Jul 12
9
I know you don’t put on your breaks but thats about it. Today is going to be the first day ever that I am driving in snow and I am kind of scared I really don’t want to get killed or hurt anyone else. SO what do I do if my car starts to slide? Thanks so much for your answers! =)
The best thing I can suggest is to find a road with almost no traffic on it, and practice making the car slide, then practice recovering the slide. The techniques are different depending on the car you drive. An all wheel drive car, the gas is actually your friend if the rear of your car starts to slide while turning. If the car is front wheel drive, the gas can also help pull you out of the slide, you just have to be careful not to accelerate too hard and lose traction with the front tires too. Rear wheel drive can be a little tricky, because giving it gas without countersteering can cause you to spin around completely, but giving it too much gas while countersteering can cause you to spin out the other way. This takes practice controlling. Countersteering is where you keep your front wheels pointing the direction you are going. So if the car starts to slide out to the left, then you would turn to the left.
Now, if you’re sliding in a straight line when trying to stop, there’s still a little you can do. I’m assuming you don’t have antilock brakes. So, if you find yourself starting to slide, do the exact opposite of what your first instinct will be. Let off the brakes. Let the tires regain traction, then lightly tap the brakes to slow you down.
Most importantly, account for the fact the roads are going to be slick. Drive slower, much slower if you have to. In really bad situations I’ve found myself going as slow as 15mph on the highway. Also, remember to brake early and leave very large gaps. Because of the lack of traction, it will take longer to slow down. What I tend to do, is leave about 2-3 times as much space between me and the car in front of me. This way, even if I lock up all 4 tires, I have plenty of room to recover and stop the car before hitting the person in front of me. Now, there will be idiots driving like the roads are fine, and will take advantage of that gap…Let them. I don’t know how many times someone has done that, and I’ve watched them either get in an accident or slide off the road 5 minutes later. Laugh at their misfortune, it will help relax you. I know that sounds mean, but if someone doesn’t think before they act, and if it helps you relax a little behind the wheel, it’s worth it. Staying relaxed, as you can tell, is another thing that is hard to do, but worth trying.
