Take care of your carpets When thinking about how to prepare your car for winter, it is worth finding out…
Winter braking – what do you need to know?
Winter braking – what do you need to know about it and how to learn it? How to brake effectively in winter?
Braking in winter requires special driving techniques. How to drive safely when there is snow on the roads? How to get your car out of a skid and how to brake in a car with and without ABS?
What is the difference between winter braking and summer braking?
Driving a car during warm seasons is fundamentally different from driving on winter roads. This is, of course, due to weather conditions.
In spring or summer, the tire is in direct contact with the road surface, asphalt or concrete. The top layer of the road has a composition that is designed to provide good grip.
In winter, traction may be much worse, especially when traveling on a road covered with ice or packed snow. It simply becomes slippery and the tires have no direct contact with the grippy surface. For this reason, you need to use a different driving technique.
How to brake in winter? First of all – as rarely as possible. We should avoid situations in which we have to brake suddenly, as this may result in loss of traction and, as a result, loss of vehicle control.
The braking distance on snow or ice will be even several or several dozen meters longer compared to driving on asphalt, depending on the speed and condition of the route. Therefore, whenever possible, it is a good idea to slow down by engine braking, i.e. let off the gas, reduce gears and slow down slowly. We can then use the brake in the final phase of stopping the vehicle.
How should you brake in winter with ABS?
ABS is a system that prevents the wheels from locking when braking. This system will not necessarily make the braking distance shorter. Its advantage, however, is that we maintain control over the car even with the pedal fully depressed. The wheels keep turning and we can turn.
How to brake with ABS in winter? First of all, strongly and decisively. If you feel the brake pedal kicking, it means that the system has just started working. In such a situation, you should not release the brake, but simply press it.
Manufacturers are aware that ABS operation can be surprising for drivers. Therefore, it often works in conjunction with the Brake Assist System (BAS) , which assists braking in emergency situations. However, the latter may not work if you brake gently first and then apply the brakes harder.
We've written more about this very useful system in the article " How does ABS work in a car? What should braking with ABS look like? "
What should braking look like in winter?
What should braking be like in winter without assistance systems?
Braking in winter without ABS is completely different. On slippery surfaces, a technique called pulse braking should be used.
When we feel that the wheels are locking, we release the brake. However, we do not take our foot off the pedal. When the tires regain traction, we press the pedal harder.
This type of braking will also allow us to avoid an obstacle and at the same time reduce speed despite the lack of ABS. Before the evasive maneuver, we brake harder and then release the brake so as not to drive straight ahead with locked wheels. We turn without braking and brake again.
What to do if the car skids?
Slides can be divided into two types: understeer and oversteer. Understeer skidding is more common in front-wheel drive cars. When driving a rear-wheel drive car in winter, you are more likely to oversteer.
Understeer skidding involves the car leaving the corner facing forward. For example, if we turn right, the car will want to go straight, i.e. to the left, to the outer edge of the turn.
How to get your car out of an understeer skid? We don't brake suddenly and let off the gas. We release it slightly, thus relieving the front. We straighten the steering wheel for a moment. When the car regains traction, we turn the wheels again in the direction of travel, i.e. in the right corner to the right and in the left corner to the left. We press the gas a little harder and overcome the curve.
In an oversteer skid, the rear of the vehicle escapes, not the front, as in an understeer skid. In such a case, the so-called counter. For example, if we are driving to the right and the rear end starts to swerve to the left, we quickly turn the driver to the left. In this way, we align the rear and front axles and the car stops rotating.
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Do you need to prepare your car for difficult winter conditions?
The car should be ready to drive on snow and ice and in low temperatures. Before the season, it is worth having it inspected.
First and foremost, switch from summer tires to winter tires when the average daily temperature drops below 7 degrees Celsius. It's also worth checking the braking system, which we cover in more detail in articles like " Brake Fluid – Why and How Often Should You Change It?" and "Brake Pad Replacement – How Often Should You Do It and How Much Does It Cost?".
Let's stock up on cosmetics for the dashboard and plastics . A clean interior reduces the likelihood of moisture building up, and therefore, windows will fog up less often.
Let's use up the summer fluid and add winter fluid to the windshield washer . You can also buy a concentrated windshield washer fluid . This is important because the summer fluid can freeze and, in extreme cases, damage the reservoir. Winter fluid is resistant to low temperatures and has a formula that helps remove streaks.
Lubricate the seals with silicone and stock up on lock de-icer , window de-icer , and an ice scraper . In case of an emergency, keep jumper cables and a flashlight in the trunk.
During colder weather, you should also visit a car wash periodically to remove dirt that can damage the paint. We discuss this in more detail in the article " Is washing your car in winter a good idea? "
Tips for driving safely in winter
Driving on snow and ice requires concentration and caution, just like braking in winter. First of all, remember to adjust your speed to the conditions. Before setting off on a trip, let's assume in advance that the journey will take 20-30% longer. longer compared to spring or summer.
Keep a greater distance from the vehicle in front to leave a safety margin in the event of emergency braking. Let's try not to make sudden maneuvers. Let's think about them in advance. The ride should be as smooth as possible.
If possible, try not to drive in the ruts of other cars. Ice often forms in broken tracks. The snow will be stickier.
Before driving up a hill in winter, accelerate your car and preferably do not stop until you reach the top. Otherwise, we may get stuck halfway or, worse, start sliding. Let's also remember to give way to drivers coming from below on narrow roads.
Driving a car downhill should be done using engine braking techniques combined with careful braking. If you need to downshift, release the clutch gently after leveling the speed. Under no circumstances should you park in neutral, otherwise you will not have full control over the vehicle.
Driving on snow and ice requires, above all, common sense. Many potentially dangerous situations can be avoided by simply driving slower and maintaining an appropriate distance from the vehicle in front. It will also be important to properly prepare your car for winter, including ensuring that it has the right tires, using fluids appropriate for the season, and washing the vehicle regularly to maintain good visibility.
