Winter driving is radically different from summer driving. And this is quite natural - slippery roads, snow drifts and other “delights” of winter time impose a number of restrictions on the driver and dictate their own conditions. Of course, for experienced drivers the winter season is not a serious challenge, but for beginners behind the wheel it is not easy.
Therefore, in order to avoid getting into a traffic accident, it would be useful to remember several very important rules for winter driving. These rules may seem difficult at first glance, but very quickly they will become familiar and your winter driving skills will be honed to automaticity.
Preparing your car for winter
Popular wisdom says that sleighs should be prepared in the summer. The same applies to the car - if you want to protect yourself from unpleasant incidents in winter, prepare the car properly in advance:
In no case do not rely on chance and “change” your car to . Many drivers prefer to use the so-called all-season tires, however, in fairness, it should be noted that the road grip in this case will not be as good as in the case of winter tires. Therefore, you should not try to save money this way.
After all, the savings in this case will be on safety, and therefore on health, and sometimes life, and not only yours. By the way, don’t forget about the spare tire: it should also have winter tires!
Automotive units.
Be sure to check and, if necessary, replace all operating fluids without exception - steering wheel, suspension, etc. This simple measure can serve you very well in cold weather. In addition, it would be a good idea to check all rubber parts: silent blocks, ball joints, tie rod ends and others.
Antifreeze.
Be sure to carry at least one liter of anti-freeze with you, regardless of when you refilled the tank. This measure may seem unnecessary, but it has helped drivers out more than once in the winter.
Features of driving style
Remember that the winter road is very treacherous and you never predict what surprises may await you literally in 50 meters - there may be snow drifts, icing and other troubles. Therefore, under no circumstances exceed the speed limit! Moreover, this applies not only to novice drivers, but also to aces. However, experienced people know this very well and will not drive recklessly on a winter road.
Rebuilding.
In winter, you need to try to change lanes as little as possible - this significantly increases the risk of an accident. Need to turn left? This means that you should occupy the left lane initially and do not “jump” back and forth. The road is slippery, you cannot be sure of the experience of the drivers of neighboring cars - so why take risks trying to save a couple of minutes? If you do get into an accident, you will have to wait much longer for the traffic police.
Braking.
Probably the most important thing to pay attention to in winter is how you brake - your safety largely depends on this. If the car is equipped with an ABS system, the braking must be smooth - otherwise there is a risk of wheel locking. If this does happen, or if it does not happen, it is best to brake intermittently, without changing gears, so that the wheels do not slip.
One of the most common dangers that await drivers in winter is skidding. Moreover, no one is safe from them, but the risk can be minimized. Firstly, try not to drive on gravel - in winter, covered with a crust of ice, it is especially treacherous. And if you can’t avoid such a road, then at least reduce your speed as much as possible.
Secondly, do not forget about turns - most skids occur due to incorrect driver actions. But to avoid this, just slow down before turning.
But if the car does get into a skid, you need to get out of it correctly, without unpleasant consequences. There is an opinion that you need to let off the gas as quickly as possible, but this is a deep misconception. If a front-wheel drive car gets into a skid, you should increase the gas - but without fanaticism. But if the car is rear-wheel drive, then, indeed, you need to let off the gas, while simultaneously turning the steering wheel in the direction of the skid.
"Underwater rocks"
Winter has many surprises in store, so you need to be prepared for anything. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the following aspects:
It's just children squealing joyfully as they fall into a snowdrift. But a motorist caught in snow is unlikely to be happy - getting out of it is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Do you know what you should never do under any circumstances? Skid! In this case, the only thing you will achieve is to bury the car even deeper in the snow. Therefore, try to either dig up the snow or ask someone for help - this way you will save a lot of time and effort.
Mirrors and glass.
Be sure to wash your glass and mirrors regularly - a good view is extremely important in winter! By the way, don’t forget to warm up the car properly so that the windows don’t fog up! This measure can prevent various unpleasant situations.
Low beam.
Be sure to turn on your low beams even in the daytime, especially if there is light on - this will allow other drivers to see your car even in snowfall.
Road markings.
Unfortunately, the quality of our roads even in the summer leaves much to be desired - sometimes you can’t find road markings during the day, not to mention the winter season. Therefore, pay very close attention not only to the markings, but also to the road signs - in most cases, this helps to avoid various accidents.
In winter, bridges and overpasses are a high-risk area. Remember that they most often end up covered with a crust of ice, so always slow down in advance!
Driving in winter is significantly different from driving in the warmer months. No one will even argue here, this is obvious. Therefore, the purpose of this article will be not so much to highlight the simple truths that are taught to beginners in a driving school, but rather to try to collect in one place most of the rules and advice regarding the characteristics of driving in the autumn-winter period.
Driving in winter is different for different types of transmissions and drives, so we will look separately at the features of driving cars with automatic and manual transmissions, as well as a CVT. We will learn the basic rules of driving in winter with front, rear and all-wheel drive. In addition, I think it’s worth mentioning the nuances of towing a trailer on slippery roads.
A slight digression from the topic
It is well known that each engine start in cold weather is equal to 800-1000 km. The same applies to other components and assemblies of the car: low temperatures have a detrimental effect on the service life of all parts. Therefore, if you want to minimize wear and tear during the cold season, it is worth thoroughly preparing your car for winter.
Firstly, you definitely need to make sure that the engine is filled with good motor oil that has an acceptable viscosity at low temperatures - this will make it easier for the starter to start the power unit. Secondly, if the spark plugs have not been changed for a long time, then it’s time to replace them before frost comes. Thirdly, you need a working battery - otherwise how will the starter turn a frozen engine? Fourthly, check what is in your coolant reservoir: if it is water, then replace it with antifreeze. And fifthly, don’t forget to change the water in the washer reservoir to “anti-freeze” water. Yes, by the way, it wouldn’t hurt to get wires for “lighting up”, a shovel and a tow rope (if you don’t already have one) - just in case. I’m not even talking about the scraper brush - that goes without saying.
Next, before starting the engine in cold weather, it is advisable to give a small load to the battery in order to “revive it” a little. To do this, just turn on the dimensions for 5-10 seconds. They consume little, so it is unlikely that you will drain the battery.
Do not “turn” the starter for a long time. 3-4 turns are enough. If the car does not start right away, there is no point in turning the engine for a long time - you just “kill” the starter and “deplete” the battery. If it doesn't start, turn off the ignition. Give it 10 seconds. rest and try again. Usually after this the car starts immediately. Verified. If, of course, the spark plugs are in order and in general the entire fuel supply system is working properly.
But somehow we digressed from the topic. So, the engine is started, it's time to hit the road. But before you start driving, we recommend that you go through all the positions at the checkpoint one by one, pausing at each for five seconds. This will help ensure good lubrication of all gears in the mechanism.
Winter driving style should be as calm as possible. You must clearly understand that cars are, in principle, poorly suited for driving on slippery surfaces. For this there are sleighs, sleds, snowmobiles, etc. This technique easily copes with both snow and ice. Wheels are designed to spin, not slide. Therefore, the peculiarities of driving a car in winter are to minimize the likelihood of longitudinal and lateral wheel slip.
In winter, tires are cold, hard and smooth. Grip on snowy or icy roads is extremely low. In this regard, if you are not eager to acquire a bunch of unplanned problems, you should not accelerate and brake sharply, and you should not change lanes for no reason, playing “chess” with other road users.
When approaching a section of road with poor visibility, you should always be prepared for the unexpected appearance of another vehicle. For example, from around the corner. It is better to slow down than to find out later who is right and who is wrong.
When driving on ice or snow, start by checking the brakes and braking distance in the given weather conditions and road surface. It is more advisable to prepare for emergency braking in advance in order to know exactly your capabilities.
It's good to have ABS. But in any case, you should not rely entirely on the anti-lock braking system. We recommend that you learn to brake not just once, but with several successive presses on the brake pedal. This way you will reduce the likelihood of wheel jams and, accordingly, prevent them from sliding uncontrollably.
If your car has ESP, we recommend that you understand how it works in different situations. The best thing is if you take the time to test the stability control system when driving on snow and ice. How the car will take turns with the system turned on and off, how the car will behave when changing lanes. You need to try all the options to find the optimal choice of chassis settings for yourself.
Features of driving a car depending on the type of transmission
Riding a manual
Driving a car with a manual transmission in winter is, in my opinion, the safest. The reason for this is the simplicity of the engine-wheel connection. There are no “brains” that would decide what needs to be done at one time or another. The speed of rotation of the wheels and the torque transmitted to them depends entirely on the driver’s commands, and the response is almost instantaneous (and this is very important in icy conditions).
Driving a manual car is an art in itself, because... The driver himself chooses in which mode the wheels will operate. An experienced driver can level out the slipping of the drive wheels by wisely choosing one gear or another. Most often, they switch to a higher gear to reduce engine speed and force it to work tighter, transmitting less torque to the wheels.
In general, in my personal opinion, driving a manual car in winter is a pleasure. You always know at what speed the drive wheels should spin at one time or another. I think that a manual transmission, with the right approach, provides safe driving in winter better than others.
Driving automatic
In winter, driving an automatic transmission is somewhat more difficult in the sense that it is not the driver who controls the speed of rotation of the wheels, but the gearbox. Gear changes occur automatically depending on the engine speed, and not on the speed of the vehicle. Therefore, slipping is guaranteed.
In order to reduce the likelihood of wheels slipping on an automatic car in winter, switch to winter mode L. Thus, the “brain” of the torque converter will give a command to prohibit gear shifting, and the engine will work in tension, transmitting less torque to the wheels. It is not recommended to drive in this mode for a long time, but it is quite possible to overcome a dangerous section of the route.
The advantage of driving a car with an automatic transmission in winter is undoubtedly such a moment as starting off - smoothly, without accelerating. In conditions when the car is surrounded by other vehicles, and there is ice on the road and there is a chance of slipping sideways when slipping, careful starting with an automatic transmission is definitely more advantageous than others. Therefore, for novice drivers, perhaps an automatic is the best solution.
Riding a CVT
Driving a car equipped with a CVT in winter is essentially no different for the driver than driving a car with a classic automatic transmission. In case of poor road surface causing slipping, it is also recommended to switch to L mode, which allows you to drive under tension and creates an engine braking effect.
Features of driving a car depending on the type of drive
Driving with front wheel drive
The winter driving style of a front-wheel drive car differs only in that it is necessary to slow down earlier in order to avoid the front axle drifting in turns and the rear axle wobbling during emergency braking.
Features of driving a front-wheel drive car in winter:
- it is necessary to ensure that at each individual moment the front axle is pulling the car so that the rear does not try to overtake the front;
- if you need to brake urgently, it is better to do this with the clutch pedal pressed - so that the wheels brake at the same time;
- before turning, it is better to reduce the speed in advance so as not to provoke the front axle drifting outward;
- If the front axle begins to drift during a turn, briefly use the handbrake - the car will turn in the right direction.
When driving in winter on front-wheel drive, you should not brake the engine, because... in this case, the speed of rotation of the front wheels becomes less than the speed of rotation of the rear wheels. In other words, the rear will go faster than the front. This is fraught with wagging of the “tail” and even skidding of the rear of the car. You should always move in tension or with the gear off. By the way, acceleration for a front-wheel drive car is, in fact, also a tight movement, because the front pulls the car forward. Consequently, acceleration in a car with front-wheel drive occurs exactly along the trajectory.
You should approach turns carefully. It's better to slow down in advance. Otherwise, the front axle may begin to drift outwards from the turn, and an attempt to turn the steering wheel more towards the turn while simultaneously releasing the gas (this is usually the first reaction for dummies) can only aggravate the situation - the car will go straight in the opposite direction.
The peculiarities of driving with front-wheel drive in winter are precisely different in that they seem illogical in the warm season. To return the car to the desired trajectory, you need to briefly use the handbrake, align the car in the direction of travel and add gas: the front axle will pull the car in the desired direction.
In fact, although driving a front-wheel drive car in winter is associated with some problems, front-wheel drive provides excellent directional stability on a winter highway and, thus, sufficient driving safety. This is why drivers of front-wheel drive cars feel much more confident at high speeds.
Rear wheel drive
Driving a car with rear-wheel drive in winter is more logical than driving a front-wheel drive car - there are no problems with illogical actions in case of drift of the front axle in corners. On the contrary, here is a classic solution to the problems of drift, skidding or lateral sliding. Everything is as they teach in a driving school: in case of a skid, reduce the speed and turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid. This algorithm is intuitive, understandable and, apparently, sits inside each of us. Thus, the main features of winter driving a classic boil down to maintaining a suitable speed, especially in corners.
On rear-wheel drive in winter, you can (and should!) use engine braking. Again, everything is logical and happens by itself when you just release the gas pedal. Since the drive axle is located at the rear, the rear wheels begin to spin at a lower speed than the front ones. The rear of the car pulls back, making it difficult to continue driving. In this case, unlike front-wheel drive, the rear does not skid, the car continues to drive straight along the trajectory. But acceleration in winter on rear-wheel drive is like a piece of jewelry: if you go a little too far with the gas, the rear end skids.
It is more difficult to drive a classic car on the highway in winter than with front-wheel drive - at any moment the rear wheels can go into sideways slip. Owners of rear-wheel drive cars share their feedback that the rear of the car tends to skid on a slippery road, although you seem to be driving carefully and trying to turn the steering wheel less.
To summarize, we can say that driving a rear-wheel drive car in winter, in fact, differs from driving a rear-wheel drive car in the warm season only in the attention to speed and acceleration. Don't rush, winter driving will be simple and predictable.
All-wheel drive
Some people believe that driving with all-wheel drive in winter is a panacea for all the problems of winter driving. However, this is not at all true. First, you need to know what kind of all-wheel drive your car has: permanent or plug-in, hard-wired, via a visco-coupling or electronically, connected at the front or at the rear.
There is no doubt that the cross-country ability of a car with all-wheel drive in winter is much higher than that of cars with a mono-wheel drive, but you should understand that this does not apply to ice. In snow, especially loose snow - yes, you are the king of the road, but on slippery surfaces, all-wheel drive is most often full of surprises.
The features of driving in winter on a non-permanent all-wheel drive are similar to driving a single-wheel drive car, but at the moment when the “brain” of the clutch or electronics decides to connect the second axle, the situation can get out of control, because this moment is often unexpected, and you need to be prepared for it.
Towing a trailer
Features of driving a car in winter with a trailer are as follows. Firstly, driving in winter with all its attributes is already a test of attentiveness and experience. It's hard to deal with ice and snow without a trailer. Therefore, it is definitely worth slowing down even more. And you don’t need to increase it much after you’ve gotten used to the fact that something is dangling behind the car. It's better to get there slowly but surely.
Secondly, when braking, a trailer that is not equipped with brakes rests against the rear of the car, thus causing the rear axle to skid. Not only does an uncontrolled skid appear, but there is a danger of damage to the car body if your road train “collapses”. Therefore, you need to brake very, very carefully, in advance. You should not follow the lead of other road users who may not like your slowness.
In principle, this is where the secrets of winter driving with a passenger trailer end. As you can see, it’s nothing complicated: we don’t drive in icy conditions, if we drive, we drive slowly, we brake early and carefully.
Conclusion
The best way to solve all winter handling problems is to learn how to drive a car in emergency situations. Safe driving in winter no longer depends on the type of transmission, not on the type of drive, but on experience. Therefore, do not be lazy to find time to study in detail the behavior of your car on a slippery road, in an empty snow-covered parking lot during an artificial skid. By doing this you will not only protect yourself and other road users, but also get a lot of positive emotions.
In fact, the secrets of winter driving are very simple: take your time and practice more, always be careful, but don’t stress. Know: the dangers of winter driving await everyone, but those who are always careful - to a lesser extent. If you drive carefully, everything will be fine.
I hope you found our winter driving tips helpful. By the way, on the website amastercar.ru there are many useful tips for car enthusiasts. If you are interested, be sure to come, read, comment.
A front-wheel drive car is not only designed differently than a classic car. It differs in behavior on the road, especially on slippery ones, and therefore requires several different skills and specific control techniques from the driver. This is due to the presence of traction on the front wheels and the increased share of the total weight of the vehicle that falls on them. Before the driver gets behind the wheel of a front-wheel drive car, he needs to understand the peculiarities of its behavior on the road.
Let's start by moving in a straight line. The driver of a rear-wheel drive car knows that in this case, especially when driving on a slippery road at high speed or when accelerating, the rear wheels constantly try to move to the side. This is caused by random lateral forces resulting from road unevenness, surface differences, or careless steering. The rear wheels, being loaded with torque, are less resistant to lateral forces. To maintain directional stability, the driver has to turn the steering wheel to prevent the development of a skid, and if these corrective actions are not enough, then reduce the speed.
A front-wheel drive car behaves differently. When driving in a straight line, it does not experience the slightest tendency to skid, even on very slippery roads. Therefore, it is sometimes compared to an arrow shot from a bow with a heavy tip. Indeed, the heavy front of the car and the presence of traction on the front wheels give the driver a feeling of reliability and confidence. They allow you to move forward on very slippery roads at very high speeds, even without the need to correct the steering wheel. As a result, the driver may become less alert. Therefore, he must choose the speed, focusing not on subjective sensations, but on the speedometer readings.
There is no need to talk more about the advantages of a front-wheel drive car on a slippery road when driving in a straight line - they are obvious and do not require any special driving techniques. But now the straight section of the road ends, there is a turn ahead. An experienced driver here slows down in advance and passes it without any unpleasant surprises.
But if you overestimate the capabilities of the car and start a maneuver at high speed, the centrifugal force will exceed the lateral grip of the tires and the road, and a skid will begin. The driver of a rear-wheel drive car reduces speed and turns the steering wheel in the direction of the skid. The driver of a front-wheel drive car should never do this. When you let off the gas, the skid will increase sharply and corrective steering may not be enough and the car will turn around.
What happened? The fact is that by releasing the gas, the driver of a front-wheel drive car actually applied braking torque from the engine to the front drive wheels. The rear ones, which had already lost traction, moved sideways, increasing the skid or even causing the car to turn around. In addition, when braking by the engine, a “peck” occurred, which unloaded the rear wheels. And in order to restore traction, they just needed additional load.
What should the driver do? After all, it’s natural to let off the gas when danger arises. No! The driver of a front-wheel drive car must firmly remember that he must release the gas to reduce speed before turning, before starting to turn the steering wheel.
But what to do if the driver still did not calculate the speed and in the process of turning the car began to skid? It turns out that a front-wheel drive car is fraught with excellent, very reliable (albeit at first unusual) ways to repay a skid.
Firstly, the driver must turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid - just like in a rear-wheel drive car - but in no case let off the gas. There is another way. The driver must add gas, and the front drive wheels will pull the car out of the skid. In this case, there is not even a need for corrective actions with the steering wheel. The steered wheels must simply be turned in the chosen direction of travel. If the skid is too great, a combination of corrective steering turns and increased fuel supply will help.
Tests have shown that a front-wheel drive car can be pulled out of almost any skid (even if its angle exceeds 90° to the direction of travel). So a front-wheel drive car is not afraid of skidding.
But it should be noted that the driver, when a skid begins, is instinctively not very inclined to add gas. Therefore, new cornering habits in a front-wheel drive vehicle must be reliably developed in everyday driving practice.
They will tell you how to drive in cold weather and how to avoid getting into an accident.
Rules for everyone!
It doesn't matter if you've just finished driving lessons and got behind the wheel, or whether you are an experienced driver, this information will be useful to you.
It is important to know some features of driving in winter, especially since they differ from “summer” driving.
1. Start of movement
From a standstill you need to move smoothly, without sudden jerks, using the pedals gently. If there is clean ice under the wheels, lightly powdered with snow, then you can try to start driving in second gear. A common winter accident: the car “steered” at the start. The result was that a neighboring car was damaged.
2. Speed
What should the speed be in bad road conditions? Of course it's safe. Let's remember the traffic rules: a safe speed is considered to be the speed at which the driver can avoid an accident in certain road conditions, if the situation has changed dramatically.
Do not confuse safe speed with permitted speed! It is not always possible to stop abruptly at 60 or 80 km/h in front of a pedestrian who has jumped onto the road.
Determining a safe speed is not difficult at all. Before driving onto a road with a large number of cars, try to brake urgently and evaluate how much longer the braking distance turned out to be compared to the car’s usual reaction. Also evaluate the force at which the car maintains its trajectory.
3. Distance
To have enough room for maneuvering and sudden movements, keep your distance. Ice and snow reduce traction by almost half.
This means that the distance in winter should be doubled.
Imagine the situation. You have a brand new foreign car with studded tires, a variety of security systems and other useful functions. And suddenly an old Lada skidded ahead and your cars collided. In this case, you will be to blame, because according to the traffic rules you had to keep your distance, reduce your speed until you stop if an obstacle or danger suddenly arises.
4. Braking
A very common mistake made by drivers on slippery roads is to suddenly press the brakes in case of danger. But this is absolutely forbidden. The fact is that the wheels are blocked, the car loses control and will travel another 100-150 meters, at least. Or it may stop, hitting the car in front.
If the car has an anti-lock braking system, then sharply pressing the brake while turning the steering wheel will cause the car to turn 180-360°.
Therefore, always brake using even, short strokes. You can apply engine braking by quickly shifting from upshift to downshift. And one more little tip: do not press the clutch until the car comes to a complete stop. Even if the engine stalls, the saved centimeters may save you from a collision.
5. Correct fit
It is no coincidence that in driving school they teach that you need to sit correctly behind the wheel. Without lounging in a chair, moving back to the maximum, namely correctly.
Your back should rest against the back of the chair, your arms should be slightly bent at the elbows, and your palms should rest strictly in the center on both sides of the steering wheel.
An experienced driver will not use the steering wheel as a fulcrum. He won't be put off by it. On the contrary, by pressing his back to the seat, the driver can easily resist the force of inertia.
Video about the secrets of safe driving in winter:
Be careful and polite while driving!
This article uses an image from fishki.net
Seasonality is a concept characteristic not only of economic processes, but also of driving. It is especially difficult for beginners to switch from one driving style to another. But even experienced motorists sometimes lose their vigilance when the seasons change. Typically, driving instructors focus students’ attention on winter driving, but even the autumn-spring period on the roads has a number of features. Let's look at the peculiarities of driving a car depending on the time of year so that travel always remains safe.
Autumn driving
The weather in autumn is quite changeable and during this period of the year you can expect anything. But the most common weather phenomenon in autumn is rain. When it rains, visibility is reduced, so the first thing you need to do is turn on your low beam headlights and slow down. We must not forget that when it rains outside, people try to hide from it as quickly as possible, so they can run across the road in unpredictable places. Pedestrians often neglect reflective stripes on their clothes and it is almost impossible to see them in the rain, and even at night, so constantly keep an eye on not only the road, but also the sidewalks while driving.
Make all maneuvers in the rain smoother and slower. Firstly, a slippery layer of dirt from oils, sand and dust may form on the road and your braking distance will be longer than you expected, which can lead to an accident. Secondly, it will be easier for drivers who are following you in poor visibility conditions to react to the maneuver. Try not to get close to large vehicles, which can splash the car with mud and limit your visibility.
Avoid puddles, there may be holes and other obstacles under the water. Do not drive through puddles at high speed - you may flood the ignition system with water. In addition, hydroplaning can begin, when the car loses traction and begins to drive not on the road, but on the surface of the water. This usually occurs at speeds above 60 km/h. If you start hydroplaning, do not brake or turn the steering wheel, otherwise the car will skid.
If it started shower, then it is best (especially for a novice driver) to pull over to the side of the road, turn on the emergency lights and wait for more favorable weather conditions. During a thunderstorm, close the windows and lower the antenna.
If fallen leaves fall on the roadway, try not to drive on them, as they greatly reduce traction. If you can't get around them, slow down and drive more smoothly.
An equally common weather phenomenon in autumn is fog. Fog further reduces visibility on the road. Therefore, if you drive into fog, turn on your low beams and fog lights. Remember that distances are distorted in fog and objects appear further away than they actually are. In addition, due to the refraction of light in the fog, color perception is also distorted, so when approaching a traffic light, you need to double-check the situation on the road several times.
Strong wind, especially side wind, also affects the movement of the car - it can deviate from the given trajectory. In case of a strong wind gust, it is necessary to correct the direction of movement in a timely manner by small turns of the steering wheel. It's best to slow down.
Video about the intricacies of driving in autumn
Winter driving
Many drivers are afraid to drive in winter due to difficult weather conditions and leave their cars in the parking lot for several months. However, it happens that you still cannot do without a car. Simple tips will help you get through this difficult period more painlessly.
Firstly, you should, without waiting for frost, “change the shoes” of the car and pour anti-freeze into the washer barrel. And don't forget about the spare wheel, which should also be on winter tires. With the onset of cold weather, this will at least help avoid long queues at the tire shop. You should also check the brake fluid, oil, power steering and rubberized parts in advance.
If the car is parked outside and not in a garage, be sure to warm up the car before driving and clear the mirrors and glass of ice. Heat the interior gradually. Do not direct very hot air at the windshield so that it does not become covered with microcracks. Wait until the windows are completely thawed or use a squeegee. You should not expect that a small gap in the windshield will be enough to see. Visibility should be maximum. Before driving, check the operation of the wipers, turn signals and headlights.
In winter, nature freezes, drivers should also slow down and switch to a slower and smoother ride. While driving, try to minimize the number of maneuvers. On slippery roads, this will increase your chances of not getting into an accident.
If the car is equipped with an ABS system, try to brake smoothly, but until the car comes to a complete stop, so that the wheels do not lock. If there is no ABS or the wheels have already locked, then you need to brake intermittently without changing gear, then the wheels will not slip.
When turning in winter, the car can sometimes go into skid. To avoid ending up in a ditch, you need to act as competently and clearly as possible. If the car is front-wheel drive, turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid, gently press the gas to increase engine speed. After leveling, gradually reduce the speed. Do not make sudden movements under any circumstances, otherwise you will not be able to regain control of the situation. On a rear-wheel drive car, when skidding, you need, on the contrary, to turn the wheel in the direction opposite to the skid and not accelerate. There is no need to brake, otherwise the car will start spinning and fly off the road. Owners of all-wheel drive vehicles in a skid should turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid and add a little gas. You should not brake.
After heavy snowfalls, the markings are often swept away. To avoid misunderstandings on dangerous sections of the road, slow down in advance and follow the road signs.
Video about the intricacies of driving in winter
Spring driving
After a long and cold winter, first of all check the technical condition of the car and wash it from dirt and salt, otherwise you will not be able to avoid body corrosion. It is better to change your car's shoes when the temperature reaches a constant positive temperature both day and night.
After winter, many new ones appear on the roads holes and potholes. You only need to brake in front of a hole; if you press the brake when the car has already started, it will most likely tilt forward and the suspension may suffer. If you can’t get around the hole, then you need to drive into it at an acute angle to minimize the impact on the body. In spring, as in autumn, the effect of aquaplaning may occur. Be prepared for it and try not to lose traction.
Try to suppress the irresistible desire to drive after a measured winter ride. After all, your brain has not yet fully adjusted to the new driving style, the roads are full of new potholes, and snowdrop drivers who left their cars in the parking lot for the winter are back behind the wheel, and it is unlikely that they can instantly regain the weight of their driving skills, which means their behavior on the roads is difficult to predict. To avoid accidents, obey the speed limit.
Video about the intricacies of driving in spring
Summer driving
Driving in summer is a pleasure. The only problem you may encounter is the heat. And if for comfort the driver only needs to turn on the air conditioning in the cabin, then engine temperature It is better to ensure that it does not overheat, because a running air conditioner is an additional load on the cooling system. It is better to stop once again and give the engine a rest. If you can't get off the road, stop, turn on the hazard lights, open the hood and put up a warning triangle. You cannot ignore engine overheating, otherwise parts may become deformed and the engine will simply break down.
Air conditioner It is better to turn it on after the car has been ventilated a little. Do not direct too cold air onto a hot windshield - microcracks may appear, as is the case when warming up a car in winter. Do not forget that when the air conditioner is running, gasoline consumption increases, especially if you are going on a trip to an unfamiliar area.
If the car is not equipped with air conditioning, then the driver needs to deal with the increased temperature in the cabin. To do this, try to always park the car in shaded areas. Keep it clean, as dirt on the hood heats up the car much faster.
Video about the intricacies of driving in summer
From the driver’s point of view, dividing driving into aggressive summer driving and smooth winter driving is not correct, since at any time of the year the situation on the roads can be critical. But from a safety point of view, careful winter driving is correct. Try to always obey the speed limit and be extremely careful on the road.