Stopping Distance on Snow Covered Pavement

[scanny]

They reduce stopping distances a lot, up to 35% in some cases. Not to mention the avoidance measures.

Even if its too late to stop, with winter tires on your can release the brake and steer your way to avoiding an accident/pedestrian much easier too.

If I lived in a place like Baltimore like the OP, maybe I couldn't justify the cost though, do in that case, do all of your driving in manual mode and slow down on the gears well in advance.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against winter tires, they help and they definetely worth buying , but I don't want people to expect miracles from winter tires. If you're too fast even best tires won't save you from accident.

 

[1engineer]

Yeah, I was interested in that as well, but didn't see any comments on the DAC.

Downhill assist depends on traction - you must have some type of coefficient of adhesion in order to get wheels turning at a set speed. If you are sliding, that would help you slide better I guess. I use this method:

Slow
Steady
Manual Shifting of Gears
Looking for Traction
Always Having A Bailout Position (to scrub off speed or come to rest)
EASY on Brake Modulation
Sometimes Pray

Yes, I have been in some "less than desirable" positions with my vehicles. The scary part is whenever someone like family/friends cannot make it somewhere or is stuck I am the one to always get the call.
I drove snowplows from 14 years old through college. I am pretty good in the snow. We did 18-20 lots a night.

 

[Jayhawk5G]

If you really want to learn how to drive in snow go learn how to do doughnuts in an empty parking lot. Better if you have a FWD car to practice with.

Enter the parking lot with your FWD car, engage the parking brake and mash the accelerator. Hang on.

IN high school I always found that pulling into the parking lot, mashing the accelerator, and then hitting the e-brake/parking brake led to more fun, I mean practical out of control steering training

 

[smilycook]

Team,
2010 5th Gen Limited owner, I have limited experience in snow driving and I've noticed some issues stopping on snow covered pavement, and as you might guess specifically on downhill. Suggestions? Prob about 4-5 inches of snow, about 32 degrees when it most recently happened. Am I just driving too fast for conditions, or are there pro-active measures I should be taking based on the options I have in this vehicle?
Thanks.

Snow tires are the best addition you can make for winter driving conditions. I have driven with Firestone Winterforce studded tires and Blizzak W965 for the past 8 years and would not go back. There are just too many other drivers out there with no idea how to drive in snow and this is the best way to avoid them. I usually put them on in November and remove them in March.

The increase in stopping distance and turning ability is huge compared to an all season tire.

 

[homeyclaus]

OP, you're going to fast, as everyone has told you.

Four wheel go makes you able to accelerate faster, but it does not help you stop. Your vehicle will stop just the same as everything else with the same tires.

For automatics, shift manually, run a higher gear than you normally would, and on real slippery stuff, shift to neutral just before you come to a complete stop.

And tires will make all the difference.

 

[Reino]

The only proactive measures you can take are downshift, plan ahead and drive slower. winter tires could reduce stopping distance too, but not for much.

Oh yes they will, by A LOT.