If the snow layer is thin and compacted, then there are no obstacles to traffic, provided that you know that the coefficient of adhesion to the road is much lower than on a dry or even wet road. If the snow lies in a thick layer, then the possibility of the car slipping and getting stuck should be foreseen. It is especially difficult to ride when deep ruts have formed in the snow. In these conditions, you need to move slowly, because the ruts are not even and straight, and jumping out of the rut at high speed leads to a loss of control of the car. Snowdrifts several meters long should be overcome with acceleration. And large covered sections of the road must first be examined by walking along them, because they threaten to get stuck. If you see that you could not overcome a large snowdrift the first time, then do not allow it to get completely stuck. It is necessary to stop and return back along the old track, thus compacting the track, then again disperse the car forward, trying to overcome the remaining part of the skid. Obviously, such a technique has a chance of success only when the length of the entered area allows it. If the vehicle in front of you is stuck in a snowdrift, never try to pass without stopping. It is necessary to stop, get out of the car, familiarize yourself with the situation and help a colleague get out of this situation. Then you can easily follow his trail.
It may happen that your car is bogged down so much that «sits down» into the snow with the lower part of the body, and the wheels can even hang in the air. Do not try to get back with the help of wheel slip, it leads to even more «instillation» driving wheels in the snow. It is necessary to dig out the car with a shovel, throwing snow from under the body until the wheels touch the road. Then you need to dig up the snow under the front and rear wheels. Only then can you try to slowly move back.
Very good results when leaving the snowdrifts give the following actions:
- putting sand, gravel, stones, boards and even rugs taken from your car under the wheels;
- front wheel alignment. If the wheels are straight, they have little resistance to movement, if they are turned sideways, they make it impossible to leave;
- proper pressure on the gas and clutch pedal. It is necessary to lightly press the gas pedal, give low speed, and turn on the clutch smoothly, holding it slightly at the end.
The traction force must be less than the traction force. And on a snowy road, there is little grip;
- «rocking» the car back and forth, as the wheels at a length of 10-20 cm will tamp the track, which will allow you to gain the necessary speed for leaving;
- pushing the car by another person; this must be done carefully and not on the side of the track, but in the middle of the car body; not only snow, dirt, but also stones that you just planted fly out from under the wheels;
- pulling away in second gear, when the traction force is less and it is easier to pull off.
Driving on snow will not cause you much difficulty in driving, provided that you:
- increase the distance to the car in front;
- constantly assess the situation ahead and be ready for surprises;
- stop at an increased distance if the vehicle in front has stopped;
- periodically check the effectiveness of the brakes. Snow can get into the brake mechanism and the effectiveness of the brakes will weaken;
- you will clean the front, rear windows and lighting fixtures. Windshield wipers and heating may not be able to cope with a large amount of snow, leaving uncleaned areas;
- think over in advance a plan for overcoming snowdrifts and drifts. It is impossible to act hastily, frivolous attempts to get out will only lead to a worsening of the situation;
- you will shift to a lower gear in advance;
- before turning, reduce speed;
- turn the steering wheel smoothly, avoid sudden movements;
- brake on «top ten» in ice intermittently or stepwise (These methods have been considered before); engine braking on ice is more dangerous, as the drive wheels slip and make the car uncontrollable. In this situation, in addition to intermittent pressing of the brake pedal, intermittent pressing of the clutch pedal has an effect. When the clutch is released, the wheels stop slipping.
In areas with long winters, it is recommended to additionally equip the car:
- have studded wheels in stock and put them on the car if necessary; you should put at least on the drive wheels special tires with a tread that has good grip with snow cover. This does not threaten the car in any way when driving on a dry road, it only creates increased noise; keep tire pressure normal.
Attention! The spike only works when it goes deep into the coating, only on the ice that it penetrates. If it protrudes by 1.5 mm, then the ice must be at least as thick. And if the ice is thin, up to hundredths of a millimeter, the spike is useless for such ice. Be careful when moving with spikes on thin ice, do not rely on them. Snow, and even rolled, is soft for a spike, and it is not capable of creating a large traction force;
- have a shovel, it will help you get out of the snowdrift;
- have sand, at least in the garage or nearby. In winter, it can be difficult to leave the garage or parking lots;
- have old bags that you need to carry in the trunk.
Snow covers road markings and can cover signs and traffic lights, so be careful while driving.
Driving a car in ice during oncoming traffic, overtaking, acceleration and especially braking causes great difficulties. And the implementation of these maneuvers requires not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical special training.
The icing can be continuous over a large section of the road or in small sections. Usually the borders of ice are the edge of the forest, roadside buildings, so in these places we should expect a change in the state of the road surface. Even at a positive temperature, ice can form on bridges, in depressions and lowlands, on dams and other blown areas. The trouble is aggravated by the fact that the ice catches many by surprise: after all, there was just a good grip. The first ice is especially insidious, in November-December the number of accidents increases significantly compared to other months of the year. According to statistics, more than 60% of accidents are associated with loss of controllability. The reason is that some drivers do not have time to change their driving style after the summer, and many simply do not imagine the features of driving on a slippery road. When tires fall on ice, their grip on the road immediately drops 4-5 times, during rain and snowfall only 2-3 times and gradually. How many times the grip is reduced, how many times the braking distance increases.
Ice is different. The most slippery - at an air temperature of about 0°C. At temperatures below -20°C, it is no longer so slippery, since there is no water in it. If you suspect ice, you need to reduce the speed of the car to 10 km / h and slow down slightly: if you feel a skid, then your suspicion is confirmed; if there is no skid, then there is no ice. Experienced drivers know: if the car is under them «plays», which means that the road is washed with ice.
Before starting off on a slippery road, you must:
- align the front wheels;
- turn on first, and preferably second gear;
- gently press the gas pedal, achieving low steady speeds;
- gently release the clutch pedal, holding it at the end;
- move slowly;
- if the wheels began to slip, do not accelerate: the wheels will dig even deeper into the ice, due to friction forces the ice will melt, the grip will be even less, and the wheels will slip more strongly. Only after a long gassing, when all the ice under the wheel melts and the wheel touches the ground or asphalt, the car will start moving. This is car abuse. Often it is enough just to push the car or rock it back and forth to make it move.
If you get on ice, the main thing is not to get lost, but remember the basic rules to ensure safe movement in these conditions:
- be attentive and focused on the correct driving;
- in case of loss of control, intermittently press the clutch pedal;
- release gas very smoothly, brake intermittently;
- shift to a lower gear, with a deep regassing, and, releasing the clutch pedal very smoothly, hold it at the end;
- you need to drive as slowly as possible, at a constant speed, it should be such that you do not lose the feeling of driving: it must obey you;
- calculate your movement, look as far as possible;
- increase the distance from the car in front: how many times the braking distance increases, so many times you need to increase the distance;
- increase the interval both with passing traffic and with oncoming traffic;
- do not turn the steering wheel sharply, the car may skid from a sharp rotation. You wanted to change direction and turned the steering wheel sharply, and the car continues straight forward sliding straight, even though the wheels are turned. This is physics, the law of conservation of inertia.
Let us consider in more detail the rules for braking in ice. What to do if you need to brake urgently on ice?
You noticed an obstacle late, you need to slow down, and there is ice under the wheels. Keep in mind that hard braking results in skidding and driving experience is poor. The simplest, but surest way: simultaneously press the brake pedal with your left foot, and press the gas pedal with your right foot. Pressing is smooth, but decisive. Then the torque supplied by the engine will prevent the wheels from blocking, which means skidding, and the braking distance will be less than with skidding. With such actions, the engine may stall, then loosen the force on the brake pedal, and if your car has a brake booster, then do not reduce the pressure on the brake pedal and continue to drive the car if it continues to move.
If you have experience and strong nerves, then use the intermittent braking method that we discussed earlier. Press the brake pedal; as soon as you feel that the skidding of the wheels has begun, force yourself to release the brake pedal for a moment, then press again, but weaker. And so continue to press and release the brake pedal until it comes to a complete stop, each time weakening the pressure. With this technique, you do not allow the wheels to constantly slide, so the braking distance will be even less.
Experienced drivers use the most effective braking method - stepped. We also considered it, it can be used in any conditions when you need to quickly stop the car. Press the brake pedal smoothly, but decisively, slightly lowering (not completely, as in intermittent). Keep your foot on the pedal all the time, ready to release pressure if a blockage occurs, then increase pressure on the pedal again. This is very delicate work. It is available only after training in a safe area. Statistics say: in 70 out of 100 collisions with pedestrians, only 1 meter is missing before the car stops.
Consider possible options for driving a car in ice on a turn, on an ascent and descent.
When cornering, centrifugal force acts on the car. It is directly proportional to the square of the speed and inversely proportional to the turning radius, i.e., the greater, the greater the speed and the steeper the turn. Therefore, before a slippery turn it is necessary:
- slow down as much as possible before the turn;
- soften the trajectory of movement, if possible, by moving, as shown in fig. 13;
- when turning, lightly press the gas pedal, which will increase the stability of the car, but skidding is dangerous here, be prepared for this;
- turn the steering wheel smoothly.
The actions of the driver to overcome the rise covered with ice are as follows:
- smoothly accelerate your vehicle before lifting;
- choose the desired gear and speed in advance so as not to change them on the very ascent;
- try not to add gas, handle it carefully, otherwise slipping and even sliding back will begin;
- didn’t manage to overcome the climb the first time, don’t worry, this happens to many. If the road is clear, it is better to carefully slow down, go down and try to climb up again, taking into account the mistakes of the first time;
- If it doesn't work the second time, try the third. If the road is clear, carefully go down, turn around and try to overcome the rise in reverse. This is especially true for front-wheel drive «dozens», since half the weight of the car falls on the front drive wheels. When driving uphill, they skid more often than rear-wheel drive;
- the road is not free, attempts did not allow to overcome the rise; carefully moving in reverse, pull over to the side of the road, stop the car, place a stop under any wheel convenient for you. Give «relax» engine, and think for yourself how best to overcome this rise, or refuse to overcome it altogether, using a long and reliable road. Well, if you need to overcome, then make a track out of sand, cement, stored up by you in advance. The road service also covers difficult winter roads and prepares sand and gravel in places where it is usually needed.
On icy descents, brake with the engine, engaging second gear while still at the top. If you press the brake, the car will move skidding, like on a sled. Do not turn the steering wheel abruptly.