I feel for you all. I spent all of Jan sliding down and up our road due to ice

 

No sudden movements. Keep your distance from everyone.

This sounds odd, but you know how you would walk as if you were walking on eggs? Drive that same way. Very slow movements, slow steering inputs, slow acceleration, slow deceleration.

Keep the tires moving(although anti lock brakes don't allow you to lock them up anymore) not skidding or spinning.

Coast as much as possible. You have the most turning ability when you are coasting.

Good luck out there! Don't leave the house unless you absolutely have to. Especially down there where no one knows what they're doing on slippery roads.

 

some good advice so far. I will add that on the average highway or not-too-curvy country road, the maximum safe speed (at least for me) is about 45 mph. Obviously you slow down for curves and such, but on the straightaways 45 mph. And if you can't maintain a reasonable speed in the conditions, say at least 35 mph, do yourself and everyone else a favor and stay home. I can't recall the number of times I've come around a curve on some country road in the snow and ice and here's Grandma Eunice struggling to maintain 20 mph and it's all I can do not to rear end her. Poking makes you *almost* as much of a hazard to yourself and others as the fools who think they can drive the speed limit and faster. but good advice above. I especially agree with slow, gentle braking, gradual steering, extra following distance and be extra slow on the turns.

 

Studded tires arent illegal, at least in CT, but you can only have them on a certain period of the year. And I know what you mean about you guys dont know what to do., I was in MO for the last month and we had 1 1/2 inchs of snow and the base was shut down..... And I had to salt snow...... What a joke, whoever ordered that was a southerner for sure. But just drive slow and leave plenty of room. And drifting is always fun.. Oh and be light on the gas and brakes

 

They're illegal in Wisconsin and Ill. Not sure about Minn but i'm fairly sure they're illegal there too.

 

A pretty good link to the US studded tire rules:

http://www.tire-information-world.co...gulations.html

 

im from the Bryan/College Station area and i saw 3 wrecks driving to work this morning. my truck had no problem. we didnt have any ice though, just snow

 

I agree. There is a little bit of skill involved in driving on ice however, its always good to pay attention to the slope of the road and know which way you will be sliding if something happens, (downhill, haha). Like previously stated snow helps with traction so instead of driving in the pure icy wheel tracks like every other moron, especially at intersections, I always try and drive offset from everyone else for better traction. In some cases if there is enough traffic it will eventually burn off the ice making the wheel tracks the best place to be. Takes practice and experience to learn all the tricks, but in high traffic environments its always best to stay home cause 98 percent of the idiots on the roads cant drive and will hit ya. Its just as much about keeping an eye on what everyone else is doing as much as what you are doing and the road conditions. Way more involved than normal driving.

 

Because we're mountain goats that why. But in all truth it comes from experience as well. I've been driving since 2003 or so. I started with a '97 chevy S10 2WD, and traded that for an '02 Mustang. Now a high school kid + a RWD sports car + north Jersey winters = learned fast. I gained more experience over the years - especially those in the Stang, and gained a bit more when I was mudding in The Pines, which taught me how to correct and compensate if the truck breaks loose.

I might get flamed for this part but whatever - I found that 4HI helps a LITTLE bit by keeping the rear from coming around.

As for speeds - it's already been stated. I don't break the 40 - 45 mark if the roads have snow on them - I go slower around corners and on the back roads. I know more than one way to and from where I need to be and choose the path with the most highways and least abound of back roads and hills.

It mainly comes down to go slow, take your time and don't be out unless you need to.


Jersey was placed on a "State of Emergency" a few weeks ago during one of the big storms. That means unless you work as a cop, emt/doctor/nurse, firefighter, or township employee stay home. Story:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...peed_rest.html

People were actually stuck on the highways for hours that day. It was BAD.


_

 

Experience, is the key. If you live in an area that gets bad roads, you learn how to deal with it.

It kills me though, even around here, when they cancel drivers ed classes for a little snow. I say, get the little snot noses out there and teach them some skills!