Winter is coming: drive safe

[stinkynuts]

Edit: I accidentally included a wrong link. The link has been fixed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn6zMqqVgoY&t=45s

A few years ago I was driving too close for the road conditions, and the car in front of me braked. I swerved to the left rapidly, and then to the right since I had over-compensated. The result was that I lost control and started fishtailing. It was terrifying. My car did a 180, and I was on the highway facing traffic. Luckily, I did not get into an accident.

From what I understand, Electronic Stability Control is a feature that would have prevented this.

However, in the clip above, I'm sure most of these SUVs have ESC in addition to Traction Control, 4WD, ABS, and snow tires. Even with all that tech, it seems it's not use. You are at the mercy of mother nature.

 

[Jubee]

That's the problem especially with SUVs and the like.
People assume because their vehicle is bigger, wider, etc, they're more "stable" and in turn they drive like they would on a normal sunny summer afternoon.
As a friend pointed out, think of a pair of hockey skates and the thin blade of steel you're skating on, you have much better control in the snow with a smaller vehicle like a Fit and the small footprint it has on the snow v.s. a huge ass Escalade (akin to skates for kids that have 4 blades.


Winter driving is no joke.

Speaking of driving, my Chinese neighbour told me this one this evening. lol


How do you blind a Chinese man?



Put a windshield in front of him.

 

[Mr Bret]

It's not as simple as all that.
There are so many different kinds of winter conditions and combinations thereof.
There are icy roads, black ice, light snow, heavy wet snow, slush, deep snow, and probably a few I've forgotten.
Each of these on their own presents a unique challenge, then when you get two or more together, combined with varying temperatures, it becomes a challenge.
Then factor in the number of people in the gta who did not grow up in nor learn to drive in our climate. That's a whole other variable thrown into the mix.

Even though they are usually only absolutely necessary on a number of given days each year, I strongly suggest that ever vehicle should have winter tires.
They won't eliminate bad drivers, but they certainly help with every little move you make out there.

 

[spraggamuffin]

There is no substitute for the skill and prudence of the person behind the wheel regardless of how many features a car has.

Read somewhere that many people you see in the ditch are often the overconfident drivers with winter tires and 4WD,AWD,SUVs etc.

 

[Mr. Piggy]

There is no substitute for the skill and prudence of the person behind the wheel regardless of how many features a car has.

Read somewhere that many people you see in the ditch are often the overconfident drivers with winter tires and 4WD,AWD,SUVs etc.

I kinda agree with you on that. It seems like the mentality is, Look at me, I have snow tires so I can drive faster now, till they end up in the ditch. I used to love watching cars wipe out on the highway cause they wouldn't adjust their speed to the conditions.

 

[Big Rig]

Is there a driving school that uses skid pads? I would love to take my car there and put it in controlled skid

 

[captnkirk]

Speaking of driving, my Chinese neighbour told me this one this evening. lol
How do you blind a Chinese man?
Put a windshield in front of him.

Ten years ago we moved from a fairly whitebread area of Pickering to Markham north of Hwy 7.
My car insurance went up 7%.
When we moved downtown to Etobicoke by the water it went down 4.8%
Damn postal codes / accident data.

 

[captnkirk]

1. Put snow tires on. IF you dont then you should be pay more.

2. In all seasons turn on your damn headlights, get out and check to make sure that your tail lights are on. I see at least one car everyday that is driving with no taillights because the knob behind the wheel has not set the knob on the dashboard to the AUTO setting.
It seems that car makers have changed the electronics whereby the dashboard lights WILL come on even if you do not have your full set of exterior lights on. Drivers see their dashboard lights and assume that all lights are on.

 

[Mr. Piggy]

Is there a driving school that uses skid pads? I would love to take my car there and put it in controlled skid

Find a vacant parking lot big enough to do this when it's covered in snow. Make your own skid pad.

 

[Mr. Piggy]

1. Put snow tires on. IF you dont then you should be pay more.

2. In all seasons turn on your damn headlights, get out and check to make sure that your tail lights are on. I see at least one car everyday that is driving with no taillights because the knob behind the wheel has not set the knob on the dashboard to the AUTO setting.
It seems that car makers have changed the electronics whereby the dashboard lights WILL come on even if you do not have your full set of exterior lights on. Drivers see their dashboard lights and assume that all lights are on.

If you know how to drive then snow tires are not needed. I have never had them and have no problem driving in snow. I use all season radials. For you to say people with no snow tires should pay more, then you must be one of the many that have no clue how to drive in snow.
Not all cars have the auto lights on feature but I do think lights should just automatically come on when it gets dark. I can't understand how someone cannot even have enough common sense to turn on their lights.

 

[dragnbiz]

If you know how to drive then snow tires are not needed. I have never had them and have no problem driving in snow. I use all season radials. For you to say people with no snow tires should pay more, then you must be one of the many that have no clue how to drive in snow.

This is pure BS. You can be the best driver in the world but if you hit ice or a car pulls out in front of you in snowy slippery conditions snow tires will make a difference. Snow tires substantially shorten braking distances and control in slippery conditions.
Braking 10-15 shorter can be the difference between being in an accident and avoiding one.

 

[FAST]

There is no substitute for the skill and prudence of the person behind the wheel regardless of how many features a car has.

Read somewhere that many people you see in the ditch are often the overconfident drivers with winter tires and 4WD,AWD,SUVs etc.

What is also hilarious,...is these idiots think an AWD, 4WD can stop better than 2wd.

FAST

 

[GPIDEAL]

This thread is a good reminder for that first winter snowfall or weather day.

 

[Mr. Piggy]

This is pure BS. You can be the best driver in the world but if you hit ice or a car pulls out in front of you in snowy slippery conditions snow tires will make a difference. Snow tires substantially shorten braking distances and control in slippery conditions.
Braking 10-15 shorter can be the difference between being in an accident and avoiding one.

You go ahead and keep believing that.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

You go ahead and keep believing that.

I believe that a good set of winter tires are the best thing to keep you safe when you need them. A few years ago a came to a hill after a snow storm, the snow had not been cleared off the street yet. There were several cars at the bottom of the hill that had already made the attempt and one car backing down the road on the hill because his tires were not adequate to get him over it. As I approached the hill some people were trying to wave me off, but I powered up the hill and over it with my new winter tires. The law should be changed so that winter tires are mandatory for winter months.

Mandatory or not, I have always had winter tires on my cars in cold weather.

 

[Mr. Piggy]

I believe that a good set of winter tires are the best thing to keep you safe when you need them. A few years ago a came to a hill after a snow storm, the snow had not been cleared off the street yet. There were several cars at the bottom of the hill that had already made the attempt and one car backing down the road on the hill because his tires were not adequate to get him over it. As I approached the hill some people were trying to wave me off, but I powered up the hill and over it with my new winter tires. The law should be changed so that winter tires are mandatory for winter months.

Mandatory or not, I have always had winter tires on my cars in cold weather.

A good set of all season radials will do just as well. That's why they're called All Season.

 

[SchlongConery]

Ceiling Cat and I are like minds on this matter.

Anyone who is not aware of the superiority of winter tire compounds in cold weather is simply not knowledgable. Anyone who denies their superiority is plain and deliberately ignorant.

Whether you "need" them, or want the advantage, or not is open to personal choice. But the same driver, same car, and same winter conditions... the car and driver with the winter tires has measurably better traction.

 

[SchlongConery]

A good set of all season radials will do just as well. That's why they're called All Season.

"All Season" tires are a compromise. They won't do "just as well" as WINTER tires.

Making your same argument, that's why winter tires are called "Winter" tires!

 

[Mr. Piggy]

Ceiling Cat and I are like minds on this matter.

Anyone who is not aware of the superiority of winter tire compounds in cold weather is simply not knowledgable. Anyone who denies their superiority is plain and deliberately ignorant.

Whether you "need" them, or want the advantage, or not is open to personal choice. But the same driver, same car, and same winter conditions... the car and driver with the winter tires has measurably better traction.

You and everyone else that wants to go buy snow tires can do just that. The Ontario Gov't will have no problem taking the HST and tire tax from you and if they ever made it law, it would only be about the extra revenue they will get. I will get through the winter with my all season radials like I have been doing for years.

 

[SchlongConery]

You and everyone else that wants to go buy snow tires can do just that. The Ontario Gov't will have no problem taking the HST and tire tax from you and if they ever made it law, it would only be about the extra revenue they will get. I will get through the winter with my all season radials like I have been doing for years.

Yes, that's the conspiracy! HST!!!


Andyes,youwill

And yes, I'm sure you will get through the winter with your All Season tires. Adjusting driving accordingly, staying off the roads when the weather gets bad are all safer than driving with winter tires in more severe conditions.

A superior driver uses their superior judgment to stay out of situations that would require their superior skill.

Saying All Season tires are adequate for you, and will get you through a Toronto winter is a reasonable statement. But to say that All Season tires are just as good as winter tire in cold weather is simply not true. The biggest factor in winter tire performance is that winter tires are made of a softer rubber compound that stays more flexible and has better grip when the rubber is cold.