Winter Driving Smarts

Winter driving is treacherous, because it's so unpredictable. Just when you're sure everything is under control, some idiot in front of you slows unexpectedly. A soupy fog bank lurks over a brow. A patch of ice under the slush waits to spit you into the puckerbush.

The primary key to slippery-surface control is smoothness. Jerky movements upset the car's suspension and unstick its tires. So every turn of the wheel, every touch of the brakes, every move of the throttle must be as gentle, smooth and gradual as possible. Pretend there's a cup of scalding-hot coffee in your lap. Practice not spilling it.

Rule number two when the going gets touchy is to stay alert. The more slippery it gets, (continued on page 201)Driving(continued from page 159) the farther down the road you have to look and think. Test for changing conditions with gentle braking, adjust speed accordingly and don't underestimate your speed. Allow double your normal stopping distance when the road is wet, triple on snow, even farther on ice.

Follow these two basic rules and you'll likely have little trouble. But winter-road trouble, if it does come, usually arrives in the form of a skid. And skids don't just happen; they're caused. You turn into a curve too fast or brake or accelerate too hard, and some or all of your tires lose their grip. The next thing you know, you're out of control.

Well, not yet: Skid recovery is really pretty simple. Usually, all you have to do is back off the gas, get off and stay off the brakes and keep the steering pointed down the road. Try to look where you're steering, not where the car may be headed as a result of the skid. Driving is a little like shooting a gun: To have any hope of hitting the target, you have to look where you're aiming. Let your peripheral vision take care of whatever you're trying to avoid at the side of the road.

There are two basic types of skids: understeer and oversteer. Understeer is a front-wheel skid--you turn the wheel, but the front tires lose their grip and the car wants to keep going straight. It ends up turning less than expected. The solution: Ease off the gas, which slows you down and transfers weight forward to help the front tires regain their grip. Don't add more steering, but do keep it aimed where you want to go when traction suddenly returns, as it will.

Oversteer is a rear-wheel skid. The rear tires lose traction, the back end slides sideways and the car turns more than expected. Uncorrected, oversteer leads to a spin. The trick here is to catch it quickly by steering the front wheels the same way the rear is going--which, not coincidentally, turns out to be down the road, the way you want to go.

To recover, just ease off the gas and, again, stay off the brakes. When the tires regain their grip and the ass end starts swinging back into line, steer straight ahead, then just enough the other way to prevent any counterskid. A little gentle acceleration at this point also helps stabilize the car.

Remember, your brakes can be your worst enemy. When there's precious little traction available, what's used for slowing can't be called on for steering, which is usually more important. Locked-up wheels (everyone's most common mistake) give no control at all. If you can't stop in time, it's better to ease off the brakes and steer gingerly around something than to slide into it.

When you do have to stop in a hurry (see Hit the Brakes!, Playboy, September 1986), always squeeze the brake pedal very gently. If any wheels start to lock and slide (you'll notice a lighter steering feel or the rear's getting loose), release a little (not all) pressure momentarily to get them rolling, then squeeze again. Repeat as necessary: Squeeze, release; squeeze, release. But don't madly pump the pedal. That never gives the tires a chance to grip.

One excellent technique for avoiding most potential panic stops is what professional driving instructor (and former top racer) Bertil Roos calls brake alert. Simply apply just enough pressure to take up the slack in the pedal whenever there's a hint that you may have to stop--while cresting blind hills and approaching intersections, for example. "Anywhere or any time your intuition signals a situation that is unclear or potentially dangerous, don't wait," Roos advises. "Immediately apply brake alert while you evaluate the situation further. Then increase braking pressure if necessary."

If you get into a skid in a manual-shift car, Roos recommends quickly depressing the clutch to remove all forces from the drive wheels. But, he warns, never try shifting an automatic transmission into neutral for a skid recovery. An automatic essentially freewheels as soon as you lift your foot off the gas; better to keep both hands on the wheel and not risk finding reverse or park by mistake.

Roos also has a special technique for making it up a slippery hill: Wait until there's no other traffic, so nothing will force you to slow or stop part way up. Get a good run on the hill (within the bounds of common sense and safety) to build up momentum and, as the grade increases and the car begins to slow, ease off the gas gradually to prevent wheelspin. Whether or not you make it depends on how you handle the throttle. Too little pressure makes you lose precious momentum; too much starts the drive wheels spinning with the same unwanted result.

Roos advises trying not to stop at all on icy roads, even flat ones, since it's usually tough to get going again. When you do have to stop, use a higher gear (second with a manual gearbox; D2 or the equivalent with an automatic) and feather-foot the throttle to prevent wheelspin for the best start-up traction. On the other hand, if you have to stop and find you can't, try using the snow piled up alongside the road as a last-resort braking aid. "Try to ride along the bank with the front wheels turned slightly inward to the snow," he says, "and continue to pump the brakes gently. If done properly, this usually won't cause any damage to your car as long as the angle to the snow is kept small."

Swedish auto maker Saab publishes an excellent free booklet called Winter Motoring, which is packed with good tips and advice. Examples: When you're approaching intersections, watch out for ice polished superslick by other drivers' locking up their wheels and sliding to a stop. On otherwise dry cold-weather roads, look out for ice (sometimes invisible) on bridges and overpasses, under bridges and overpasses, wherever the road is shaded and where melting snow can flow over the pavement and refreeze. Always try to drive across ice patches in a straight line, without steering, braking, accelerating or decelerating until you're back on dry pavement. On the other hand, if your tires start to plane on heavy slush, don't steer, but do back off the gas until they begin biting through it again. (For a copy of Saab's Winter Motoring, write to Winter Motoring, Saab-Scandia of America, P.O. Box 697, Orange, Connecticut 06477.)

On uncleared roads, it's best to stay in the tracks from other vehicles, even though those tracks may be more slippery than the snow. If you need to steer out of them (say, for better braking grip or to change lanes), do so very gently and at a shallow angle--and ease back into them the same way. If you feel you really have to pass on a slippery two-lane, Saab's advice is to reconsider. How much time will you save, and is it really worth the risk? If so, give yourself lots of room. Remember that you can't accelerate very quickly, and you certainly can't stop if someone coming the other way suddenly pops up over a brow.

Proper tires are extremely important if you spend much time on slippery winter roads. All-season radials are good; chunky mud-and-snows much better yet. Put them on all four wheels, if possible, for steering and driving grip; if you have only two, be sure they're up front on front-drive cars.

Chains are best on ice (they're required in some areas) but must come off on dry pavement. For the best slick-road bite, set pressures (when the tires are cold) near the top of their recommended range, and remember: Pressure drops one pound for each ten-degree temperature drop. Trying to get unstuck by letting air out of the drive-wheel tires "for better traction" can create more problems than it solves and will guarantee unstable handling, quickly ruin the tires and may cause a wreck if you forget to reinflate them before driving away.

Another myth worth discrediting is the idea that loading a rear-drive car's trunk with extra weight increases safety. Adding some ballast (never more than 100 pounds) does increase traction at the rear wheels, which may help prevent your getting stuck. Once you're under way, though, a heavily loaded back end just acts like a pendulum in a skid and increases your odds of an ass-first entry into the scenery.

If you must park outside on a cold winter night and plan to go somewhere in the morning, avoid pointing the nose of your car into the wind. Switch off all accessories before cold-weather starting, give the engine a minute to warm up and never race it until the oil has had a chance to thin out and begin circulating.

For longer-than-routine trips, it's smart to check weather reports and consider alternate routes. Avoid potential trouble by having your car thoroughly checked (including wiper blades and washer fluid) and keep it at least half full of gas. That's all the fuel you'll have for heat and light should you end up spending a night in the snowdrift motel. Pack a basic emergency kit: first-aid equipment, flares, heavy clothing, blankets, sand, shovel, tools, flashlight, extra batteries, tow and jumper cables and some nonperishable food, just in case.

Even with good winter tires and techniques, you may one day find yourself stuck. If that happens, make sure your front wheels have a clear path and are pointed straight into it, turn off the radio and all accessories and roll down your window to listen for wheelspin. Shift to reverse and very gently try to inch the car back. Shift to second (or D2) and try easing it forward. Establish a rocking motion and time your throttle inputs to match it.

Don't abuse the transmission by shifting it rapidly back and forth, and don't spin your wheels. Spinning tires just dig in deeper and polish the surface. If this doesn't work, get some carpet strips, sand or Kitty Litter out of your trunk (you do carry traction aids, don't you?) and put it under the drive wheels. Another Saab tip: If your parking brake operates on the drive wheels (as it does on Saab's 900 model and on all rear-drive cars), applying it just part way will help keep them from spinning.

Saab also strongly recommends finding a safe, open area and practicing until you feel comfortable with the way your car accelerates, turns and stops on slippery surfaces. Cars with front-wheel drive, for example, tend to give good driving traction and can often literally pull themselves out of skids; but they also tend to lock up their front wheels more easily under hard braking.

Finally, for some fun, expert instruction and safe, inexpensive practice, we recommend former European rally driver Jean-Paul Luc's Ford Ice Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado (303-879-6104). It operates seven days a week all winter long and offers combination ski/drive vacation packages on Steamboat's nearby superslopes. Or check out Roos's more comprehensive Procision (the O is correct) School of Advanced Driving at Pocono International Raceway near Blakeslee, Pennsylvania (717-646-7227). It runs from spring to fall (not winter) each year but doesn't need actual winter conditions, because Roos's cleverly modified slide cars simulate slippery-surface driving at safe speeds on dry pavement.

Our next "Street Smarts" feature will tell you all about night driving. Stay awake.