last night coming home from my parents i had a scary encounter with some black ice. i was about half way up a big hill and felt the car go out of control as it veered to the left. not being an experienced snow/ice driver and not really having a clue, i'm pretty sure i did everything they tell you not too. i panicked as i skidded into the opposite lane (thankfully it was in a neighborhood and no other cars were around!), tried to hit the brakes (which apparently was wrong...maybe you tap them?), and tried to steer the car back to the right (also wrong). at first it did nothing and then it over-corrected, bringing me back to the right lane and right into a snow bank. thankfully my car is tall and also has 4-wheel drive, and i was able to reverse out of the snow bank and get clear of the ice. i've gotten stuck before in the snow but never felt the total loss of control i felt last night, and i must say it was quite scary!now i've heard it said that when your car begins to go out of control you don't swing the wheel the other way (which is what i did) but instead go with the car. but won't you then just continue to go that direction? what if that direction is into oncoming traffic or a tree or something? those with snow/ice driving experience- any driving tips for winter weather situations?
5 comments:
Not that I'm an experiences snow/ice driver, but I have done it a lot. I always keep my wheels facing directly forward regardless of the way you're sliding (so if you're sliding right, you don't want to turn them left, or right) so as soon as they catch, you're safe. I got tested this weekend driving home on 15!
I bet Ashley would have some good advice on this!
Katie is doing exactly what I do - just hold on to the wheel and keep it straight. The slamming on your breaks thing is bad for 2 reasons - first, if you don't have antilock breaks (like me), your brakes could actually lock, so you have to pump them. Second, slamming on the breaks actually makes you skid more and doesn't give your wheels a chance to re-grip the road.
Also, check your tires - worn down tires make snow driving even more dangerous (less grip), which is why I had to get new ones in November :)
I'm sorry this happened to you though! You guys be careful out there!!!
oh no! i'm so glad that you are alright! i hate winter driving and avoid it at all cost and when I have to i just drive at a ridiculous low speed. arlington drivers hate me!
glad you're safe friend! I ended up skidding in the snow (through a red light, no less) a few weeks ago on my way to work. like you, there were no other cars around (luckily) but it was still super scary!!
i'm really glad you are ok! thank you all for posting your advice. although i know nothing about snow, i agree with ashley about the tires. even airing up my tires regularly has made a big difference in the rain and "wintery mix" we get here.
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