Ten Absurd Winter Driving Myths That Need To Die

[NoDak]

Ten Absurd Winter Driving Myths That Need To Die


lol these kill me, and some are just scary they are myths.


10.) ABS Means You Can Brake Like Normal

(abs will not save your ass when a cross wind pushes you off road sideways due to black ice or ice on the road when your doing 55mph, see #8. also I have been pushed off the road by even doing 15-25 mph with a decent crosswind)

9.) You Don't Need To Scrape The Snow Off The Top Of Your Car

(I see this all the time, your just too dam lazy and create more issues for everyone else with all that snow flying and creating snow fog)

8.) People From The North Know How To Drive In The Snow

(not always, just to dam dumb to realize how stupid they are. crazy snow drivers from the north + slow down south drivers in snow the 1st time = wrecks)

6.) Rear Wheel Drive Is Worthless In The Snow

(if you don't know how to drive a rwd in the snow. I was raised on rwd in the snow. I never had issues with 2" to 6" of snow, you just have to drive slower than a fwd)


4.) You Don't Need To Let Your Car Warm Up Anymore

Don't believe any of the bullshit going around Facebook. Warm up your damn car if it's cold.

 

[bofa]

1.) Your Car Can Handle It All For You

You can have the best Range Rover, with the best snow tires money can buy and it doesn't mean shit if you don't think to leave sufficient stopping room ahead of you, watch for black ice, smooth out your controls at the wheel.

It's not the wand, it's the magician.

The Mrs. was puzzled that the new Jeep with full time 4WD and winter tires still slid after a few thaw/freeze cycles turned the roads into a massive skating rink. I tried explaining this to her. Maybe I'll just forward the article... or buy her a tank.

 

[JB.]

7.) For Better Traction, Under Inflate Tires

Agree, but this will get a lot of push back around here.

4.) You Don't Need To Let Your Car Warm Up Anymore

Depends on circumstances, but for the most part reasonable driving will get it up to temp faster which means less wear.

 

[NoDak]

7.) For Better Traction, Under Inflate Tires

Agree, but this will get a lot of push back around here.

simple reason, you under inflate tires on the trails to get better traction on rocks/etc. the tires mold around the rocks easier when under inflated.

this does work on snow/ice but for 99% of the time, your better off just leaving the tires inflated to spec to dig thru the snow to reach solid ground/pavement when your snow depth is shallow.

reason is, 99% of the people don't have on board air or a tire inflator handy to re-inflate the tires once you get back on solid ground/road. its more of a hazard to drive under inflated on a hard surface.

 

[piccrazy30]

People also think they can drive like the vehicles are driven in commercials, I have seen a bunch of Subaru's this winter driving stupidly and think to myself maybe they think since the car can drive like that on tv it can in real life.

"Your car can handle it for you" :bash: :doh: :tape: :fearlenty of Colorado drivers that believe that myth

 

[IanB]

simple reason, you under inflate tires on the trails to get better traction on rocks/etc. the tires mold around the rocks easier when under inflated.

this does work on snow/ice but for 99% of the time, your better off just leaving the tires inflated to spec to dig thru the snow to reach solid ground/pavement when your snow depth is shallow.

reason is, 99% of the people don't have on board air or a tire inflator handy to re-inflate the tires once you get back on solid ground/road. its more of a hazard to drive under inflated on a hard surface.

Lower tire pressure than in the summer, sure. Underinflated, no. But more important that either, is having tires that are good in the conditions, everything else is just a bandaid.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I read a bit into the whole deflating your tires during winter thing (to me it was logical, snow is sorta squishy/gives way like sand so you'd want to "float" over it right?) What was interesting was that there's two predominate schools of thought on this that apply to two different situations:

-If the Snow is LOWER than your ground clearance, keep your tires inflated to proper road going pressure to cut THROUGH the snow.

-If the Snow is HIGHER than your ground clearance, lower your pressure to FLOAT over the snow so you you have a higher chance of not getting stuck.

Everything else on that list is pretty scary that people believe that stuff. :

Most people have no idea how ABS really works and that ABS actually in some cases INCREASES stopping distances, they think its some magical system that makes you stop on a dime every time. Not to mention the same about 4WD/AWD and the like, spent like an hour trying to explain to my step-dad why VSC/TRAC is crappy in the snow for people who know how to drive a car and for people who don't; it was a futile exercise...

 

[AudiTech]

Here in Colorado every single time it snows it's always Subarus that you see lining the ditches on the side of the roads, Jeeps get an honorable mention for being the second most common. Colorado drivers are much worse in the snow than I expected (coming from Chicago). The problem is this a place people WANT to relocate to, most people you meet aren't Colorado natives, there are a ton from Texas and Cali who have never seen snow, when the snow comes their heads go straight up their asses.

 

[Jernik]

In regards to #6, 2wd just makes you pay more attention to 1) available traction and 2) momentum.

Where people get in trouble with fwd and 4wd is that they're much easier to get up to speed. However, once up to speed it doesn't matter how many wheels are driving... rwd, fwd, 4wd doesn't help as much when you need to stop, or find all traction is suddenly lost.

Pay no mind to my current location. I grew up driving a Trans Am in KS, spent a year in MI with a 2wd Dakota, and 11 years in IN with various 2wd, fwd, and 4wd vehicles. And I have never had a set of dedicated winter tires. Probably shouldn't say anything and jinx myself, but I never went in a ditch or got stuck on the road (in my driveway was a different story though!) and never hit anything when driving on snow/ice.

 

[LandCruiser]

Here in Colorado every single time it snows it's always Subarus that you see lining the ditches on the side of the roads, Jeeps get an honorable mention for being the second most common. Colorado drivers are much worse in the snow than I expected (coming from Chicago). The problem is this a place people WANT to relocate to, most people you meet aren't Colorado natives, there are a ton from Texas and Cali who have never seen snow, when the snow comes their heads go straight up their asses.

That's pretty much what I've been saying.

The TexaCali drivers usually are here with cars and trucks they've bought in their states, and for the most part come equipped with summer tires.

 

[KidVermicious]

I read a bit into the whole deflating your tires during winter thing (to me it was logical, snow is sorta squishy/gives way like sand so you'd want to "float" over it right?) What was interesting was that there's two predominate schools of thought on this that apply to two different situations:

-If the Snow is LOWER than your ground clearance, keep your tires inflated to proper road going pressure to cut THROUGH the snow.

-If the Snow is HIGHER than your ground clearance, lower your pressure to FLOAT over the snow so you you have a higher chance of not getting stuck.

^ This is how I approach it. If I can dig down to a hard surface without burying my frame, I'll run higher pressures. If it's a deep or bottomless surface, I'll run lower pressures. It depends on the type of snow, too - a fluff or powder is easy to sink into and dictates a much lower pressure (but won't drag hardly at all on your axle or frame), while an icy packable snow will sometimes compress enough under the tires to make it's own hard surface to get traction on (but if you sink your axles in that stuff, you're stuck for sure).

Only offroad, though. The only time I run a low PSI on pavement is at low speed and between trailheads. Conditions would have to be drastic to see me airing down before I go to work.