Snow Driving for a Beginner

[PewterBird]

Here is the deal. I am flying into Denver International Airport on the 5 of Nov. From there I will be driving 100 miles north to Warren Air Force Base to visit a friend.

It is suppose to snow for the first time this year on November 5th, and I am a little worried about the drive; being a Southern Cali guy and driving in snow, at night. I have two options, we originally planned to have my friend drive down and pick us up at the airport. But I am scared because it will be the first time she will be driving her car in the snow. I wasn't very comfortable with that. Especailly if she get freaked out, I will wouldn't be any better expecailly because I have limited experiance on the stick.

It may be a little sexist but I went ahead and made the executive descion and told my girlfriend that I will be renting a car and driving us instead. I have a few more years overall driving experiance, and I feel I could do a better job.

Its a 100 mile drive at night in the snow. From Denver to Cheyenne Wyoming. Anyone drive that route before and have any advice? Should I pay the doubled amount for the SUV or stick with a normal car?

[ October 29, 2004, 05:40 AM: Message edited by: PewterBird ]

[davjos81]

Just take it slow and easy. If its a manual, try to start in second gear if you have a problem spinning tires when you take off. You dont want to end up like i did. First winter in upstate NY! http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...427_3_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...427_4_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...427_2_full.jpg

[ October 29, 2004, 06:01 AM: Message edited by: davjos81 ]

[L32Projekt]

I live out here in Denver (by the Airport as well) and trust me, noone else out here knows how to drive in the snow. Just use common sense and keep it slow, no matter how fast some of these knuckleheads are driving. Your rental should be a FWD car with ABS, that's half the battle. You'll be fine, just use yer noggin!

[PewterBird]

Well Good new for me. I found a Rental company that will rent me a Jeep Liberty or Cherokee 4x4 for a real decent price. That makes me feel a whole lot better.

[j_downey50]

just remember... turn the wheel the opposite way of the spin, and don't use the brake. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[JusFlyinBy]

Originally posted by PewterBird:
Well Good new for me. I found a Rental company that will rent me a Jeep Liberty or Cherokee 4x4 for a real decent price. That makes me feel a whole lot better.

Hey, 4wd helps you take off better, but it sure as hell wont help you stop quicker, keep that in mind. My southern buddies up at school took a bit to grasp that whole stopping concept. Plus like j_downey said, I see many people who start to lose control, so they just lock up the brakes. You are screwed if you do that, so just let off the brakes so the front tires will grab traction again and point you back in the right direction. No worries, go slow, its easy... [img]smile.gif[/img]

[95Batmobile]

Will they put chains on the tires for you? Those help too.. well at least when my parents drive over the mountains in the snow [img]smile.gif[/img]

[1DangerousV6]

we could give you some training here in the great northeast hehe [img]smile.gif[/img]

[MTMike]

The drive is long, straight and flat. But still, don't worry about it. It'll be so windy the snow won't stay on the road long [img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img]

That's a pretty major road and should be well plowed/sanded/salted if it's snowing, but if there is snow/ice on the road, drive with extra care. The most important: SLOW DOWN!! If you think you're going too fast, YOU ARE, so back off. It can take you 10-20 TIMES longer to stop on a slick road at any speed than it will on dry pavement, so follow the guy ahead of you accordingly. If you start to slide, steer into it and do not brake. Be careful to not overcorrect.

If you're about to rear end somebody because you can't stop quick enough, don't just slam on the brakes and hold on, brake hard and steer around/away from it if you can and have anti-lock brakes on your vehicle (most likely you will). I'd take the ditch 400 times before I rear end someone once. I've actually gassed my way around something like that before in a 4wd and a FWD vehicle. I'm sliding, not stopping, so I turn the wheel and gas the way I wanna go and have powered my way around something.... You just have to make sure that you have room to do so [img]smile.gif[/img]

Originally posted by davjos81:
Just take it slow and easy. If its a manual, try to start in second gear if you have a problem spinning tires when you take off.

Actually, it's better to start off in 1st gear while idling (no throttle) and feathering the clutch and then shift to 2nd almost immediately (or at around 1500rpms after full clutch engagement) Starting in 2nd requres more throttle, and more throttle = more torque, and more torque = more chance of wheelspin in low traction conditions.


All in all, drive carefully!!!! Just keep your attn to the road, keep it slow, and watch out for the other guy.

Good luck.

[ October 29, 2004, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: MTMike ]

[MTMike]

Oh, and I almost forgot: When you get to the Wyoming border, if you don't have at least 1 gun and 4 empty beer cans per occupant of you vehicle, or you're not wearing cowboy boots & Wranglers, they won't let you in and they'll send you home ;)

[ThatsMeGC]

Driving in the snow itsn't that hard, just take off slow so you dont just spin the tires.

This will be my first winter with the Camaro.. I will have me some fun :D

[Th3 RiCk]

Haha snow virgins. Just take it nice and slow. When I first got my license my dad took me to an open parking lot and let me do donuts and basically play in the snow with my Ranger to get a feel for how a car handles on the snow and ice. Whatever you do, dont panic and slam on the breaks!

[ThatsMeGC]

When I was 15 I did dounuts in the school parking lot... in a mini van. [img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img]

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

yeah find a parking lots and get up to about 30 and slam on the brakes, that way if you have to on the road you know what to suspect !

also if you have a M5 i learned the hard way. In a A4 if you start sliping you just let off the gas and it will come around 99% of thime

well in a M5 you PUSH THE CLUTCH IN!!!!!!!!!!! if you let off on the gas it will spin you because it slows the tires down in the rear unlike a A4. i know this first hand!! lol 4000 later my car was back to me......

[vanbibber]

go slow, dont panic...dont use brakes...steer into spin.. youll be fine its like others said just watch the a-holes out there that think their god. youll see them in a ditch a few miles up the road. just stop and say "see what happens in the snow jacka$$!" call the police for them to help them out and go on with your trip. :D