Winter Driving - Be More "Aware"

If you haven't read or flipped through my previous post on the big Blizzard go back and do so. This is directly related to my experiences then - and driving in general.

I wish to offer some critical advice for anyone venturing out in winter weather, and regular every-day driving at that. This is what they DON'T teach you in drivers-ed!

I don't consider myself an "expert" driver, I consider myself an "aware" driver. Even the most cautious drivers can end up in the ditch, though here are some tips to help you become more "aware" as well. Read on.

I know people in snow-prone regions (Mentor, OH, Buffalo, NY, Michigan, as well as the Rockey Mountains and the Pocific North-West) are "used" to this kind of weather. For the rest of us, it isn't often we see weather like this. I also know that the majority of drivers out there DON'T KNOW their vehicles. It is one thing to get in a car, push the gas and break petals, and turn the steering wheel, and get the car to go where you want it to go. However, driving in snow (and wet pavement at times) is totally different. You don't have traction like you do on dry pavement. All the normal sounds and vibrations have changed.

I'll use myself as an example here because I can't figure out how to describe my point otherwise. When I am in my truck I KNOW what it feels like. I KNOW what it sounds like. I KNOW when I turn the steering wheel a certain amount at a certain speed how much the truck should move (both in turning and leaning - g-forces). I KNOW the rumble of the tires, the clunking of the driveshaft and U-joints, the rubbing of the tires in the wheel wells if I cut the wheel hard when I am backing up. I know my truck like the back of my hand. When something is wrong I can SENSE it. Whether it be a pebble stuck in a tire, a worn bearing, an off-ballance tire, whatever. I know what some problems feel like because I have felt them before and I understand the reasoning behind why a part was making a noise or vibrating a certain way.

The average person does not pay attention in detail to their vehicle. Therefore, when something is wrong, like a worn out part, they won't realize there is a problem until there is really a PROBLEM.

When it comes to traction on the road, people don't understand it in the SAME way. They take it for granted that you push the gas petal down and the car moves, turn the wheel and the car turns. This is where people get in to trouble in the winter. The laws of physics aren't the same! When your car slides you need to account for that, correct it, and regain traction. If you don't understand how to physically do this and freak out you loose control and end up in the ditch - like numerous people in the previous pictures.

Advice: LEARN YOUR VEHICLE! Pay attention to what it is TELLING you. Learn how it feels. Learn how it sounds. Take it out to an open parking lot in the winter and slide around. Do a few donuts. Learn what the vehicle feels like when you DON'T have control. Learn how much to push the gas petal and how far to turn the steering wheel to correct a slide. Every mistake you make there is one you are less likely to make on the road when you could get hurt or hurt someone else. You are the person driving and ONLY you can have control. The person you are talking to on the phone, the person sitting next to you, or in the back seat, can't TELL you how - you have to feel it and know for yourself. Keep in mind to keep it slow! The slower you go the more reaction time you have and the LESS likely you are to have a problem. Above all - don't get overly confident. The minute you get too confident you let your gaurd down and get in to trouble.