Photo: Why summer tires are not for snow (freepik.com) Author: Konstantin Shirokun
The race of motorists with spring was won this time by a cyclone, which after 19-degree heat sprinkled part of Ukraine with snow. What should drivers do who have already managed to change their tires to summer ones and are generally quite ready for warm weather?
What should a driver do if he unexpectedly gets caught in a snowstorm in an unprepared car? Read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
Firstly, it's very frustrating: you've already taken the scraper, brush and canister of antifreeze out of the trunk, changed the tires, and generally finally got ready for spring – and then you get a light frost and a palm-sized amount of snow. And secondly, it's dangerous, because the tires slide equally readily on ice in February and March. However, there's no need to panic.
On summer tires on snow
Indeed, the biggest problem in such a situation is the mismatch of tires with weather conditions. So let's quickly remember how summer tires perform on a cold road, on snow or, God forbid, on ice. The worst thing is that the tread of summer tires grips worse on cold asphalt and does not squeeze moisture and snow out from under itself, which is why the tire does not reach a hard, non-slip surface.
So, we have a picture: your car needs to take you somewhere, but it has summer tires, and everything around is covered in snow and the temperature has dropped to zero. You have two options: call a taxi (walk to the bus stop) or hit the road on the “summer” tires.
The second option is dangerous and not recommended, but if there is no obvious black ice, but you have driving experience, you can decide to slowly get home or to the garage. On the way, you will encounter the following complications:
Slipping when starting off . Slight slipping in itself is not a disaster – the main thing is to prevent the axle from drifting to the side or the wheels from digging into deep snow and wet soil. Therefore, release the clutch slowly and at low engine speeds, you can also start off in second gear. On a car with an automatic, you can also manually engage second gear or winter mode. Also, on a car with an automatic transmission, you can try to start off without touching the accelerator, simply releasing the brake pedal.
Skidding in a turn . Move slowly on fresh and wet snow, literally two to three times slower than your usual pace. Plan each maneuver in advance, enter the turn, having reduced the speed in advance, while still on a straight line. On a curve, do not touch the brake pedal, it is advisable not to change speed and do not make sharp movements of the steering wheel.
Long braking distance. Intensive braking on a winter surface with summer tires on the wheels is the most difficult mode. Remember that even on winter tires, sharply pressing the brakes on a slippery road often ends in skidding. Therefore, plan all maneuvers in advance to avoid situations where energetic braking is required. A safe and effective way to slow down in such conditions is engine braking, when the driver releases the accelerator with the gear engaged (in a car with an automatic, it is better to do this in manual mode of the gearbox). But the gear cannot be too low, and when switching to it, the clutch must be released very smoothly.
Short
When you are not confident in your driving skills, it is better to postpone a trip in such conditions. And if you still decide to hit the road, find a few more minutes to plan a safer route where you will have the least intense traffic. While driving, do not be distracted by music and conversations with passengers, make sure that the engine speed matches the speed of movement – that is, so that the wheels do not slip. Also, do not forget to clear the windows from snow before the trip (even if you do not have a brush at hand), warm up the interior so that the windows do not fog up while driving, and make sure that there is antifreeze in the washer reservoir (which can be replaced with inexpensive vodka).
Materials from Autocentre and Motor were used in preparing this article.
Let us recall that RBC-Ukraine recently reported whether it is possible to pour vodka instead of antifreeze into a car.