Winter is coming: drive safe

[buttercup]

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

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.

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.

What do you do when you hear the announcement that winter conditions are very bad, and you should stay off the roads unless your journey is really necessary.

So in bad conditions, the people out there are drivers whose journeys are now really necessary, but up till now they've always stayed off the roads in bad conditions.

When they hear the warning announcement, the skillful, prudent, superior drivers welcome the opportunity. They get in their cars, they go to the said vacant parking lot, and they practice.

 

[Kirby2006]

Key word. PRACTICE
Vacant parking lots. Country roads with little traffic. Ideal for learning skid control and limits.
And by all means winter tires. Advice from a transplanted prairie boy with 40 long winters of driving experience.

 

[anon1]

Is it time for the, snow tire/don't need in GTA, arguments yet?

 

[GameBoy27]

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

When I first started driving cars at 16, my parents sent me to a skid school. They thought this was a valuable lesson to learn, and it was. I had already been riding dirt bikes since I was 7 and racing motocross from age 12, which only helps one's knowledge and ability to handle a vehicle under near out of control situations.

This is just one of the driving schools offering different types of training, but there's several of them. The stuff you learn at these schools could not only give you the tools to avoid a collision but perhaps even save your life. http://www.carcontrolschool.com/about-us/

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

While this is what I used to do to hone my winter driving skills (and have some fun at the same time), I would caution anyone doing this with the new powers of the Police and the catch-all "Stunt Driving" law. If they see you drifting your car in a parking lot, they can impound your car and suspend your licence for 7 days on the spot. If the Cop is an asshole, telling them you were just testing how your car handles in the snow, in a safe place will fall on deaf ears. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/stunt-driving-list-1.3311954

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.

That sentence tells me you know nothing about physics and is a completely false statement. It boggles my mind when I hear crap like that. All season tires are designed for temperatures above 7 C. The biggest problem with them is that you simply can't stop as quickly as you can with winter tires, especially when the roads are icy.

As an example, you're driving down a side street approaching a stop sign. The road is a icy and polished from cars trying to stop, but hidden underneath a thin layer of snow. You apply the brakes but your car with all season tires take 50% longer than with winter tires. You're unable to stop in time, hitting the pedestrian crossing the street.

That's just one scenario, then there's trying to make it up a snow covered hill, or stop driving down one, or trying to avoid the person in front of you making a panic stop with their winter tires, or swerving to avoid a car crossing the center line. The list goes on...

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.

So true... ^^^

You go ahead and keep believing that.

Are you just trolling now, or do you honestly believe there's no difference in stopping distance (on snow and ice) between all season and winter tires?

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

You really believe that? If so, you do not understand physics.

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.

Absolutely bang on! ^^^

When they hear the warning announcement, the skillful, prudent, superior drivers welcome the opportunity. They get in their cars, they go to the said vacant parking lot, and they practice.

Key word. PRACTICE
Vacant parking lots. Country roads with little traffic. Ideal for learning skid control and limits.
And by all means winter tires. Advice from a transplanted prairie boy with 40 long winters of driving experience.

That used to be a good idea. See my comments above regarding "Stunt Driving".

 

[Aardvark154]

Looks like it may be coming sooner than many of us would like.

 

[Mr. Piggy]

When I first started driving cars at 16, my parents sent me to a skid school. They thought this was a valuable lesson to learn, and it was. I had already been riding dirt bikes since I was 7 and racing motocross from age 12, which only helps one's knowledge and ability to handle a vehicle under near out of control situations.

This is just one of the driving schools offering different types of training, but there's several of them. The stuff you learn at these schools could not only give you the tools to avoid a collision but perhaps even save your life. http://www.carcontrolschool.com/about-us/



While this is what I used to do to hone my winter driving skills (and have some fun at the same time), I would caution anyone doing this with the new powers of the Police and the catch-all "Stunt Driving" law. If they see you drifting your car in a parking lot, they can impound your car and suspend your licence for 7 days on the spot. If the Cop is an asshole, telling them you were just testing how your car handles in the snow, in a safe place will fall on deaf ears. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/stunt-driving-list-1.3311954



That sentence tells me you know nothing about physics and is a completely false statement. It boggles my mind when I hear crap like that. All season tires are designed for temperatures above 7 C. The biggest problem with them is that you simply can't stop as quickly as you can with winter tires, especially when the roads are icy.

As an example, you're driving down a side street approaching a stop sign. The road is a icy and polished from cars trying to stop, but hidden underneath a thin layer of snow. You apply the brakes but your car with all season tires take 50% longer than with winter tires. You're unable to stop in time, hitting the pedestrian crossing the street.

That's just one scenario, then there's trying to make it up a snow covered hill, or stop driving down one, or trying to avoid the person in front of you making a panic stop with their winter tires, or swerving to avoid a car crossing the center line. The list goes on...



So true... ^^^



Are you just trolling now, or do you honestly believe there's no difference in stopping distance (on snow and ice) between all season and winter tires?



You really believe that? If so, you do not understand physics.



Absolutely bang on! ^^^





That used to be a good idea. See my comments above regarding "Stunt Driving".

You along with everyone else that thinks they need snow tires to be safer on the road go ahead and spend your money and buy them. As I said before I have never used snow tires because I don't see the need for them. I've been driving since I was 16 and have never been stuck or had an accident in winter weather. When weather is bad and reports say stay off the roads, I do just that and not because I don't feel safe but because I know there are dumbasses on the road that think they're invincible.

 

[stinkynuts]

Summer vs. All season va. Winter tires on ice.

Interesting video. See how the dynamic stabilty control was helpless with the summer tires at 2:30? One should not get complacent.

 

[stinkynuts]

I can say that I've driven for 25 years and have never used snow tires, and have never had any issues.

However, that one time where I could have lost my life in that near accident would have made snow tires worth it, had it prevented the incident. Perhaps it's better to be safe than sorry. But then again, if we carry that argument to it's extreme we should all stay home when it snows, or drive 25 km/h. It's a difficult balance, and I say that the choice is dependant on your personal risk/benefit.

Does this sound familiar? I think it's similar to whether one should use condoms. Obviously condoms help reduce risk, but the pleasure they get from not using it is worth it for some, but not others.

However, here there is some disagreement on whether winter tires are more effective. I personally have never used them, but everyone who does tells me it's completely different, and much better.

 

[FAST]

Interesting video. See how the dynamic stabilty control was helpless with the summer tires at 2:30? One should not get complacent.

Anybody who doesn't have snows to use in place of "Summer performance tires", is not driving in the winter.

There are the only 2 instances,...a 330ci, and a pony car which had "Summer performance tires", where I had aluminum rims snows, all others, the "no seasons" never got me in trouble.

FAST

 

[Mr Bret]

Funny how the relatively soft winters in the GTA it possible to even have this discussion.
Go for a drive in Montreal or Quebec City in January and see how you feel about your all season tires then.
There's a good reason they have a mandatory winter tire law in QC.

 

[basketcase]

If you know how to drive then snow tires are not needed.....

Maybe you're just better than the rest of us but winter tires do make it easier to control your car. Your argument is like saying you don't need seat-belts because you are a good driver.

Winter tires aren't a replacement for good driving, they simply make safe driving easier. And I'm sure you are aware but tire compounds work differently in different temperatures. All seasons an a dry, clear road will still perform worse than winter tires in cold weather.

 

[basketcase]

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

No they won't. You should really look into tire performance at different temperatures.

 

[basketcase]

...
However, here there is some disagreement on whether winter tires are more effective. I personally have never used them, but everyone who does tells me it's completely different, and much better.

To go with your condom analogy, the first time driving with winter tires is like the first time having sex without a condom. The difference in friction is noticeable.

 

[Jubee]

Funny how the relatively soft winters in the GTA it possible to even have this discussion.
Go for a drive in Montreal or Quebec City in January and see how you feel about your all season tires then.
There's a good reason they have a mandatory winter tire law in QC.

Mandatory winter tire law? Wth lol

 

[stinkynuts]

It seems that winter tires are very effective.

 

[stinkynuts]

These cars never stood a chance, snow tires or not. Instant death is possible.

 

[stinkynuts]

All I can say is that I experienced one of the most terrifying moments of my life. It happened so quickly, and I was helpless.

For a moment, I didn't know if I was going to die.


Everyone should be very careful, it can happen to you too.

 

[Mr Bret]

Mandatory winter tire law? Wth lol

You sound doubtful.

https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/road-safety/behaviours/adapting-your-driving/winter-driving/

 

[GameBoy27]

You along with everyone else that thinks they need snow tires to be safer on the road go ahead and spend your money and buy them. As I said before I have never used snow tires because I don't see the need for them. I've been driving since I was 16 and have never been stuck or had an accident in winter weather. When weather is bad and reports say stay off the roads, I do just that and not because I don't feel safe but because I know there are dumbasses on the road that think they're invincible.

If I could choose when to drive and avoid driving when there's snow on the ground, then yes probably wouldn't spend money on winter tires. I drive 7 days a week, year-round, I don't have an option. I still can't get over the fact you think all seasons are just as good as winter tires on snow and ice. Boggles my mind!

These cars never stood a chance, snow tires or not. Instant death is possible.

I beg to differ. Many of those lost control diving in a straight line, likely due the inferior traction of the all season tires they were using.

 

[Lamour Amour]

Why not drive with snows? It is not really that much more expensive, as it extends the life of your summer tires. And yes, they are that much more safer. So much safer in fact, that my insurace company is giving me a $75 discount on my vehicle insurance for having a summer and a winter set of tires and putting the winters on when it gets cold, not when there is snow on the ground.

I am shocked that anyone would think that All Season tires are as safe as winter tires.