Winter Driving Fun

I’m in the Washington DC metro area right now, and the weather is cold as hell. This morning, my rent-a-car’s thermometer gave an outside temperature reading of 18 degrees Farenheit. Maybe not so cold for you folks living in the northeast or the midwest, but for this San Franciscan, it’s pretty damn cold. Moderate climates rule :-)

Yesterday it snowed a few inches, which made for some nice scenery in this otherwise bland DC suburb. Unfortunately, it made driving a bit hazardous. Since I kept my speed under control, I felt fine with my own driving. It was the other cars I was worried about.

I frequently head to Lake Tahoe during the winter months for a bit of skiing. Often times, there’s not a whole lot of snow on the pavement, since roads and parking lots frequently get plowed (clear roads = more revenue for ski resorts and casinos). On those trips when there is snow on the ground, I like to find an empty parking lot and drive around a bit recklessly. This serves two purposes.

First of all, it’s a lot of fun going 10-15 miles per hour and spinning out in slow-motion. Just drive slowly, whip that steering wheel around until you fishtail around or spin out. If you’re driving a real-wheel drive vehicle, hammer that gas pedal and spin those tires, doing some donuts ala Tokyo Drift. Or step on the brake until you skid out. Just keep the speed under control.

The second, and more functional purpose of driving this way is to know how to respond when you lose control of your car. Vehicles behave similarly whether on dry pavement or snow-covered road. The main difference is that on snow or ice, control is lost at far slower speeds. While losing control of your car is rarely a good thing, learning how to regain control is always great. And what better way to learn to do that than in a wide-open parking lot while going a very manageable speed. Most of what you experience on snow can be applied to wet or dry roads.

Doing these exercises have definitely helped me keep my car under control in less than ideal driving conditions. And it’s a great confidence booster too. Not to mention lots of fun :-)

Some things to keep in mind…Only practice these exercises in wide open spaces. Large, empty parking lots are ideal. Keep enough distance between yourself and roads, buildings, other vehicles, any barriers, and most importantly, people. The faster you go, the more space you need. My advice would be to start slow (5-10 mph) until you get a feel for things. Never go faster than you feel comfortable going. And make sure your confidence meter is not giving you false readings. Safety is key.