This is what brings traffic to a standstill in London. I'd have loved to get out on that hill and get my slide on. It doesn't even cover the tyres!
The buses in London are cancelled, both runways at Heathrow have been closed. Muppets. How hard is it to clear a big wide area of tarmac? Snow isn't even falling any more.
Ah, those things can only come from people not used to drive in snow.
I for one think that fwd cars are the best cars to drive in snow, because most of the weight is on the driven wheels, which gives you the most traction.
4wd car's only benefit is that they don't get stuck as easily, but when you're going, they are no more safe to drive than fwd cars. 4wd doesn't magically give you grip if you need to brake or turn.
rwd are absolutely rubbish. You don't get one going unless you put lot's of extra weight in the trunk. Still, you're very prone to spin out, especially when going uphill.
Also, in very slippery conditions, low powered vehicles are easier to drive than the HP monsters most rwd and 4wd are. Additionally, the thinner the tyres, the better you grip in snow, which makes life for SUVs and sporty RWD beemers and mercs even more hard.
It's not just that, it's the risk vs. the gain. Chances are the snow will be gone by tomorrow and everything is back to normal, it's easier to stop everything for a day, then try to find a way to deal with it.
Whereas if you lived in a place that gets snow all the time the country can justify spending more on salt trucks/snowplows because it will keep the country running over the whole winter, instead of just 1 day.
Nobody told me! I was quite happy driving to work this morning. Even on the 'slippery' estates I was about 1000% faster (yet also 1000% safer) than anyone else I saw in their Supermarket Cars or Foxhunting Cars. Sure, I have a little bit of tail-out action, but nothing a single finger on the steering wheel and a wriggle of the big toe wouldn't cure instantly.
I will concede that moving off from standstill on an icy hill is almost impossible in a front engined RWD car though. I find the best way, if it's not too busy, is just not to stop for anything! Even if I slow to 1mph I'm okay, but less than 0.001mph becomes an issue.
I'm on the LFS forum because net browsing is what keeps me sane at work
I just had a look out of the window and I conceded that there is snow still falling here in Finchley. Not much though; I thought at first it was just flakes getting blown off the roof.
A once busy main road is devoid of cars because the pavement next to it has a covering of snow. The actual road surface is nothing more than wetness. It's been well-gritted. But the side-streets aren't so good and this is what causes our infrastructure to 'epic fail'
Well, I need to rephrase it then: Rubbish for anyone with no racing background whatsoever. It's just no rarity (and I've seen it twice this year already) that an old git in a beemer or merc does the only thing he knows to do when anything unsuspected happens: slam the breaks. Now I think you'll agree with me that this isn't really advisable.
Also, even though you are well able to handle a car in snowy conditions, you'd still find that a small, low powered, thinly wheeled fwd car (think of a Golf Mk2 for example) is easier to drive.
And they still struggle when the once-a-year snowfall, 110 times worse than what you're currently dealing with, hits. There's just no point in kitting your country up with equipment to handle that one day out of the year. It would be a pointless waste of resources, and calling that kind of common sense "disgusting" is just silly.
I would guess it's by far cheaper to shut everything down for a day, then have to maintain the equipment and people to deal with 1 days worth of weather, some years it never happens.
Yes and no. It does happen only once or twice a year in our country. But how much does it cost when it happens? Closing the runways on the world's busiest airport on a Monday, shutting down most of the rail network, shutting down the school system, setting up phone-lines to deal with the crisis etc. That stuff costs money, or costs our economy with missed work and missed opportunities.
I guess we'd have already ungraded our infrastructure if those who are in power had decided that it was worth the cost. It's worth the cost to get rid of the embarrassment, in my opinion.
(and Mr Raemisch, don't edit your post while I'm writing mine... it's very confusing)
Hmmm. I've driven my girlfriends car (a crappy little thing not dissimilar to Jakg's car) and found it terrifying in those conditions - with the drive at the wrong end it never wants to do what you want it to do. But I didn't crash, so... *looks at Jakg*
Private land driving is a bit different to driving in traffic, whilst trying to get to work vaguely on time.
As for making 4WD work, you often don't have to do anything. It just works. Sometimes you might have to pull a lever or press a button, but this is no more complicated than switching on your headlights.
i like! woke up today, loads of snow, started jumping in joy, loaded up my PC checked Southern Railway website to find even more joy - yes trains are cancelled so had a day off. Funny thing my mate still went to train station and on his way (10mins walk) he saw 5 accidents cars just spinning on the road. gonna go outside to do some snowball throwing
yes i agree its diferant but you get a feel for how vehicals cope differantly with situations
as for making 4wd work i mean how to use it
also you have to think another advantage with most 4x4's its the presence of low range and if people use their brains and use it it gives more precise control
edit: just a side thought, i would iagine from my experiance of autos that they would make life easier in snow due to the progrsseve transfer of engine power owing to the viscous coupling
You just drive. No need to know 'how to use it'. You have the same controls and the car does the same things. It just does them better when pulling trailers out of ditches. Next you'll be saying that diesels have to be driven differently, which just isn't the case.
Low range isn't ideal, because it massively limits the speed you can travel at. It's use is in giving massive wheel torques, which is NOT what you want in the snow, but MIGHT be what you want climbing a mountain.
Autos might be easier if you're used to them. The lack of direct connection (prior to the torque converter locking) makes it harder for me, but then I avoid autos like the plague.
Haha, my dad was trying to get out of a parking space, but the wheels kept on spinning! < 170bhp fwd don't do well in thw snow w/o snow tyres. I wonder if the TC was on.
Power shouldn't make any difference getting out of a parking space. Sounds like he was just using too much of the old lead foot. If he can't be gentle with the accelerator I'd suggest he try 2nd gear.
well tristan ide like to see you win that arguement with and experianced offroad driver r someone who drives in sever condtions regually
as for low range and wheel torque, yes you are right but the ability to travel at slower speeds and therefore having more control is surely the safer option
I get wheelspin in my S40 even in "Snow Mode" (which just means the car starts off in 3rd gear) and using the most delicate throttle application I can when it's snowing. Proxes T1-Rs aren't the best tyres when it snows...
This is how most people drive, and want to drive. This is why RWD is not a good choice for them. They do not understand of the concept of counter steering very well and will end up in the ditch... With a FWD if traction is lost the car goes strait, with no correction required.
I would guess it's by far cheaper to shut everything down for a day, then have to maintain the equipment and people to deal with 1 days worth of weather, some years it never happens.
