The Driver's Seat: Winter Weather Driving War

[AF News Desk]

The Driver’s Seat:
Winter Weather Driving War
As you prepare to battle the elements, you must also battle other drivers.

Jonathan Swigart - AutomotiveForums.com
Nov. 11, 2011

Yesterday afternoon, it snowed where I live for the first time this season, signifying the depressing reality that winter is upon us.

What’s more, it brought back the memories of past winters, during which I routinely experienced people unable to drive appropriately for the conditions outside.

You know the people I’m talking about, too. They drive too fast on iced-over roads or drive too slowly when it’s barely spitting snow. They’re the ones that make roads dangerous during the winter and – very likely – swear at the rest of us because we’re “going too fast!”

I’m going to level with you here: I’m not terribly excited about sharing the road with individuals who drive this way. It scares me even more now that I have a child than it did when I was by myself in the car.

After all, I’ve never understood the difficulty people have in driving based on the elements. It’s not rocket science – you adjust your speed and how you brake, as well as accelerate to match the road conditions. Easy! Right?

Apparently not.

The worst part about this is, either extreme has the potential to be hazardous. Driving too cautiously can create problems with drivers behind you bunching up in traffic. Driving too carelessly can yield accidents. So what’s a driver to do?

First thing’s first: If you’re NOT interested in driving in the elements, and you can avoid it – avoid it. Stay inside. There’s no point in going somewhere if you don’t need to and if you don’t believe you will be able to do so safely.

No one wants to be the person who decided it was a good idea to go out in bad weather for a gallon of milk because “we really need to eat that cereal tomorrow,” and end up in an accident because you weren’t sure about driving in the weather in the first place.

Next, if you do plan on going out, you should know how your car reacts in the weather in which you are driving. How does your car handle in snow? On ice? In freezing rain? These things are all important to know. And, it’s as simple as paying attention to the control of your vehicle in each situation.

If you’re driving on an icy road, pay attention to the amount of control you have over the vehicle. When you start feeling that control loosen, ease up a bit and coast for a bit – just be sure to remember at what point you started to feel your car lose its responsiveness.

Another area people often overlook is how to brake and accelerate properly. If there’s snow and ice on the ground, you’re not going to be hammering the gas at an intersection or brake the same as you would when approaching a stop on dry pavement. Slippery roads often necessitate braking sooner and – if necessary – intermittent braking (I know most cars have ABS, but you can’t always rely on them).

The same holds true for acceleration. Unless you’re planning on spinning your tires, don’t put your foot down like you’ll take off instantly – ease into the gas and gradually speed up. And don’t take turns/corners so fast either. You’ll enjoy your holiday season much more without wrapping your car around a power pole because you thought being Speed Racer in the snow was a good idea.

Finally, if you’re one of the aforementioned drivers out there (slow or aggressive), here are some tips just for you: If you’re driving too slow (because that’s how you happen to drive) and you’ve got a line of traffic behind you, pull off the road and let them pass. No one needs to be in an accident because you don’t deal with bad weather well.

Conversely, don’t be a tailgater. I’ve been on the Interstate doing 60 miles per hour in some bad weather (because that’s about as fast as I could go without putting myself into a bad situation) and had people tailgating me like I’m driving 20 on a sunny day. That is incredibly unnecessary. I don’t care if you want to take yourself out of the gene pool by speeding down a dangerous highway, but don’t do it in a way that threatens other people.

I’ll be completely honest and tell you that winter weather is not the part of the season that scares me about driving. I’ve been driving in it for 10 years and haven’t had any problems. It’s everyone else – the ones who can’t seem to get a handle on their driving ability – who scare me.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. And you don’t have to be one of those drivers. All it takes is being attentive to the situation by responding as necessary.

That said, if you’re going to be driving this winter, don’t be “that guy.” Be the driver that other people want to share the road with. And most importantly, be safe.

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Jonathan Swigart is an award-winning journalist and has been around the automotive world his entire life. "The Driver’s Seat" will explore some of the basic aspects of driving that drivers often overlook, among other topics related to driving and the auto industry. He lives in Champaign, Illinois with his wife and son and works at the University of Illinois.

You can reach Jonathan by emailing newsdesk@automotiveforums.com