanatoid said:

My big problem with the snow is eating too much, last night was fillet steak, boursin on top, wrapped in ham, only trouble is all the extra bits mount up and up..... mind you it IS winter! :-)

I know what you mean. Substantial meals all round here for the last couple of days and I can’t get to the gym.  

A least I walked in the snow into town a couple of times today and have exceeded my 10000 steps so far.  

Steak and kidney pudding, chips, peas, gravy in the pub at lunchtime and I’m walking back into town this evening for a boys big beers birthday meet (a few birthdays have hit in the last two weeks). 

Damn you snow ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, CMA said:

As usual everyone thinks snow tyres are just for snow. They're called Winters tyres and work far better than Summer tyres in temps under 7 degrees, with or without snow. I wasn't allowed them when I had a company car but now I have my own car I got a set. 4 years on still on the same set and I've been out and driving about over the past few days without a single problem (although not in the Porsche, hats off to you for risking that!) Cost is negligible as they reduce the wear on your summers and if you have the space to store a second set of rims and swap them over yourself costs are very little.

I've been considering selling the tin top recently and just running the Boxster as a daily but no way would I do that without having a set of winters for the boxster.

If more people had them fitted the country wouldn't come to a standstill every time we had 1/2 inch of snow and the accident rates in icy weather would drop significantly.

 

This guy got it!

 

But when its snowing as much as it has been, still probably best to avoid driving it where possible!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not the first time I have pointed out winters are a great thing. Having lived in Germany for s good few years you find out. It as should be law like the country's who seem to keep going when the cold and snow hits. But politics and the uk belief only what affects southern England counts. . 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had a spare set of alloys with winter tyres on my both Boxster's put them on in sept/oct take them off mar/apr (ish) that covers the cold (below 7"c) and wet conditions during them months down here in Wales, and if we do happen to have snow that's a bonus, I do the same for my wife's car and I must admit I prefer driving here's in the snow, front wheel drive with the engine weight over them, I can go anywhere in that car the only thing that stops me is the ground clearance sometimes, coming off roundabouts where the snow has been piled up on the exits by the snow ploughs.

took it out to take my Daughter to work yesterday and she works in a Golf Course & Hotel/Spa resort out in the sticks.

 

2018-03-03_07-03-542018-03-03_07-04-17

I had good fun driving out of my estate virgin snow the best type for winter tyres.

2018-03-03_07-04-43

All the advice given before hand is all good and all I would add to it is "go slow in the highest gear possible and don't stop if possible"

Guvs.

This post should of been put in "Boxster Chat" not 987 as all Boxsters are the same when it comes to driving in the snow, can someone move the post ?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my frustrations is why we don’t see more all season tyres in the UK. I had a set of these on a 530d a few years ago and found them to be a great compromise. For your average Joe who can’t be bothered with the faff of swapping / storage they give you enough grip (just) to get around safely in snowy conditions. In Summer they perhaps don’t quite have the ultimate grip but not far off and in reality are summers are just as wet as winter and all seasons are great in wet conditions. 

I’ve tried to find all seasons for my cars subsequently but they just don’t seem to be available in the UK. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today now in my back garden it's 5.3C, so having got to -4C when we had this chilly spell, it's 9.3C warmer....

 

Which is why most folk don't reckon winter tyres or perhaps the councils snowploughs etc....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...