December of the end of 2015 in the central regions of the country began with unexpectedly strong warming. The weather made incredible temperature records, the grass was green everywhere and it was raining.
started New Year holidays and with them came very coldy. After heavy rains, the road turned into a skating rink. And finally, the snow fell. Yes, it went at such a pace that on some days a half-month-monthly rainfall fell. As a result, the roads turned out to be uncleaned for some time, the yards were filled up a little less than completely, and the cars standing on the streets turned into monotonous snowdrifts.*
And today we will talk about what is useful to all motorists, regardless of what kind of car they drive, we will give advice on how not to get stuck in the snow, and what to do if this does happen.
The main norms of driving behavior in winter period can be characterized as follows: be vigilant, be careful and expect the most unexpected things to happen on the road!
The first thing to do in order for winter operation to be trouble-free and for you to be is to carry out the initial preparation of the car.
It only takes a couple of minutes, but the benefits of it will be incredible.
- Fill up the washer reservoir windshield your car with high-quality winter anti-freeze
- Check the tire pressure (winter tires should of course be), make sure that the pressure meets the technical requirements
- Put a snow shovel/scraper/brush in the trunk to clean the car from snow
- Cables for recharging the car battery should also be in the car
- And in addition to everything in the trunk should be: cardboard (from the usual cardboard box), and/or a bag of sand or fine gravel
- And yet, for rear-wheel drive vehicles, the axle of which is constantly unloaded, and therefore on a slippery track or in snowy yards it has a minimum clutch, it will not be superfluous to load the trunk with some heavy things. A tool or other weights can be used as ballast
The training is over, let's move on to practice. Driving on a snowy road in a car in winter
At the beginning of snowfall, pay special attention to bridges and other overpasses, as a rule, dangerous frost forms on them much faster than on the asphalt of ordinary roads. This must be taken into account.
Accelerate as smoothly as you brake. Be triple careful on the descents and ascents. On difficult sections of the road, avoid slipping of the drive wheels while driving and starting off. When driving uphill, it is important not to lose the momentum of the car, on the other hand, when going down a steep icy hill, you need to slow down and drive as slowly as possible.
On multi-lane road It's best to stay on the right lane. In the left lane, hot heads 4x4 will rush through anyone. These citizens are convinced that modern electronics and four-wheel drive will protect them from all adversity and deceive the laws of physics. No matter how! And at the moment when something goes wrong with them, it’s better to be a couple of lanes away from them. All-wheel drive can make the car more dynamic on wet pavement or help him to easily leave a snowy parking lot, but it does not affect the improvement of handling or improvement of the braking capabilities of the car. Even modern sports crossovers types can get out of hand on a patch of ice or on a slippery curve if they move too fast.
If, when braking, you feel a beating or pulsing of the brake pedal, and / or on dashboard If the word ABS flashes, this means that the anti-lock braking system has been activated. You should not panic in this case, such behavior brake system speaks of the presence under the wheels slippery area or too hard braking.
There are a lot of tips on how to brake in a car with ABS, just like there are a huge number of braking techniques, but for most average drivers, one piece of advice is suitable. We felt the ABS actuation, continue braking, the electronics will do the rest for you.
The opposite moment, the operation of the exchange rate system ESC stability. If, during movement or acceleration, the ESC icon flashes on the dashboard, that is, it begins to struggle with the slipping of the drive wheels, this is a clear signal to release the gas and slow down the car.
Did the car hit a very slippery area or did you notice that you are moving on the so-called "black ice"? What to do? The main thing is not to slow down (at least sharply), to avoid quick maneuvers and thoughtless pressing of the accelerator pedal.
These are the basic and absolutely not tricky rules that exist in the winter. In fact, there are hundreds more nuances, but their awareness comes with experience or after learning extreme driving.
Now let's talk about a less difficult moment. In the snow? The first thing to do if your car is equipped with a traction control system is to disable it (this is usually disabled on cars). This feature will only get in the way when the car's traction goes to zero.
Do not press the gas pedal to the floor, stop the wheel slip. Instead, use the principle of rocking the car.
On mechanics: We moved forward a couple of centimeters, squeezed the clutch, the car rolled back a little, release the clutch, move forward. At the same time, we keep the minimum allowable engine speed so that the wheels do not slip. In the same way, we roll out the snow roller behind the car.
Important! The front wheels should ideally be straight. Less rolling resistance, get out of the snow captivity faster.
Still unable to leave? Get out of the car and clear the area in front of the drive wheels, both rear and front. The chances of success will increase significantly.
If that doesn't work, throw in a couple of handfuls of sand or gravel that you've thoughtfully packed in the trunk. Throw abrasive under the drive wheels. If that still doesn't help, place cardboard or car mats under the wheels to restore traction. If these materials are not available, use tree branches or the like.
Do not forget that passers-by or other motorists will always come to your aid in the city, just ask them about it.
Of course, the inclusion of a lower gear will solve any problems, most importantly do not forget to turn off downshift before you start accelerating to avoid damage to the vehicle's systems.
Winter driving requires the driver to have certain experience and readiness for various unforeseen situations, one of which is bogging down the car in a snowdrift. For beginners who have just left the walls of a driving school, this science is very difficult to understand. Most often this occurs after a fresh snowfall and on roads with low traffic.
In order to reduce the chance of getting stuck in the snow, the car should be prepared in advance. Before driving on a snowy road, reduce the tire pressure to 1 atmosphere. This increases the contact area of the wheels with pavement and prevents slippage. A greater decrease in tire pressure is fraught with spontaneous disassembly, so this should not be allowed. In the trunk, you should put a shovel and, if possible, a couple of boards (they can come in handy).
Paradoxically, newer winter tires are more prone to digging into the snow. When slipping, a fresh tread quickly digs a hole under it, burying the car. Old tires don't dig snow as hard. Start off on fresh snow as smoothly as possible, avoiding slippage of the drive wheels. If the layer of freshly fallen snow exceeds 15 centimeters, it is not superfluous to dig it up about half a meter in front of the wheels. But, despite all the measures taken, any driver can get stuck in a snowdrift.
What to do if the car is still stuck in a snowdrift? Ideal in this situation would be to have a tractor nearby, but this is not always the case. However, you can try to get out of the snowdrift on your own. To do this, crush and dig up the snow in front of the wheels, making a kind of rut. When driving, do not allow the wheels to slip. If they still slip, you should turn on reverse gear and try to move the car back. Next, you should try to get out of the snowdrift by "rocking" the car in first gear. If this does not help, and the driving wheels of the car got to the ice, you can try to put wooden boards stored in advance under them and try to drive along them. In the absence of boards, you can try to melt the ice under the drive wheels by sprinkling it with food salt or watering it with a small amount. antifreeze liquid for glass washer. Another way to get out of a snowdrift is to put snow chains on the drive wheels. In the absence of chains, you can use tow rope by wrapping them around the wheel.
Most passenger cars do not have a differential lock, and it is quite difficult to get out of a snowdrift when one of the wheels loses contact with the road surface. In this case, boards, branches, old rags, etc., should be placed under the wheel so that the wheel has something to catch on. It is much easier to get the car out of the snowdrift if a couple of people can come to the rescue who can push the car.
In the case when there is nowhere to wait for help, you will have to push the car out yourself. In this case, you should dig out the snow more carefully, try to reduce the pressure in the tires as much as possible, trample the snow under the bottom of the car with the lateral swing of the car, and only after that try to smoothly drive out of the snowdrift.
An alternative, more time-consuming way to get out of a snowdrift is as follows: use a jack to raise the car and place non-slip material (for example, tree branches) under the freed drive wheel. In the absence of non-slip material, you can try to make a new crust of snow under the wheel. The procedure should be carried out with the other drive wheel. If the car sat on the bottom, the same should be done with the remaining wheels. After that, you should slowly and smoothly leave the snowdrift. In this case, you should ensure that the front wheels are in a straight position - this will increase the chance to free yourself from snow captivity.
How to get out of the snow - tricks that will help you drive more confidently in winter.
How to get out of the snow, start on ice, overcome snowdrifts - knowing these tricks will make winter driving easier. One of the main problems that many motorists refuse to drive in winter is the fear of not coping with the difficulties of winter roads - stalling on rolled snow or ice, getting stuck in a snowdrift, when leaving a parking lot, etc. Meanwhile, the simplest winter tricks, backed up with skills, they will help overcome fear and not give up on a car when you need it most - in cold weather, blizzards, slush. 
So let's get on the ice. Modern winter tires, even non-studded ones, with proper handling of the controls, allow you to move off confidently and safely even on areas of bare ice or polished to a shine rolled snow. The most important thing in such cases is to release the clutch pedal as smoothly as possible. Do not let the engine develop high speeds at the same time - the lower they are, the better. On cars with an “automatic” gearbox, you need to press on the gas as smoothly as possible, if the automatic transmission has winter mode(W) or the ability to force second gear - do it. Also, from the second gear, you can get under way on the "mechanics" - this reduces the likelihood of wheel slip. 
If slipping fails to start after several attempts, try reversing and trying again in a new area where the snow or ice has not yet been polished by your wheels. The holes that your drive wheels dug under you in the ice (or rolled snow) can prevent starting. Getting out of them is usually not difficult, you need to rock the car, alternately quickly including first and then reverse gears. After several such “swings”, catch the moment when the car moves, for example, forward, turn on the first gear and, using the force of its inertia, leave the hole forward.
All of the above does not apply to cases of hill starting, which can really be a problem even for experienced drivers. Therefore, avoid parking lots, leaving which you will need to move uphill. If nevertheless this happens, you will need a small portion of sand (screenings, slag, earth), which will have to be poured under the drive wheels, creating a non-slip path one and a half to two meters long for them. Usually they are enough to start and pick up speed for further movement.
Check out loose snow It can also be problematic for an inexperienced driver. Methods similar to those described above will help you get out. If, having started, the car immediately gets stuck in the snow, do not let it burrow, stop slipping and return (or slide) in reverse gear back to the starting point. There, turn on the first one and, gaining as much speed as possible, move forward again.
Using the force of its inertia, the car will move forward a little more. By repeating this operation several times, you can roll the track back and forth, paving your way for a more or less long acceleration and a decisive assault in the right direction. It may happen that, while skidding, you dug holes in the snow under the wheels, and so deep that it is impossible to lengthen them for subsequent acceleration. Then you have to work a little with a shovel (mount, branch): lengthen the hole, turning it into a track at least half a meter long, so that the car can accelerate at least a little and drive onto a flat surface.
Snowdrifts on the road should be overcome immediately, firmly holding the steering wheel and not slowing down the engine speed. The main thing, however, is to first make sure that in front of you is still a straight section of a swept road, and not a ditch, a turn or an intersection with high curbs. And one more important remark - immediately, on a relatively high speed you can only overcome those deep snowdrifts into which your car will fall with both wheels. If the snowdrift is “unsymmetrical” - it covers only one part of the road, or of very different depths, you should be wary of turning the car due to the fact that the wheels of one side (say, right) will meet more resistance than the other (left). It is better to overcome such snow marks in stages, breaking the road back and forth in short sections, as recommended above for leaving snowdrifts.
Almost every motorist at least once during the winter gets into a skid. The main thing in this case is not to get lost, not to throw the steering wheel and not to put pressure on the brakes sharply. At the very first moment, when the back of the car “floated” to the side while moving forward, you need to turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid with a short movement and immediately return it back to central position. At the same time, release the accelerator.
The car stabilizes by leveling off on the road. However, if the corrective steering action turned out to be not very accurate (and this is likely to happen the first time), the skid may repeat, but in the other direction. And again you need to turn the steering wheel in the direction of skidding. This movement of the steering wheel should become automatic for you. To develop such a skill, it is worth a little practice on an empty snowy area. large sizes and preferably without any borders.
It should not be thought that almost every winter trip can end in such problems. They may only occur on your first winter trips. However, by overcoming these difficulties on your own, you will gain experience that will help you avoid such situations next time.
Excellent snowy weather is overshadowed for the motorist by long warm-ups, difficulties with parking, and especially digging the car out of snowdrifts in the morning. And of course, there is always a chance to simply get stuck on an uncleaned path or even get into an accident due to slippery roads and poor visibility. If parking or “parking” back onto the road is difficult, then of course you can always work with a shovel, but not everyone likes outdoor exercise. So our task for today – learn to "understand the snow" and figure out how to deal with it.
Snow cover is not at all as simple as many are accustomed to perceive it. In fact, this is not just another slippery surface. Depending on the temperature and density, it is able to create entire sets of surfaces with different properties. For a city driver, snow most often appears in the form of snow roll, packed in snow ruts or fairly dense drifts of wet or stale snow. And very rarely, unfortunately, in the form of a sparkling soft blanket on the ground.
The insidiousness of any snow cover in that while the snow is loose, its bearing capacity is low. It perfectly slows down the car and is not able to keep it on the surface, it literally falls into it to harder layers. But this does not prevent the snow from delaying its movement, especially if it reaches the body and suspension parts. A dense layer of snow seems to form a good surface, for which winter tires cling well, and the “combat” spikes of athletes with huge spikes are completely excellent.
But literally in the blink of an eye, such a snow cover can turn into a thin and very slippery layer of ice on the surface of packed snow, on which ordinary studding does not work very well, especially at temperatures around zero. Such a surface may turn out to be too slippery for the wheel to “dig” it, and even if there are a few millimeters to the asphalt, the car will remain in place.
In addition, snowdrifts freeze slightly, hard layers alternate with loose ones, the road surface becomes uneven, due to which the load on the wheels is different, and all these factors in total usually mean that the car is stuck and will not get out without outside help. Or is there still a chance? Let's look at a few typical situations.
morning surprise
Since cars are now mostly front-wheel drive and winter tires are widely available, I will assume that your car is with this layout and not on racing slicks. And if in the morning you are afraid to find that you are separated from the road by a snow parapet and half a meter of less dense and not so deep snow Well, I have good news for you.
A typical mistake of a driver is to try to overcome an obstacle “like dry land”. That is, start off, turning the wheels and trying to jump out onto the road. Usually the car shifts slightly and immediately begins to slip with the inner wheel in relation to the turning radius. After that, the driver presses on the gas a little more, turns the steering wheel, and now the car is sitting in a deep snow pit, from where it will not be able to get out without outside help without special tricks.
The best way to understand how to proceed is to imagine well how the wheel is kept on the snow at all if it does not reach the asphalt. As the wheel rotates and moves forward, it forms a "wedge" in front of it, in which any loose coating is compacted before being under the wheel.
The larger the wheel diameter, the longer the wedge, and the wider the tire, the larger the area it captures. If the snow is thick enough, as is the case in our climatic conditions, then an ordinary passenger car on wheels of a typical diameter has every chance of compacting the snow "wedge" to such an extent that it forms a path that can hold the car, and on which the wheel tread can catch.
But all this idyll falls apart as soon as the wheel starts to slip a little. In this case, the compaction zone will immediately fly out behind the wheel, and it will end up in a hole, and the more it slips, the deeper the hole will be dug for itself. But to move on loose and heavy snow, you need a lot of traction. Fortunately, the solution to the problem has long been found, you just need to move faster and overcome the difficult part of the section "on the go". But how to do this when leaving the parking lot?
Take a closer look at the car after a snowfall. The wheels are not at the very corners of the car, and usually there is space under them with rolled snow or even clean asphalt - this is what you need to use for acceleration. It’s just that you won’t be able to skip the entire difficult section at once. To begin with, it is best to back up to the distance of the rear overhang of the car. After that, slightly accelerate and "flatten" the first section of the road to freedom.
It is important here not to stall, immediately lose traction as soon as the car hits the wheel on dense snow. And if possible, it is better not to turn right away - then rear wheels you have to make your own path in the snow, and this greatly slows down the car. Make 10-15 centimeters of track at a time, roll back and accelerate the car again more boldly.
If you act correctly, then those half a meter of snow and another 30-50 centimeters of acceleration over the space occupied by the car will make it possible to immediately slip through a denser and heavier snow parapet without skidding and without resorting to the help of a shovel. However, do not forget that you can simply trample the track a little, and simply beat off the parapet with your feet, thereby greatly facilitating the exit. And you should always be aware of the risk of tearing off the bumper if you push the snow too hard.
Still stuck
The cold voice of reason does not always allow you to drive through a difficult section. Sometimes there is not enough visibility, sometimes the snow is a little denser than it seemed ... Or, corny, the leg got caught, the mat slipped under the heel, someone unexpectedly drove in front of the car - and now it got up and did not want to move. The main thing at this moment is not to panic and not to bury the car completely. Chances will appear as soon as the car gains at least a little mobility.
The first thing to do is get out of the car and assess how bad things are. If the tires are toothy, the snow is deep and the engine is powerful, then the car can immediately "sit on its belly", which means that only the cable will help. But if the car is still on wheels, there are chances. The first step is to outline the trajectory of further movement - forward or backward.
Put the wheels straight, if suddenly they are turned, and with the help of a snow scraper or a shovel, clean out the snow that the car managed to “dig up” under itself. And shake it back and forth a little, try to understand if it is going in any direction. If it is going, then it's time to try the "buildup".
The meaning of this technique is to gain speed due to pendulum movements. Starting in one direction, the car slightly drives up the hill and begins to roll back. She does not need to interfere, it is even better to help by turning on the reverse gear if you are good with the clutch and the manual transmission lever or are confident in the reliability of your “machine”. When the car rolls onto the opposite edge of the hole and changes direction again, you need to change gear again and help the car in its movement. This is how you swing a heavy swing. With a little effort in right moment you can swing our four-wheeled "swing" until the moment when they leave the snow trap and roll on the snow. So we return to the first case.
And a little about slipping
Many drivers expect that if they slip for a long time, the wheels will dig through the snow to the asphalt and the car will get out. Very rarely this happens, but usually the wheel has time to heat the snow and it forms a dense ice “bed”, from which it is difficult to leave. And the chances that the differential will overheat are very high - it is not designed for long slippage with one wheel.
A typical light car there is a conventional cross-axle symmetrical differential. It divides the power of the motor in half, and if there is no torque on one of the wheels (it rotates freely), and on the other it is (it clings to the road), then it will divide the speed so that the power is equal. So, the wheel, on which there is no moment, will rotate. And the one at which there is a moment will be almost stopped.
Yes, this is how the differential behaves illogically off-road. But it is made for convenient and economical movement of the car on a hard surface, and in this business it is a master. If you find yourself in a difficult road situation, you will have to somehow get out. It is unlikely that you have a viscous coupling lock, a screw lock, some kind of Thorsen or smart traction control. You will have to rely strictly on your own strength.
In fact, from the principle of operation of the differential, it is clear what needs to be done. All you have to do is slow down a rapidly spinning wheel. If hand brake acted on the drive wheels, then everything would be simple - we pull the handbrake and move off. But it's convenient for rear wheel drive cars ah or, for example, on very old Saabs of the 80s, where the handbrake tightens the front wheels.
Since there are few rear-wheel drive cars, and even fewer old Saabs, the handbrake will not help us in most cases. But at modern machines there is ABS, and here it can help a little. When slipping, just press the brake lightly with your heel. There is a pretty good chance that the braking force on the front wheels will be greater than on the rear. After all, there is less load on them, and the brakes are weaker there, and there is enough traction from the only “hooked” wheel to start moving ... And then the brake must be released and quickly leave the place of the jam. The method works especially well on cars with any type of all-wheel drive - unless, of course, it turns off when the brakes are pressed, which, unfortunately, happens very often on passenger cars.
If the buildup and focus with ABS does not help, but there is an assistant, then others will do tricky ways. For example, you can brake a spinning wheel. The easiest thing is to ask an assistant to insert a balloon key into the holes rim, resting it on the caliper brake mechanism, and very carefully try to move. Of course, the previously standing wheel will start spinning.
But this way is dangerous - there is a chance to damage the disk, stopping support or hands of an assistant. You can try to do the same with a strong long stick, for example, a shovel handle. On the other hand, if you have a shovel, it is better to use it in the usual way. Less reliable, but safe to ask an assistant to load the corner of the car, the wheel of which is slipping. Stand on the bumper or on the hood. Sometimes even 40 kilograms of live weight is enough for the car to go, and the risk in this case is minimal.
If the car classic automatic transmission, then even without assistants, the driver can push his car. However, there are risks here too. In addition to the obvious chance that the car will leave without a driver, it can also easily slam the doors when starting off (hello to the central lock!), And if it’s winter outside and the phone is in the car, then it’s definitely not pleasant.
But I hope that everything will be fine with you, parking spaces will not be covered with snow and it will beautifully cover houses, fields and forests ... but not roads. And just in case, read again the material on how you can use ABS on winter road in an unusual way, when braking in corners and when.
Three leading Russian specialists in counter-emergency training:
- Denis Vagin, chief instructor of the school driving skills bmw,
- Ernst Tsygankov, Head of the Center for Higher Driving Excellence,
- Evgeny Vasin, chief instructor of the school Audi Quattro
give advice on winter driving.
In most of Russia, the onset of winter adds a headache to motorists. We need to take care of buying winter "rubber", stand in line at the tire fitting, change summer oil for winter, buy carpets with high sides in the salon so that the street slurry flavored with salt from the boots does not fall on the floor.
But behind these chores, the main thing is not to forget about the most important thing - along with sub-zero temperature snow and ice appear on the roads, and, therefore, drivers need to reconsider the manner of driving that has developed over the summer. Otherwise, unsuccessfully "revving", the first ice can be found in a cell, or, in the worst case, in a hospital bed.
Why just three? We decided that one head is good, but several are even better. Each professional accumulates his own experience, and getting several authoritative opinions at once is much more useful than just one.
For convenience, we have grouped the answers of the experts for each question. But if you want to know the advice of each of them in full - please! Scroll down below and enjoy.
What is the main difference winter driving from summer?
What are the tips for emergency braking on slippery road(with ABS, without ABS)?
What is the difference between driving a car with manual and automatic transmission transmissions in winter conditions?
What is the difference between driving a car with a rear, front or all-wheel drive on a winter road?
In most cases, the car breaks into a skid unexpectedly for the driver. How to learn to anticipate situations in which the wheels can lose traction?
How to get out of deep snow by car with manual box gear?
How to get out of deep snow by car with automatic transmission?
Does it improve permeability? passenger car four-wheel drive?
Is it worth buying winter non-studded tires for the city, more suitable for driving on asphalt than for slippery roads and loose snow? How safe is it to drive out of town on these tires?
Are there any particularities when driving a car equipped with ABS systems and ESP, in winter conditions?
What precautions should be taken when driving uphill or downhill in winter?
Is it worth it to prepare yourself for critical situations on a slippery road (attend courses, read specialized literature)? Or to avoid them it is enough to drive carefully and follow the rules traffic?
What dangers, besides slippery roads and poor visibility, can a driver face on a winter road? How to avoid them?
Your most important "winter" advice to all drivers
BMW Driving School.
Denis Vagin, Chief Instructor, BMW Driving School
A: All the phenomena inherent in the behavior of a car on snow occur with the same success on asphalt. The only question is the intensity of the impact on the car. Therefore, for more slippery surface the driver must act more carefully. But fundamental differences I do not see and do not recommend focusing on the fact that you can do something on asphalt, but not on snow.
A: Tips are trivial. If a driver driving a car with ABS gets into a critical situation, then it is better to brake hard and with maximum effort until he is convinced that there is enough braking distance for a complete stop. On non-ABS vehicles, it's best to brake in a way that prevents the wheels from locking up. If you still feel like the wheels are locking up, apply intermittent braking. It is advisable to do this in gear to avoid unnecessary wheel slip.
A: On an automatic transmission, the beginning of wheel slip is not always clearly felt, because there is no rigid connection between the engine and the wheels. It may happen that the wheels will slip, you will not notice this, leave the gas at the same level and the wheel will begin to slip even more ... Doubts arise because the engine does not start to "roar" sharply - after all, the gears change depending on the speed of rotation of the wheels, and it , due to slippage, can be quite high.
Plus, the "automatic" has less engine braking capabilities. But with an automatic transmission it is easier to move off on a slippery surface - the "automatic" always does this smoothly and more reliably.
A: I must say that if the car is not affected by longitudinal forces caused by acceleration or deceleration, then the maximum possible speed on an arc depends solely on the coefficient of friction, that is, on the tread pattern and composition of your tires and the condition of the roadway. And this factor, you understand, does not depend on the type of drive.
From the point of view of acceleration, there is no difference in the types of drive - and on the front and rear wheel drive, the drive wheels begin to slide earlier than the rest. But, front-wheel drive, by virtue of it design features and weight distribution, on slippery roads allows faster acceleration and is more stable when driving in a straight line. But in the turn, front-wheel drive cars show pronounced understeer. A rear-wheel drive car, on the other hand, is less stable in a straight line, but, in my opinion, it is easier to maneuver on it.
All-wheel drive allows you to press the gas a little harder, since it has wheel slip even later. And therefore, such machines, of course, are out of competition in terms of acceleration dynamics on slippery surfaces. However, in a critical situation inexperienced drivers all-wheel drive vehicle it's harder to predict which wheels will slip first, and it's not always obvious exactly how to stabilize the car. As a result, there is an effect of surprise, which leads to an increase in the reaction time of the driver and other unpleasant consequences.
Although, if the wheels have already lost traction with the road surface and the car has gone into a skid, then the stabilization technique, in a good way, does not depend on the drive. Quite a natural reaction of the driver to any slip is to release the gas. In this case, all cars behave the same, since there is no traction on the drive wheels. When skidding a front-wheel drive car, the only thing that can be recommended is not to touch the gas and do not turn the steering wheel. In the case of a rear-wheel drive, the gas actions are the same, plus turning the steering wheel in the direction of skidding.
True, when stabilizing front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive cars, there is one more nuance: sometimes, extremely rarely, but a situation is possible in which it may be necessary to press the gas to stabilize a sliding car. However, in practice this happens very rarely - when the car is in a very deep skid. Most likely, such a situation may arise not due to a driver's error, but, for example, due to an impact.
But such a skid recovery technique is very difficult and I do not recommend it for untrained drivers. In my practice, for example, even in the greenhouse conditions of the autodrome, it is very difficult to force the driver in a front-wheel drive car to press the gas exactly when it really allows the car to stabilize in a skid. Therefore, I do not recommend touching the gas either in front or in all-wheel drive. It is better for an unprofessional driver to rely on the reflex, and he demands to release the accelerator pedal.
A: Theoretically, skidding can occur without external causes at all. The culprit may be a different grip coefficient with the road surface under the right and left side of the car. This is especially true in cases where there is so-called snow "porridge" on the roads: somewhere it has already squeezed through to the asphalt, and somewhere there is snow. Also, the beginning of slipping is often caused by crossing the track.
If the road on the right and left is approximately the same, then the skid is due to an attempt to maneuver a little sharper than the road conditions allow. The transition of the car into a slip can also provoke a bunch of intense turns.
Well, rear- and all-wheel drive cars show a tendency to skid due to an overdose of gas at the exit of the turn. But at the entrance, all cars behave approximately the same: skidding is provoked by gas release, so it is better to plan the passage of a curved trajectory with constant speed without abusing the "game" with the accelerator pedal.
A: How to do it with mechanical box, everyone potentially knows, but few people know how to do it efficiently, because it’s hard to catch the vibration frequency of a car at which it can be rocked back and forth. I draw your attention to the fact that even a small slip in this case is fatal. The car will either burrow even more, or, turning the snow under the wheel, will dig a slippery hole under it.
In such a situation, by the way, the stabilization system does not need to be turned off. When you need to get out of a snowdrift, maximum traction occurs on the verge of slipping and ESP in this case, on the contrary, helps the driver.
If the car cannot be pulled out by swinging, and the snow under the wheels is shallow, in principle, there is another good way- "dig" to the asphalt. Sometimes it is worth spending 10 minutes on it and turning several kilograms of snow into steam. But, of course, it is better to do without such mockery of the car.
A: On the "automatic" everything is a little more complicated, because it takes a long time to switch gears from "reverse" to "drive" and back. Press the gas, move the car, for example, forward, and when it froze, without releasing the gas, press the brake. The car stops at the top dead center, release the gas and with the brake pressed, turn on the reverse gear. We press the gas again and then release the brake - the car goes back with a slight acceleration. As soon as she froze back dead point, we press the brake - and so on, until these amplitudes become large enough. The important thing is that at some point you brake the car without releasing the gas, because as long as you move your right foot from the gas to the brake, the car will roll down again. This is the main technique, but we must understand that, of course, it does not guarantee the exit from the snowdrift.
Yes, of course, the patency of such machines is much better. An all-wheel drive car has the main and indisputable advantage - most of the weight is concentrated on the front wheels, which are also driving. And the more weight falls on the drive wheels, the more they are loaded and the more difficult it is to break them into slip.
On front-wheel drive vehicles, the load on the front axle, as a rule, is also higher than on the rear - it accounts for about 60 percent of the car's weight. But for rear-wheel drive cars (for example, BMW), designers usually try to create an "ideal" weight distribution - 50:50. And not without success. As a result, only half the car's weight is on the drive wheels, which is why BMW often loses. front wheel drive cars both in cross-country ability and when driving on ice. Therefore, in the trunk of a rear-wheel drive car, to increase patency, you can sometimes throw something heavy, for example, a sheet of metal of a hundred kilograms.
A: An ambiguous question. Much has been said and written about this. Here the question, rather, is where and on what coverage it is possible to get into a difficult situation. In a situation where there is deep snow or slippery ice on the streets, and everyone around is driving at a speed of five to ten kilometers per hour, it is unlikely that any super-quality soft "rubber" or spikes will be required. And when driving along the Moscow Ring Road at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, the need for good grip characteristics and handling "rubber" can be very useful.
It can be summarized as follows: you should be guided by what surface - on snow or on asphalt - you often have to take more intense actions. The choice is up to the driver.
A: Once again I emphasize that the speed of movement along the arc, as well as the braking distance, depend only on the coefficient of friction. What's more, braking with ABS on a loose road generally requires more distance than without. The reason is that the locked wheels burrow into the "porridge", while the ABS brakes, in fact, do not. It can be said that sometimes systems active safety even limit the capabilities of the car.
On the other hand, thanks to these systems, in a critical situation, the machine requires a simpler stabilization technique. Dramatically, thanks to the presence of ABS and ESP, nothing changes, but it is easier to drive a car with them - there is less chance of making a mistake.
A: It must be taken into account that the descent has a much more serious effect on increasing the braking distance than the ascent - on its reduction. A vivid physical example: on ice with a coefficient of friction of about 0.1, the limiting angle of descent at which you can brake at all is about five degrees. If the angle is larger, the machine will move down with acceleration when the wheels are locked. And on a five-degree rise, the stopping distance will be half as long as on a flat road.
Plus, when descending, even to move at a constant speed, it is often necessary to release the gas. And this leads to unstable behavior of the car.
Q: Is it worth it to prepare yourself for critical situations on a slippery road (attend courses, read specialized literature)? Or to avoid them, it is enough to drive carefully and follow the rules of the road?
A: If I say "no", you, given my position, will probably be surprised. So I'll say yes. It must be understood that although the skill of emergency braking is useful, another solution to the problem is theoretically possible. If your driving distance is two to three times your potential stopping distance, you won't need emergency braking. If you are able to create so much free space around you that you can get out of any difficult situation without problems - this is only welcome.
But sometimes other participants in the movement act inadequately, and the driver himself does not always have an accurate idea of the same braking distance or features of the upcoming maneuver. And when panic sets in, reflexes often work against us. Therefore, in order to deepen your understanding of the car, it is still worth devoting at least one day to winter preparation.
This can be done even on your own, without an instructor - real ideas about the stopping distance and the capabilities of the car in a turn on a slippery road are always useful. But you should not check the stability of the car on public roads.
A: Dangers… For example, I am often uncomfortable with the very thought that a car might break down. In winter, this can be so critical in terms of one's own health that technical condition should be monitored somewhat more closely than when driving in the warm season. As for the movement itself - windows and brushes freeze, dirt is all around, it gets dark early, it gets light late - there are common factors that make the driver behave more carefully.
A: The main "winter" advice - reduce the intensity of your acceleration, braking and turning by two or three times, and then there will be no problems on a slippery road.
This is how classes are held at the Tsygankov school.
Ernst Tsygankov, Head of the Center for Higher Driving Excellence
Q: What is the main difference between winter driving and summer driving?
A: In order to adapt to new road conditions time is needed: for someone two weeks, for someone - three. The first week the driver must be very careful to just understand the behavior of the car. All sharp maneuvers hard braking needs to be excluded. In addition, it is necessary to "lengthen" the distance, as the braking distance increases.
And the car needs to be prepared for the winter. Those whose car "sleeps" on the street, and not in a warm garage, should fill in the "synthetics". But you need to start by putting winter tires. And if a person has a car with ABS, then spikes are required! And in general, it is desirable to "change shoes" in studded tires. Although everyone says that there is more asphalt in the city than ice, they are still needed. On asphalt, the car will stop with and without spikes, but on ice better than spikes there is nothing.
Q: What are the tips for emergency braking on slippery roads (with ABS, without ABS)?
A: If the car is not equipped with ABS, then on slippery roads it is necessary to use impulse braking techniques. For example, there is an intermittent way - to effectively slow down the movement of the car where asphalt and ice alternate, you need to apply the brake, release it completely, press again. Impulse reception - short, quick presses on the brake pedal - should also be used on a very slippery road.
With ABS, it is easier to stop in icy conditions, because the sensors of this system themselves recognize the condition of the road surface. However, if you have this ABS turned on very often - several times during the day - this is a bad symptom. So, you are just late with the start of braking. A professional ABS turns on only a few times during the winter. And for non-professionals every day a dozen times. We at the Center believe that ABS is like an ambulance - why should it be with you all the time?
In addition, the anti-lock braking system changes the braking dynamics - when it is turned on, the car slows down either better or worse, depending on what is under the wheels. On a road with non-uniform grip - for example, asphalt-ice-asphalt-ice - the electronics sometimes stop braking to keep the car stable. And the driver is not ready for this. That is, he counts on stable braking, but it turns out that the car slows down well, then the brakes do not work. This often leads to stress and panic.
Therefore, I advise even those who have modern car with active safety systems, learn to ride so that they do not turn on. ABS starts to work with an effort on the pedals from 15 to 25 kg, depending on the model of the car. It is necessary to be able to slow down both smoothly and impulsively, without activating the electronics. ABS is already out of desperation when you have to hit the brakes and hope that the car will do everything right by itself.
Q: What is the difference between driving a manual and automatic car in winter conditions?
A: There is a fundamental difference. A mechanical box, if, of course, a person owns it, allows you to more actively resist a critical situation. "Automatic" is more passive. IN the latest vending machines have and manual switching gears, but usually, when a person gets used to the "machine", he generally stops switching something and, so to speak, "trains out".
Secondly, to stabilize the car in emergency situations, there are unique tricks, for example, such as "gas-brake": when one foot presses on the gas, the other on the brake. And you can't do that on an automatic. An automatic transmission does not like it when two pedals are pressed at once - this contradicts the principle of its operation.
Although, if a person has a car with an automatic transmission, it would be good if he learned to brake with his left foot, releasing the gas pedal at that moment with the right. This skill can come in handy in a critical situation, since moving your foot from one pedal to another leads to the loss of precious time - an average of half a second.
True, it must be noted that there may be problems with such a technique. In an ordinary person, the left leg is not prepared for braking. And the right one, even for people who have been driving quite recently, constantly works - it presses either the gas or the brake - and a person knows how to dose its force on the pedals. But the left leg, if the driver has a car with "mechanics", only presses and releases the clutch, and if it's "automatic", then it does nothing at all. Therefore, she does not "feel" the pedals, and if the driver presses the brake with his left foot, then, out of habit, he will immediately block the wheels.
Q: What is the difference between driving a car with rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive on a winter road?
This difference can be easily illustrated in situations where the car skidded. The reaction to the actions of the gas pedal and taxiing in cars with different type drive will be very different. On the rear-wheel drive, it is necessary to turn the steering wheel in the direction of skidding, and the accelerator is completely released in the first moment.
In a front-wheel drive car, you should never let go of the gas pedal in a skid, because this provokes rotation. On the contrary, you need to add a little gas. On full drive, hitting on clean ice or being in a skid, the gas pedal must be released, but only partially. If you throw the accelerator completely, then there will be a front-wheel drive effect - you will trust yourself. And if you press too hard, the wheels will start to slip, and you will throw yourself off the path. Three drives - three different human reactions.
Q: In most cases, the car breaks into a skid unexpectedly for the driver. How to learn to anticipate situations in which the wheels can lose traction?
A: This requires special training. Special winter driving courses are available not only at our Center. And we, for example, conduct it only on the ice - this is training "through a mistake." At our training ground, a student tries to overcome 200 drifts and, thus, he develops the necessary reflex. Even if you know theoretically how to act in a critical situation, this does not mean that you will be able to respond correctly - automatic skills are needed here.
What is the difference between a professional and a non-professional? The professional begins to react either to the earliest stage of a skid, or takes corrective action even before it starts. A non-professional reacts to sliding only when the car has already spun. That is, when it's too late to do anything.
I also want to say about the speed of taxiing. We at the Center believe that active driver, which, so to speak, is protected from negative consequences critical situations, makes four steering movements per second. At the same time, a professional racer can make eight movements in the same second, and an unprepared motorist - God forbid, one.
Q: How do you get out of deep snow with a manual transmission car?
A: First of all, in no case should you skid! A rapidly spinning wheel warms up the snow - it begins to melt, water forms, then ice, and the grip disappears completely. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to roll out of the snowdrift, accelerating so that the wheels do not start to spin.
Q: How to get out of deep snow with an automatic transmission?
A: If a car with an automatic transmission is stuck in the snow, it will be very difficult to get out by rocking the car. First of all, due to the fact that it takes a lot of time to shift gears.
Ernest Tsygankov Center for Higher Driving Excellence.
Q: Does four-wheel drive increase the cross-country ability of a passenger car?
Four-wheel drive in winter has an advantage not only due to the fact that it increases the cross-country ability of the car. Such a car brakes more efficiently, since the engine helps to stop all four wheels. But when it comes to maneuvering, an all-wheel drive car on a slippery road is much more difficult to control than a car with a single drive axle, since it requires a very fast reaction.
Here it is worth remembering that all-wheel drive transmissions are very different from each other. For example, there are cars in which the torque is constantly equally distributed between the front and rear axles. There are cars with "smart" all-wheel drive. For example, Mercedes has 4Matic, which transfers most of the thrust from the engine to rear wheels. This is done so that the front wheels do not complicate the control of the car when maneuvering.
Q: Is it worth buying winter non-studded tires for the city, more suitable for driving on asphalt than for slippery roads and loose snow? How safe is it to drive out of town on these tires?
A: The fact is that on asphalt you will stop on spikes, but on ice no one has come up with anything better than spikes. Of course, in a warmer climate than ours, studded tires are not really needed. For example, such tires are banned on autobahns in Germany. But in Finland on non-studded tires you simply will not be allowed. At the border they will send to the store to buy spikes.
Q: Are there any peculiarities when driving a car equipped with ABS and ESP systems in winter conditions?
A: Now there are many modern additional electronic active safety systems, and for an unprepared person this is very good - such systems help him not to make mistakes. But in some cases, these mechanisms can be harmful. For example, you are caught in a spin and you need to "turn" the car in order to go straight ahead. To do this, you need to force the drive wheels to slip, but the traction control device will not allow you to do this.
Q: What precautions should be taken when driving uphill or downhill in winter?
A: If the climb is very steep, then it is advisable to take advantage of the momentum of the car. That is, to enter with acceleration. Otherwise, at a certain point on the hill, the wheels may not have enough grip and they will begin to slip.
The descent has its own difficulties. When driving downhill, in response to braking, the wheels lock up earlier than on a flat surface - it is easier for the car to “slip”. Therefore, in no case should you go down the mountain in neutral or "freewheel". It is very dangerous. And the transmission should be turned on lower in order to move "vnatyag".
Q: Is it worth it to prepare yourself for critical situations on a slippery road (attend courses, read specialized literature), or to avoid them, drive carefully enough and follow the rules of the road?
A: For safe management driving on slippery surfaces, special preparation is necessary. In such conditions, knowing how to safely drive a car does not save a person. You need reflexes, automated skills. If you have to think first and then do something, you don't have enough time to act.
Q: What hazards, besides slippery roads and poor visibility, can a driver face on a winter road? How to avoid them?
A: In general, the main danger is low level driving skill. As a result, the person reacts inadequately to emergency situations. For example, when skidding, it takes actions that not only do not help stabilize the car, but, on the contrary, “twist” it even more.
In addition, there is another problem that has become particularly relevant in recent years - many do not follow the rules on the roads. As a result, motorists make maneuvers unexpectedly for other road users and create emergencies.
Q: Your most important "winter" advice to all drivers
ABOUT: Main advice- it is necessary to prepare both the car and yourself for the winter road. Then everything will work out.
Occupation of the Audi Quattro school.
Evgeny Vasin, chief instructor of the Audi Quattro school
Q: What is the main difference between winter driving and summer driving?
ABOUT: Fundamental difference is that on a winter road, all driving actions must be carried out much earlier than in summer. It should be borne in mind that when braking, the car can slide with locked wheels, and when moving in an arc, it can be taken out of the turn. If in the summer water is dangerous for the driver - aquaplaning can begin, then in winter the snow that lies in the form of porridge on the road is even more dangerous. In addition, leaving the rolled track can deliver a lot of trouble. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor the road and choose the speed limit adequate to the road conditions.
Q: What are the tips for emergency braking on slippery roads (with ABS, without ABS)?
A: First about ABS. Many automakers advise drivers to press the brakes with all their might, and ABS, they say, will do its job. But I would not recommend acting like this, because even experienced driver the operation of this system causes discomfort and an incorrect reaction. Feeling the blows on the brake pedal, any person reflexively briefly releases it, and due to this, the braking distance increases. Therefore, on a slippery road, I would advise you to keep your distance and try to dose the braking force in such a way as not to bring the anti-lock system to the operation.
When braking on a slippery road in a car without auxiliary systems it is necessary to imitate the force on the pedal ABS work. To do this, feeling the blocking of the wheels, you must not throw the brake, but only release it a little. This technique works well and athletes on their cars, as a rule, turn off the ABS, because the electronics can make mistakes in some situations.
Q: What is the difference between driving a manual and automatic car in winter conditions?
A: On manual transmission vehicles, a greater range of countermeasures is available to the driver to cope with extreme situations on the winter road. For example, in this case, the motorist has a gearbox in his arsenal, on which you can turn on a lower gear and, thereby, when braking, help the car with braking by the "engine".
In addition, in some emergency situations you can stabilize the car with the clutch pedal. For example, when in a turn the car does not obey the steering wheel and leaves the arc, briefly depressing the clutch, you can completely remove the traction from the wheels, thereby allowing them to again cling to the road surface.
On a car with an "automatic", if necessary, you can also switch to a lower gear by sharply pressing the gas. But, compared to a manual gearbox, this is less effective, because any, even the most modern "automatic", has a certain phase of thoughtfulness.
Q: What is the difference between driving a car with rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive on a winter road?
A: Depending on the type of drive, the car behaves differently on slippery roads. rear wheel drive car can be schematically represented as a person who pushes a cart in front of him. Therefore, any emphasis on the front axle, even a slight one - a tubercle or snow slurry - spins the car. Inertia on rear axle gotta go somewhere. As a result, loss of traction on the rear-wheel drive drive wheels results in a skid.
On the front-wheel drive, the slipping of the wheels of the drive axle leads to the withdrawal of the car outside the turn. And at all-wheel drive vehicles with an overdose of gas in a turn on a slippery surface, there is something between the reaction of the rear and front wheel drive. Summing up, I would probably say that a car with all-wheel drive behaves more stable.
To cope with loss of control on any type of drive, always turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid. In addition, it is necessary to gradually increase the engine thrust - when the car is sliding, the driving wheels should never be left without torque. Otherwise, those forces of inertia that have already arisen during the loss of adhesion to the road surface will develop chaotically.
True, on cars with different types of drive, the phase of "skid meeting" with the steering wheel will be different. On the rear drive, you will have to work longer with the steering wheel, on the front - this is a very short dosed movement - just meet the skid, and immediately the wheels are set straight. And in an all-wheel drive car, the steering wheel will have to do something in between the two above-mentioned movements.
Q: In most cases, the car breaks into a skid unexpectedly for the driver. How to learn to anticipate situations in which the wheels can lose traction?
A: To foresee means to acquire a skill, to learn to act automatically. That is, first a person acquires knowledge, then skills, and then skill. Therefore, it is impossible to explain in words how dangerous situations on the road can be foreseen. You can say: "Welcome to driving schools, come and practice."
If we still talk about advice, then I can return to where I started: you need to "see" the road as best as possible, look ahead as far as possible. And in order to learn to anticipate critical situations, you need training, training and more training ...
Q: How do you get out of deep snow with a manual transmission car?
A: A car with a manual transmission always has a clutch that can rock the car - by pressing and releasing it to the point of closing and opening the drive and driven discs, and thereby preventing the wheels from spinning.
