How to drive in winter on front and rear wheel drive?

You know, when you need to celebrate the professional holiday of a locksmith-straightener? The answer is simple - on the day of the first ice. So it turns out, that this morning everyone is getting on the treacherous slippery road, who masterfully own a car in winter conditions; those, who think, who know how to drive on ice; and those, who drive a car for the first months. The deplorable consequences are the same every year - car services and insurance commissioners do not cope with the flow of victims in the accident "Iron Horses". Safe driving in winter requires more than just following certain rules, but also sufficient practical experience.

Proper riding in winter

prepare in advance

Our traditional Slavic hope for "chance" often leads to this, Unexpected colds find the car completely unprepared for use in snow and ice. It is not necessary to be similar to domestic public utilities - in the winter it is necessary to enter in full force:

1. Seasonal tire. A sign of the first cold snap is the queues of motorists at tire repair shops. Do not try your luck - choose a free hour, sign up in advance and change summer tires for winter ones. The drawing of a protector of winter rubber will allow to improve coupling with snow and road during ice, and this is important for confident driving.
2. Studding. Use spikes or not, the issue is debatable. The point is, that on dry and clean asphalt studded rubber behaves worse than usual. If you use a car in those regions, where winter comes into its own in earnest and until spring itself, then, obviously, studded wheels will be needed. In mild southern winters, when the morning field is replaced by daytime thaw, you can just use quality seasonal tires.
3. Windshield washer fluid. Fill the windshield washer fluid with antifreeze beforehand. It can be purchased as a concentrate, and in the finished solution. Check the condition of the wipers - the better it will be, the lower the fluid consumption.
4. Additional funds. Treat the rubber seals of the door openings with a special silicone oil, it is sold as a spray in car shops. This will avoid them from freezing and the difficulty of opening the car. Door locks should also be treated with water-repellent compounds. Equip the car with a snow brush and ice scraper. If the climate of your region is characterized by heavy snowfall, then a small shovel in the trunk will not be superfluous.
5. Parking brakes. Forget about the habit of using a towel in the parking lot. Evening puddles and night frosts will freeze the brake pads to the disc, and running to the car in the morning with a hair dryer or hot kettle is not the most enjoyable activity.

Victory over entry: rules of driving on a snowy road

General rules for safe driving

After dry summer roads, any desire to drive on a winter road can turn into tragic results. Sudden gas discharge, braking, gear shift, a change of direction can result in loss of control of the vehicle. Many instructors at driving schools recommend their students to imagine themselves in a pool of water, where all movements are smooth. The peculiarities of driving a car in winter dictate a number of rules for safe travel:

• If you are unsure of your abilities as a driver, then it is better to limit trips in the season of snowfall and ice. If possible, change your personal car to public transport.
• On a slippery road, the braking distance increases significantly. You can easily check it yourself on a desert road. If your car is equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), then it helps to cope with possible skidding during braking, but also adds a braking distance. Therefore, choosing the right distance while driving is a guarantee of a safe stop for your vehicle. Experts recommend increasing the distance during ice eight times compared to dry asphalt.
• When traveling on slippery winter roads it is better to forget about the brake pedals. Use it at low speeds to stop the car completely. In all other cases it is necessary to use inertial motion and engine braking. It is necessary to start the car in advance, doing it smoothly. You can practice these skills on a dry track or on a landfill.
• The set of speed in winter conditions should be smooth, shift gears gently, without jerks. Contrary to popular belief, the automatic transmission simplifies driving on a slippery road, as change of transfer numbers in it occurs without loadings on a car drive. Modern smart boxes understand the release of gas as a desire to slow down, at the same time the mechanism of braking by the engine joins.

How to restore the state. car number?
Actions of the driver during skidding

• Before the next ascent, you should choose such a transfer, on which you will overcome the whole area, as switching the gearbox while driving can lead to uncontrolled skidding, and the need to start on a slide on the ice. When descending, you should move in a lower gear, braking the power unit. It must be turned on when approaching the descent.
• You can't make sharp maneuvers on a slippery road. Overtaking or bypassing an unexpected pit can lead to loss of control of the vehicle. Sometimes it is better to "catch" this very hole, than to go with the car in a ditch.
• Before entering the turn, you should reset the speed in advance. Too high a speed will cause skidding, which not everyone can handle. Professional racers have been practicing driving skills for years. Inexperienced motorist often does not have the skills to return the car to the desired trajectory.
• Try to anticipate the actions of other road users. This is especially true for pedestrians. Most often, they may suddenly find themselves in front of your car, not only at unregulated intersections, but also near public transport stops, near schools, over the underpasses. Considering that, that the road is slippery, Trying to catch up with the departing minibus may end in a pedestrian fall, and for you the need for emergency braking.

How to avoid skidding and how to get out of the snowdrift

• Always choose a safe place to park. Even in the conditions of the modern metropolis it is quite possible to find a site, where your car will not create problems for the movement of other vehicles and the operation of snow removal equipment.
• If necessary, start on the unrolled section (it is usually a crossroads and public transport stops) remember, that the accelerator needs to be pressed smoothly. Old drivers say "gas up". Engine power reserve, which allowed the summer to go confidently to overtake the convoy of trucks, not needed here. Increased engine speed will make the car wheels grind the already smooth surface. exept this, you run the risk of starting to move suddenly and damage not only your own, but also neighboring cars.

Front-wheel drive cars

Driving a front-wheel drive car is a bit easier in winter, than rear-wheel drive. The point is, power unit and gearbox, which are usually located in front, create considerable pressure on the front axle. So, the adhesion of the drive wheels to the road surface is improved. exept this, if the car slipped, then, turning the steering wheel, it is possible to jump out of the rut.

front-wheel drive car

If you fall into a snowdrift at low speed, you need to perform the following steps at the same time:

• add some gas;
• unscrew the steering wheel in the direction of rotation.

Remember, if you unscrew the steering wheel in the direction of the road and at the same time press the brakes, then the skid will immediately become unmanageable and the situation will worsen significantly. You can also get out of the movement as follows:

• suspend the rotation of the rear wheels, squeezing a little towel for a short time;
• depress the accelerator pedal slightly;
• turn the steering wheel to the side, the opposite rapture.

If the car still started to spin on the road, then experienced racers are advised to squeeze the gas pedal and clutch and wait for the car to come to a complete stop. The running engine will allow you to quickly remove the car from the oncoming lane. Before driving in winter on front-wheel drive, beginners should practice these skills on special landfills or uninhabited sections of the road.

Rear-wheel drive

Unlike front-wheel drive, a car with rear drive wheels is more prone to skidding. It has to do with that, not having a sufficient load on the bridge, such cars have weakened traction of conductive rubber with the road surface. Grandfather's council, how to drive rear-wheel drive in winter for inexperienced drivers, was to load the trunk with ordinary bricks. In this way, the drive bridge is loaded and the risks are reduced. The negative aspects of such a preventive measure should not even be mentioned.

Renault tire pressure table
Driving a rear-wheel drive car in winter

If your car still crashed, the following steps must be performed:

• abruptly turn the steering wheel towards the skid;
• immediately unscrew it in the opposite direction;
• release the accelerator pedal sharply.

The trick of such an exercise on the ice in the rapid rotation of the steering wheel. Rotate it in the opposite direction immediately after turning towards the skid. After leveling the car, gas is added and the movement continues. Of course, It is best to practice these elements of "figure skating" on a winter racetrack or on a desert site..

all-wheel drive cars

Car, equipped with all-wheel drive, behaves on a snowy slippery road much more confidently, than its counterparts with one leading bridge. Failure to skid is not so common, the car is more stable. This wheel formula allows you to keep the road well even in difficult ice conditions. Question, on what occasion it is better to go in the winter, is rhetorical. Thanks to the improved passability and dynamic qualities at dispersal the all-wheel drive car removes set of problems for its owner., related to winter travel. However, you should not relax. Demolition on icy roads is also possible, just his moment is shifted in time. In this case, the front axle usually begins to move. To get out of this situation, the following operations should be performed:

• turn the steering wheel in the direction of skidding;
• slowly add gas.

Driving an SUV in winter

The feigned contradiction of action will exhaust itself after a few workouts. Features of driving an all-wheel drive car in winter are due to the design of the switchgear, which transmits torque to the wheels. Different distribution of these forces between the bridges (50:50, 60:40), and the presence or absence of a differential affects the car's behavior in icy conditions. Before driving all-wheel drive in winter, test your car and learn how to get it out of uncontrolled skidding on a safe section of road. Remember, that miracles do not happen - even a cat can slip on the ice.

Move safely

According to statistics, there are more accidents in winter, than in summer. However, in the period of dry roads, their consequences are more tragic. It has to do with that, that in the conditions of ice drivers lose desire to drive. The main victims of accidents are the fenders and bumpers of cars. The causes of the accident are the wrong choice of distance and the inability of the driver to cope with driving on a slippery road. To improve your skills and confident driving in winter, you can take additional driving courses in extreme conditions. Experienced instructors will teach you to react immediately to a car breakdown in a skid and instill safe skills on snowy trails.