What's the best way to drive on ice without sliding?

Question

I found out snow tires don't work on snow.

Answer 1

VERY SLOW, and still then be very carful and don't slam on the brakes. if you are in a standard, downshift to slow down (keep your foot on the brake pedel gentally so your brake lights show) and accelerate very slow when speeding up. Don not tail gate other cars, and leave twice the distance between you and the car infront of you. if you are sliding, steer into the skid, and you will maintain control, but be prepaired to also quickly correct that so you don't fishtail. I drive a 2 wheel drive truck in calgary and i slide around a lot, i put 8 35lb sandbags in my box and i still slide. basically the msot important thing is to slow down.

Answer 2

Hi
OK. Snow tires have large, open tread to help get traction in deep snow. Key work is help. They won't work much better on ice than regular tires. New snow tires have softer rubber than regular tires so for this reason may work a bit better if the ice is dry. Chains are best but you must keep speed very low or they will chew up your bodywork. Many modern cars do not have enough room for chains (especially front wheel drive cars).

Regarding techniques on ice - don't change anything. Sounds simple but it works. If you are moving forward, don't stop, steer, shift gears, etc. If you're not moving, stay put!

Of course, if you are moving, you must steer or you'll crash, so the first corollary to the ice law given above is this: If you must change something do it very, very slowly and gently. Accellerate slowly, as if you had a raw egg between your foot and the pedal. Brake very gently (even with antilocks). No sudden lane changes, corners, etc. Easy does it, turn very slowly, stop even slower, better yet - don't drive at all.

If you get caught out in an ice storm, in addition to the above, remember that the roadway has a "crown" - that is it is arched higher in the middle than the edges so water will run off. Since your wheels will try to slide downhill, you can neutralize this effect by, (you guessed it) driving down the dead center of the road! (I told you not to drive on ice).

If you have to go up a hill on ice, there is usually some crud (frozen slush, small rocks, etc) on the right berm or shoulder that may give you enough traction to get up the hill. Of course, you have to leave the center line to get to the berm and the transition could easily propel your vehicle into the ditch. Slow and easy are keys here.

If all else fails, as it probably will, you can increase traction by lowering your air pressure a bit - down to about 15 pounds. The tire will look about half-flat. Do not drive far or fast with the tires low or you'll risk an accident for that reason and chance ruining your tires.

If you have not left the safety of a home (even if it is not yours) or work or wherever, just stay there and stay off the ice until the road crews have a chance to treat it.

If you really want to learn how to drive on ice, don't wait until you have to do it. Go somewhere where you can practice (maybe a large parking lot) and do some slippin' and slidin' until you see how your car reacts to steering, accellerator and brakes on ice.

Nothing beats experience, the trick is to live long enough to gain it!

Hope this is of some help!

Answer 3

Drive in a lower gear and do NOT hit the brakes when you start to slide. This will make it worse. I hardly slid at all with my studded snow tires. It really depends on how fast you are going. You really should not drive more than 15-20 miles an hour on an icy road. Also, when you start to slide do NOT turn the wheel towards the middle of the road. It is a natural reaction, but you need to lightly tap the brakes and steer in the direction you are sliding in.

Answer 4

VERY slowly. Depending upon conditions, 5 MPH may be too fast.

Tire chains will help somewhat if your car is rear wheel drive. They won't help you steer though.

Studded snow tires will help quite a bit.

Even without studs, snow tires are better on ice than regular or "All Season" tires. (They're not great, but they will help.)

Answer 5

You simply don't drive on ice.
Not always easy if you live here in Canada, but you do your best to stay off ice covered roads. Depending on where you are, some states/provinces let you use tire chains. They give you a lot of grip but they aren't meant to be used for long periods of time or at high speeds. Check with your local authorities.

Answer 6

Driving on ice is dangerous no matter what. You can gain a slight advantage with a well balanced vehicle (almost as much weight in the rear as the front) and with new tires. Old tires vulcanize and become hard, becoming more slippery on ice.

Answer 7

in states that allow it, studded tires are the best bet. otherwise, there are specialized winter tires with chemical studs for driving on really slick ice, or you could get yourself a 4X4-although 4WD doesn't help with stopping. The last thing I would do (and this is a LAST resort) is to get chains for your tires. But again, some states and municipalities have laws against chains and studs, as they tend to tear up asphalt.

Answer 8

Here is information from the Washington State Department of Transportation:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/winter

or

http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/01172007news93804.cfm

Answer 9

There is no way to drive on ice without sliding. Therefore, DON'T.