Snow does not cause accidents

[Fat Charlie]

It's hard to recover from a skid if you've never played with skidding.

[NeilBlanchard]

Another issue is 4 wheel drive - people think it makes them immune to problems. When it actually only gets you into trouble faster.

I'll take good winter tires over 4 wheel drive any day. They give you better steering and braking, in addition to better acceleration grip.

The other mandatory equipment is winter / all weather windshield wipers.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

I'll take good winter tires over 4 wheel drive any day.

Maybe because you live in the flatter part of the country. Get off the main roads and on to something over 6% grade, with 6" or so of snow over ice, and you might change your mind :-)

But I do agree, for virtually all (sub)urban & highway driving, 4WD does nothing, other than get idiots in trouble.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

It's hard to recover from a skid if you've never played with skidding.

At a certain point its easier to do the 360 then continue driving, I did that with my cobalt which likes to lock one rear tire but not the other, I spun around loosing lots of speed then straightened and continued, quite enjoyable also.

[Xist]

A roommate once mentioned his grandfather who would pull stuck 4x4s with his 2wd truck.

On one trip in the last year or two, I was driving home from my parents' house when I hit a bad snow storm. Everything was fine, then I turned a corner, and everything was covered in snow, and vehicles were crawling. I tried to gently brake, but started skidding. I really should have pulled over, but wondered if my chance of being hit by someone else while parked was almost as high as losing control and hitting something. Two cars had lost control and crashed. It seemed like I could get out of the storm faster than it would end, so I carefully continued.

I think that I was driving the Forester. I was not impressed with the AWD. I was once stuck in snow, too. I just tried to pull over to micturate.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Another issue is 4 wheel drive - people think it makes them immune to problems. When it actually only gets you into trouble faster.

I'll take good winter tires over 4 wheel drive any day. They give you better steering and braking, in addition to better acceleration grip.

The other mandatory equipment is winter / all weather windshield wipers.

Absolutely. Having grown up in Alaska, I have driven in some really nasty conditions. I was always able to get where I wanted to go with just 2wd and some good snow tires. With the right tires, 4wd is unnecessary on anything vaguely resembling a maintained road.

Despite Subaru's ads suggesting otherwise, AWD is no substitute for snow tires.

[fbov]

Originally Posted by darcane

... AWD is no substitute for snow tires.

+1

For the last 40 years, my winter mantra has been:
1 wheel drive,
2 wheel steer,
4 wheel brake,
... using good snow tires.

Granted, there are hills that beg for 4WD... or chains or studs. Guys running the local "brisk speed" night rally series all run studded snows, and the top guys with AWD/4WD... plus they practice. Folks go off, but that's what the sweep car is for!

Have fun,
Frank

[Grant-53]

Well I put the snow tires on my bicycle last week and I need to treat the helmet visor with defog fluid. As for my relatives in the Buffalo South towns it's winter as usual. I would list good snow tires, adequate ground clearance, and weight over drive wheels as the minimum requirements. The correct antifreeze and windshield washer fluid are next. Adjust tire pressure a couple pounds lower. Keep a snow brush, ice scraper, shovel, and sleeping bag handy. If the vehicle is not in a garage, cover the windshield with a tarp. The radiator block will help the engine warm up faster. Fog lights are handy in snow too.
Getting practice braking and spinning in a safe area is a good plan early in the season. Remember to put in the clutch or neutral to keep the engine from stalling in a spin. Watch for soft places to land such as shrubs rather than trees. Racers prefer to hit back end first for minimum damage. The difference between 2WD and 4WD is usually how far into the snow bank you can go before getting stuck. Learn to read the snow consistency, and pay attention to temp and wind direction factors. All else fails roast hot dogs in the fire place

[Cobb]

Dont forget ground clearance, weight distribution and driving technology like abs, trac, skid control too. I like my honda insight due to its skid, trac and skid control, however there is a limit. I like my sidekick ca you can go anywhere, but you need to be an active driver working the brakes, gas, steering, gear selection, etc.

For example if the honda gets sideways into a curb, Im going to bounce off the curb. If Im in the sidekick I can gun it and drive over the curb to the shoulder, another parking lot, etc.

With the sidekick I can purposely drive off the road to the shoulder and regain my grip. The honda I try to stay on the road as once it hits the shoulder its likely going into the ditch and need a tow.

[roosterk0031]

Same tires AWD/4wd kicks butt over fwd, yes it gives some people too much confidence and gets them in trouble, cause most of them are running mud terrains or all seasons.