How to drive on ice and snow

If possible avoid making unnecessary journeys in bad snow and ice conditions.

Be prepared…..
If you have to venture out carry warm clothes, blankets and a flask of hot drink.

Prepare your car….

Clear all snow from the windows, mirrors and lights, it is also important to clear snow from the roof of the car as braking can cause snow to slide down your windscreen which can be very dangerous when moving.
For frost ensure all windows are clear before moving off, use appropriate demister controls to keep frost from reforming, DON’T pour boiling water onto your windows, this could shatter the glass.

Prepare  yourself…..

Leave yourself plenty of time to complete your journey, listen to local weather reports and traffic bulletins on tv or radio before you set off. Plan your route effectively ,major roads are more likely to be cleared first and avoid hilly areas if possible.

setting off in snow…..

Driving on snow can be a very nervy experience , if you don’t feel confident don’t do it.  Use low revs and second gear if your car will manage it.  Keep the revs as low as possible to avoid the wheels spinning.  Rear wheel drive cars will find it more difficult to move off.  Keep any passenger as near to wheels that are being driven to give more traction.  If the wheels are spinning gentlyturn the wheel left and right a few times to clear any clogged up snow, you may even find rocking backwards and forwards a few times may give you enough traction to pull away.  If you have any sand grit or even cat litter you can use this under the wheels to help provide grip.

Slowing down….

Use engine braking as much as possible , this is using the gears to slow the car down gently one gear at a time by use of carefull manipulation of the clutch pedal. Try to avoid any harsh braking as this will cause the wheels to lock and then the car will slide.  Leave as much room as possible to slow down, the DSA recommends at least ten times the normal stopping distance you would use in good conditions.

Skidding on snow……

Skidding occurs when the tyres can’t grip the surface the wheels stop turning ( lock) but the car continues to move.  This is usually caused by applying too much brake and or too much acceleration and or too much steering.  Firstly take the brake off and try to let the tyres regain grip.  If the rear of the car is sliding then gently steer in the direction it sliding to.  Dipping the clutch will help the tyres to regain more grip as this releases the engine braking.  There are a number of different skid control methods to use on ice and snow  for learning more in a controlled environment I would suggest taking a short course on skid control.

Other road users….

Always  be prepared for other drivers loosing control keep safe distances in front and behind you , if anyone comes too close to the back of you slow down carefully and increase the distance in front.  Take particular care at junctions allow much more time when emerging and turning into junctions.  Another big hazard are pedestrians walking and playing in the road. If your caught out in heavy snow visibility will be greatly reduced       THE LESS YOU CAN SEE THE SLOWER YOU GO !

Icy roads….

Ice is usually difficult to see , you can detect it by feel and sound, the steering will become lighter and the car will almost feel that it is not touching the road surface,  the tyres will go quiet as you drive over ice.  Ice forms first in shady areas of the road and in dips and valleys in the road.

Black ice…

Black ice is most probably the most dangerous road condition of all and can be deadly if not treated with care.   Black ice forms when rain touches a frozen road surface and freezes, fortunately this type of weather condition is rare in this country.  Listen to weather reports and avoid driving if freezing rain is on the forecast.

Finally…

IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO MAKE A JOURNEY , THEN DON’T. 

Hazard Routine.

What is a hazard?
In driving terms a hazard is any thing that makes you change speed or direction.
Hazards can generally be broken down into two main types.
Stationary or developing , Some can be a combination of both.

A stationary hazard could for example be a sharp bend in the road, how do we know if we cant see round the bend what could be there!Could there be a pedestrian half way across the road or a car that has broken down?
General rule what we can’t see we don’t know.
Many stationary hazards will have warning signs ( red triangle ) or road markings.
All types of junctions are hazards with a combination of stationary and developing hazards that we may have to deal with.

The hazard routine!

The hazard routine is a systematic approach of car control to help you prepare to deal with hazards, all aspects of the system should be considered however not every part of the system is used at every hazard e.g. You would not have to use a signal every time you pass a parked vehicle.

M S P S L
M = MIRRORS
S = SIGNAL IF APPROPRIATE
P = POSITION
S =. SPEED
L = LOOK AND ASSESS

So how do we use the MSPSL routine?
MIRRORS
On approach to a hazard we need to know what’s behind us or coming up the side, so,as to be sure it’s safe to slow down and or change direction, are we going to affect another road user with our actions, we won’t know unless we check first.

SIGNAL
Would another road user benefit from a signal is it going to help the situation, is it required or could it have the opposite effect and actually confuse another road user.
You should signal if you are leaving the road you are on and joining another and if you are changing lanes, signals should be timed to help others, too early creates confusion too late and other road users won’t have time to adjust to it.

POSITION
You should move into the correct position as early as you feel is necessary to help others as long as its safe to do so.

SPEED

Adjust your speed and gears according to the situation ahead of you in good time.

LOOK AND ASSESS

Look and assess the hazard things change rapidly be ready to change your initial decision, try to read the situation as early as you can.

Woody DSA ADI

Http://www.woodyssom.com

Breaks are for slowing gears are for going…..

Gears are used as a means of helping the engine to run more efficiently. Imagine riding a bike your legs are the engine so in order for your legs to cycle efficiently you have to change gears to match the speed of the bike.

Saving money….

Using the correct gear to match the road speed of your car will help to save fuel , wear and tear on the engine , and the benefit to you will be to save you money.

 What gear do I need?

Most modern cars have either 5 or 6 forward gears and a reversing gear.  the position of the forward gears is generally first 4 gears are in a figure of H layout and gears 5 and sometimes 6 on the right.  The reverse gear can be on either side top or bottom, most modern cars require you to either press a button or lift or press down on the gear stick to engage reverse. (so as not to accidently go into reverse whilst driving forward).

How do i change gear correctly?

When moving off choose first gear ( occasionally 2nd if moving off downhill ) press clutch all the way down engage gear ( set the gas if using petrol car) and lift clutch to the biting point, hold it steady and as you move off slowly allow the clutch to come up usually takes about 4 seconds to go through the biting point when you are a beginner.

As you progress through the gears listen to the noise of the engine , try to get yourself in tune with the car, listen to what the engine is telling you,  try to keep the car from revving up too much as this burns more fuel.  Each time you go through the biting point pause for a second get to feel the resistance in the clutch pedal so as to make the gear change as smooth as possible.  Try to match the gear with the speed of the car, remember the engine will respond differently on uphill or downward slopes.  The more you practice the more smoother and easier your gear changes will become.

When…..

Try to anticipate what gear you will need that best suits the road situation ahead.  It is better to change a gear too early than too late, remember though to use the mirrors first as changing gears usually involves increasing speed or slowing down to see what is around and behind you before making the decision of what gear to use as this may affect other road users

What not to do………

Don’t look down at the gears, this will distract your eyes from the road and in a split second conditions in front could easily change for the worse.  Don’t look at the rev counter as this again will take your eyes off the road.

Declutching

Don’t leave the clutch down longer than is nessesary this is known as coasting , this limits the effects of braking and steering and if downhill can rapidly increase your road speed.

block changing !

Older cars being much heavier with less effective braking systems used to be slowed down by using the gears.  Modern cars now have much better braking systems and are lighter and therefore the brakes are the best and most economical way to slow down ( one exception to this is slowing down using gears on snow ) It is no longer a requirement to change down through the gears one at a time, instead it is more practical to brake to a speed you want and then change into the gear that suits that speed. This saves wear and tear on the mechanical parts of the car , when changing up gears again in certain situations you can miss out on some gears in order to keep the engine revs as low as possible therefore saving fuel and money.

lastly……

Changing gears correctly takes lots of practice ……..It gets easier the more you do it.

Woody DSA ADI

http://www.woodyssom.com

Why is driving in fog dangerous?
Fog has been the cause of many road accidents on a regular basis, many of these involve multiple vehicles and multiple fatalities.

It can seriously reduce your visibility…..
Fog is the equivalent of ground cloud, dense fog can reduce visibility to less than 50metres.
It can reduce the time a driver has to stop very considerably.
Fog can be extremely hazardous when it becomes patchy particularly on motorways and other high speed road networks.
Often drivers can be on a completly clear stretch of road with perfect visibility and seconds later find themselves shrouded in very poor visability with no idea where the next car in front of them is.

It distorts your perception of speed…..
When driving through dense fog drivers will find it hard to judge speed of other road users
You may find that even your own perception of your speed may be wrong.
Vehicles will appear to be moving slower than they actually are.

It can be hard even to tell Moving vehicles from parked ones
Your perception can even be distorted to the point where you could find it hard to distinguish between moving and parked vehicles.

So how can we drive safer in the fog ?

• Leave more time to complete your journey.
• Keep up to date with the latest weather reports.
• Watch out for warning signs on motorways and duel carriageways.
• use your fog lights when visibility drops below 100 metres. ( do not use fog lights in the rain it dazzles and temporarily  blinds other road users)
• Leave more space between you and the car in front.
• Slow down to a speed that you can safely deal with the conditions.
• The less you can see the slower you should go.
• If in doubt delay the journey until  conditions improve

WHAT IS ECO-FRIENDLY DRIVING ?

Eco-friendly driving is the skill of driving in such a way so as to reduce the effects of your driving on the environment.

Drive so as to keep the engine revs as low as possible in the highest gear.  Being more sympathetic to the engines needs  will increase fuel economy.  As we all know fuel is now at a record high and is set to rise further.

TIPS FOR MORE ECONOMIC DRIVING.

Ensure your car is well maintained, a badly running car will use more fuel.

Avoid carrying any excess luggage around in the car more weight means less MPG.

Remove a roof rack if not being used, the drag from this will again give you less MPG.

Ensure your tyres are inflated to the correct level, check vehicle handbook for details of correct tyre pressures for your car.  Under inflated tyres increase fuel consumption, over inflated tyres reduce the grip on the road.

Drive at a steady speed without over revving the engine, keep the gear as high as possible, the worst fuel consumption is at speeds of 15MPH or less.  Try to avoid the need  harsh acceleration and braking this can use up to 30% more fuel.

Avoid leaving the engine running on idle speed for too long,  switch off E.G if you are waiting for a train at a level crossing.

Windows down or air-con on? There’s only one way to find out fi………..!

Windows open will create drag in the car, using air-con will use more power.  Generally if you’re driving around town at speeds of less than 40-mph it is considered to be more economical to have the windows down.  When traveling at speeds of 55-mph or more then there is a 20% reduction in fuel economy, there is only about a 10% reduction with the air-con on.  so you can see at higher speeds its more efficient to use the air-con.

I hope this will help to save you some money.

Woody DSA ADI

http://www.woodyssom.com

The AGGRESSIVE driver

Drives in such a way that doesn’t allow time or space for other road users to react to.

What does a DEFENSIVE  driver do ?

Drives in such a way that does allow time and space for other road users to react to.

What are the risks involved in driving AGGRESSIVELY

Too fast to stop………

If a hazard occurs the AGGRESSIVE driver will struggle to slow down in time.

Too close to the car in front !

Could run into the car if it has to brake suddenly.

Trying to beat another car into a passing place

What if the other car is trying to do the same thing!

Approaching junctions too fast!

Will other road users have time to react?

You  can also multiply the risks factors during bad weather

The DEFENSIVE  driver will always have more time to deal with road junctions , meeting traffic and many other hazards.  Quite simply the aggressive driver won’t.  Will the AGGRESSIVE  driver get to his destination quicker? Probably not as they are always stopping and starting , this will effect the fuel economy of the car and also cause more wear and tear of engine parts , tyres  and risk of damage to the car itself.

So by driving at the correct speed for the road conditions , leaving enough space around your vehicle and planning ahead for hazards and being prepared to give way , even if it’s your priority you will become a safer driver and with more money in your wallet.

Remeber there are no such things as accidents on the road somebody is usually to blame, by adopting a more defensive style you will avoid crashes.

Woody.

http://www.woodyssom.com

Firstly what does the clutch do?

Its a mechanical part of the car that acts as a link to transfer or cut the power (drive) to the wheels.

In basic terms it consists of two discs , one of which spins with the engine on its own when the clutch pedal is down , as the clutch is lifted and engine tone sounds lower the two discs come together smoothly which in turn transfers the power to the wheels.

What we have to do is transfer that power as smoothly as possible by gently easing the clutch through the biting point ( the point where the two plates touch )

Diagram A show the clutch disconnected with the clutch pedal down therefore no power is transferred to the drive wheels of the car.

Diagram b show the clutch plates connected with the clutch pedal at the mid point where the two plates have joined together. Power now is being transmitted from the engine to the drive wheels.

Some common faults using the clutch….

Coasting  : This is leaving the clutch down when its unnecessary : resulting in loss of breaking power and general stability of the car, if the car is facing downhill this will also cause the car to speed up resulting in loss of vehicle control.

Bunny hopping or Kangarooing  : lifting the clutch too sharply resulting in the two clutch plates coming together violently creating instant tranmission of power to the wheels after which the car stalls (engine cuts out ).

Woody’s tips for mastering the clutch…..

When moving off listen to the tone of the engine changing sound and feel the slight change of pressure in the pedal as you reach the biting point.  hold the pedal still as you reach this point and ease it up slowly millimeters at a time.  it should take approx 4 secs to ease it through this time will shorten slightly as you go into the higher gears.

Remember BBC….. Brakes before clutch

When changing to a lower gear always use the brake first to reduce the speed and then select the gear.

When using the clutch downhill the car will speed up so therefore keep control by using the brake at the same time.

When using the clutch uphill the car will usually slow down as the power is cut from the drive wheels.

Creeping and peeping…..

Cluch control can be used to great effect when you need to keep the car at low speeds in first or reverse gears , for emerging at blind junctions or turning the car round in the road  simply holding the clutch on the biting point and then either raising to move forward or lowering to slow down a millimetre at a time will give you very good control at low speeds.

Practice makes perfect…….

The best way to gain clutch skills is to keep on practicing till you feel in tune with the car.  Its a difficult skill to master ……….

happy clutching

Woody…DSA ADI

http://www.woodyssom.com

How can we improve the standard of our braking?

Are you….?

Continously on and off the brakes

Late braking

Stopping too quickly or too short from you intended stopping position.

Chances are if you are doing any of the above then it could be contributed to a lack of awareness and anticipation .

To avoid late or mistimed braking try coming off the accelerator earlier, you may often find the need for braking diminishes as the hazard changes.

If you find your braking is leaving you too close to stationary vehicles or objects try aiming to break so you leave your car shorter of the intended stop position, you can then ease off the brake and roll to the preferred position with more accuracy . E.G if your stopping behind traffic aim to stop one or two cars earlier and then roll forward.

Your braking should be as smooth as possible in normal braking situations and ideally the vehicle should roll or glide to a stop.  To achieve this you should brake gently at first (light pressure imagine squashing a balloon with your foot without bursting it.)increasing the pressure as the car slows down and then easing the pressure off the pedal as the car rolls to a stop.

What does ABS do…..

When braking harshly in an emergency situation the weight of the car is transfered forward so the front wheels take all the pressure and in extreme braking the wheels could lock up.  With the ABS  ( anti lock braking system ) .  Your brakes are at their maximum effectiveness the moment before the front wheels lock and when the ABS comes into play it instantly pulses the brakes on and off in order to stop the wheels from locking up thus giving the driver more control of the steering.

If the ABS does come on in an emergency braking situation keep the pressure firmly on the brake and hold the steering firmly untill you can gain control.  I must stress that ABS should not come on during normal braking.

Bad weather……..

Allow more time and space to stop in if the road is wet or has a poor road surface, the DSA recommends you double the stopping distance in such circumstances.  Leave 10 times as much space and time to stop on ice or snowy road surfaces.

Remember the golden rule ….

YOU SHOULD DRIVE AT A SPEED THAT YOU CAN SAFELY STOP WITHIN THE DISTANCE THATS CLEAR AHEAD OF YOU.

THE LESS YOU CAN SEE OF THE ROAD THE SLOWER YOU SHOULD GO.

A= ANTICIPATION & AWARENESS

How can we improve our basic ability to deal with hazards safely.
By using ANTICIPATION we can be ready for any potential dangers.

What if………

Before going into a blind bend or junction ask yourself WHAT IF there is something in the blind area.

By being consciously AWARE that what we can’t see we can’t know then we are giving ourselves a better chance to be able to deal with any unknown hazards in a safer way.

Many drivers will put themselves in danger by approaching a blind corner or junction with the assumption that nothing is there, if there is then their reactions could be too late especially if travelling too fast to stop.

The best way to approach a bend or corner is to use mirrors and reduce speed to a level that you could easily stop in if needed.

Look for clues…..

Why has the pedestrian paused at the side of the road? Could they be wanting to cross.

Why has the car in front slowed down? Have they seen something we havnt or could they be looking to pull over.

How many times have you seen drivers trying to beat the traffic lights.
Remember the green traffic light is the most hazardous and you should anticipate it changing rather than staying green.

If you use good AWARENESS of what you can see and good ANTICIPATION of what you can’t see
It will help to make you a safer driver.

Woody DSA ADI

http://www.woodyssom.com

As a DSA approved driving instructor I strongly believe that the standard of our driver training needs to change and improve with the times.

statistics show that 22% of all new drivers will be involved in a crash within 6 months of gaining a full licence.

This statisic could and should be a lot lower.

I believe that better driver education would be a help and so I am putting together the A to Z of safe driving skills which I hope will be invaluable to new drivers and help to get drivers to start practicing better safety techniques.

I welcome any comments

Woody DSA ADI
http://www.woodyssom.com