driving in snow for the first time... help

[MotF Bane]

True to a point - your typical driver won't brake properly with conventional brakes, though, and ABS is far more effective than locking your tires on dry pavement.

Absolutely. Been there, done that, and with the same car, so the comparison is pretty good.

 

[mmntech]

You're in Canukistan though...the OP is in Florida.

So? Doesn't make my advice any less poignant. Most Canadians don't know how to drive in snow. Especially in Toronto.

Dude, I grew up in upstate NY. I learned how to drive in the snow...worked for a rental company for many years in upstate NY...we never had AWD or 4WD vehicles. I never even drove an AWD vehicle until I was in my late 30s living in SoCal.

How many years ago was that? I work for a major Canadian rental company. I have two sitting on my lot right now and it's a low volume store to boot. Enterprise also stocks them AFAIK. You've just gotta ask.

 

[Aikouka]

Consider it kind of like driving in heavy rain. The same road conditions usually apply; however, rain usually clears off of a road much quicker than snow . Driving in snow really isn't that bad. I honestly worry a hell of a lot more about other people driving around me in the snow than I worry about the snow itself.

EDIT:

Although, now I'm in the south, so I don't have to worry about snow much at all... hooray!

 

[alkemyst]

This is true. No matter how much you think you can make yourself pump the brakes in an emergency, when shit hits the fan, your adrenaline hits and you grab a foot full of brakes...

I did that three times BITD with my Mustang GT. :$ Got slight flat spotted front tires three times.

people used to be able to do this, but then they became weak.

 

[MJinZ]

people used to be able to do this, but then they became weak.

Thought pumping your brakes made them useless

 

[jlee]

Thought pumping your brakes made them useless

It's bad with ABS, but you're supposed to if you're driving in snow/etc and don't have ABS.

 

[SparkyJJO]

It's bad with ABS, but you're supposed to if you're driving in snow/etc and don't have ABS.

Well, only pump them if you lock them up in the first place. However, I think ABS is now a mandatory feature on vehicles anymore.

I try to ease into braking so that my ABS doesn't have to kick in, as I'm pretty sure I can come to a more controlled (and maybe a little shorter) stop doing that than mashing the pedal and letting the ABS fire away.

 

[JulesMaximus]

So? Doesn't make my advice any less poignant. Most Canadians don't know how to drive in snow. Especially in Toronto.

Not much need for AWD vehicles in FL...kind of like marketing winter clothing when it's 100 degrees.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Not much need for AWD vehicles in FL...kind of like marketing winter clothing when it's 100 degrees.

According to my buddy at Enterprise, there are 4 AWD Toyota Highlanders and 4 4WD Ford Explorers for all of So Cal, lol

 

[Howard]

It's bad with ABS, but you're supposed to if you're driving in snow/etc and don't have ABS.

Threshold braking is what was recommended in my driving course.

 

[HybridSquirrel]

slow, dont rev it up hard, leave lots yourself room, pump the brakes (even with abs, fuck what the critics say). I usually drive rwd (the heater works better than my corolla) in the snow and have never had problems.

 

[alkemyst]

the pumping thing is more push until they start to lock and then release/repush.

It's counter-intuitive to most to let their brake go when they aren't stopping.

Modern ABS systems are better than most drivers on the road.

 

[JulesMaximus]

According to my buddy at Enterprise, there are 4 AWD Toyota Highlanders and 4 4WD Ford Explorers for all of So Cal, lol

We have mountains here less than 2 hours away, over 5000' in elevation, where snow is common in the winter. Florida is flat as a pancake and never gets snow.