When I was learning to drive, my dad used to take me out for drives in between lessons. For some reason he liked taking me out in bad conditions like fog etc. It snowed one day and he took me out like normal. We went to an empty car park that was covered in snow and he taught me about controlling the car when grip was limited, which then lead to me doing handbrake turns around the car park. At the time I thought it was a bit of fun, but looking back, I learnt so much about driving and car control that day that I wouldn't have necessarily learnt. Since then I passed y test with no minors (which I was very proud of) and have become obsessed with cars and driving. Cheers Dad!
i got into it straight after i got my license. my mom's hyundai getz got abused hard. j-turns straight and in reverse, handrbake, slides, autocross tracks, the lot. you can't explain how to deal with understeer and oversteer with a pen and paper, one absolutely has to try it and get used to it. i find it amusing when people say "i slid". there's no such thing as you sliding, you lost control.
@@zloychechen5150 Cars don't slide. Most of the time slides induced by the driver! Bad drivers usually haven't got a clue why their car slid. Rally drivers on loose surfaces induce oversteer deliberately. I did this in the UK a few days ago when it snowed in a car park,in my rear wheel drive car😊
With most modern cars not having a handbrake, it has taken away some of the fun of driving in icy conditions. Saying that, I avoid driving in snow like the plague, I don't enjoy it at all nowadays, especially when you still get tailgated by idiots driving (mostly) German cars.
@@zloychechen5150My first car also had a pretty hard but exiting life. I'd say a bit of theory definitely helps, after this you just have to practice.
Great tips. For front wheel drive cars, if you really need to get up a steep icy hill from a stop (for example, up to your driveway/house) and there is enough space, you should try reversing up. This puts more weight over the front axis and gives you a bit more grip. Obviously I don't recommend reversing up every hill. It also pays to have an empty drink bottle filled with sand in your car, you can spread it behind your wheels, reverse / slide back onto it, and then get going using the sand for traction.
Really excellent videos. Got stuck in the Pennines during Storm Arwen last year and the advice I remembered from this video made getting home way less scary than it otherwise would have been.
After seeing my neighbour take almost an hour to get out of the parallel parking space and over the snow and ice in his Citroen C1, I decided to walk to work. It was icy enough walking, I'm nowhere near brave enough to attempt these conditions.
You are the BEST teacher on YT for systematic learners! The diagrams, the clear explanation and the demonstrations are absolutely spot on. I passed my test last month and every time there was something that I was struggling to learn I knew this channel would have the perfect video. Thank you!!
I drive for Amazon, and this is my first winter, I have gotten stuck and had some tricky moments already and were only 2/3 snows in this winter 😭 But! I’ve been binging snow driving videos tonight before we go out tomorrow, and this video was so extremely helpful. The stuff I knew but didn’t know why makes a lot more sense now. And I also suddenly wish I knew how to drive a manual car because it seems like y’all have so much more control over your vehicles 😅
Well, to learn that, you just need a manual car. It's not hard at all. My daughter learnt basics in one hour, and my son already kind of handled it because of driving moped and rally games (with stick shift).
The thing with 90%+ of drivers, is, they never get a car out of control deliberately. So, when it happens unexpectedly, they have no clue how to resolve things. Of course, modern cars do have a lot of clever stability controls, traction controls, and radar anti-crash systems, which modern drivers rely on far too much. Because when it's snowy & icey, most of those systems are useless. When I started driving in the mid 1980's, in basic, rear wheel drive cars, as soon as it snowed, I'd be the first person out in it, on a deserted car park, sliding the car around and getting a feel for how it responded when it was basically out of control. I did this frequently, and it became second nature on how to correct slides, drifts, and locked up front wheels. When it happens, my instincts kick in and I react without thinking about it. The best thing a new driver can do is book a day on a skid pan, and get some practice in. While your advice is very good, it's no substitute for actually driving. It's like people watching 'how to box' videos and then thinking they are Tyson Fury. When somebody actually hits them, they don't remember anything they 'learned', freeze, and can't defend themselves. Driving is the same. For new drivers out there, if it snows, get yourselves onto a deserted wide open car park space and fling the car around, and learn how to correct things.
I say you need knowledge, skill and confidence to drive. The videos can help with knowledge and a little bit of confidence. Skill and the rest of the confidence comes with practise.
@@ConquerDriving Yes 100% I wasn't disrespecting your video, or indeed knowledge and skill, and I thank you for sharing. Whilst driving instructors do a fantastic job, all they can do is teach somebody how to pass a test. Being a good driver relies on practise and experience which is learned over many years, and unless you learn in the snow you will never know what it's like to drive in the snow. Pushing a vehicle beyond it's limits in a safe environment will teach a driver what happens and how to correct things. I'm not for one moment suggesting drivers drift around every roundabout (although that is great fun when you are experienced enough to do it safely, and there are no other vehicles around for you to cause a hazard), learning in a safe place is the only way you will really understand what to do in certain situations. That can not be taught from a book or video, although your video certainly helps new drivers understand the principle.
Hi, I'm from Ukraine Lviv. In the last few days we have had heavy snowfalls (40-50 cm of snow) with about -10 celsius temperatures. Most roads are covered with snow and ice. Snow from large roads are cleaned with help of special machinery, but small roads have 10-15 cm of compressed snow that looks like sand. People that do not change tires to winter type, usually are stuck in snow. Some people put chains on tires to have more grip. I`m driving less than year and it is my first winter. I already stuck 2 times, one time have one understeering issue and issue with slowing down on downhill. Got shovel to dig out car wheels from snow when stuck. I have totally new tires continental wintercontact ts 860 and can definitely say that tires do not always help so drive safe. Just want share some pain with you =) Thanks for the video, it helps me to understand some things about driving in winter time.
Good video. I drive in snow now in my city. Most slippery parts here are the bus stops and intersections where cars spin their tires often. So knowing that I slow down before these places and roll on slowly. You can see snow reflecting light there it's very slippery. Coming to stop I think if I lose traction I need to release brakes and this will take much more space. I prefer not to rely on abs and feel it locking and release brakes when needed to gain traction. I would suggest to practice your braking on slippery parts (ice) and try to avoid locking and feel slip rumble on the edge of losing grip.
Just wanted to say, super video! You covered every possible driving scenario I encounter in snowy and icy weather. After watching this, I'm not going to even think about attempting to drive my manual car where I might encounter hills in icy weather. The whole sliding backwards thing is scary, especially here in the US, where almost everyone's driving an automatic. Here it's unlikely people will leave enough space behind you in case you start sliding backwards. So, at least for now, I'll continue to exclusively use my automatic car in bad weather. By the way, I'm glad you brought up 4WD, and people going too fast in wintry weather. As you know, SUV's are very popular in the US. If we have freezing rain or a really heavy snow storm, it's a common sight to see SUV's that went "off-roading" into the highway median, or crashed into a concrete highway barrier. Some people think that having 4WD or AWD gives their vehicle physics-defying superpowers. So they go too fast for the conditions, and find out the hard way that the laws of frictions don't care what type of vehicle you're driving.
@@ConquerDriving My parents have always owned at least one manual car (alas, I learned to drive on the automatic. They didn't have the patience to teach me how to drive a manual). Anyway, my mom and dad have often commented that, when driving in snow or ice, they feel like they have more control driving a manual car versus an automatic. When I feel comfortable doing so, I'll start practicing manual driving in bad weather. After all, there could be a situation where, say, I have to go to the airport, it's snowing heavily, and the battery in my automatic car is dead. In that case, knowing how to drive a manual in bad weather would allow me to get to where I need to go. Anyway, once again, great video!
4WD vehicles are often worse, because they weigh more and are top-heavy if it is an SUV. It is actually a lot easier to overload the front tires when you weigh too much, and adding overconfidence on top is disasterous. I just can't understand why Americans like cars with the worst visibility and handling characteristics, their lack of skill, self-awareness and selfishness are often disturbing
@@charlesc.9012 I, too, do not understand the appeal of SUV's, and crossovers. There's no more space inside than the equivalently-sized compact or mid-size car. If someone needs space, a minivan makes way more sense. And if someone regularly needs to haul a lot of items, a pickup truck offers much more carrying space. Nearest what I can figure out, Karen thinks sitting high up makes her "safer." While she texts and drives, no doubt. I don't know what "safer" is supposed to mean. The circumstances of every accident is different, and there will always be a vehicle bigger than yours. There are plenty of videos on RU-vid of fatal collisions involving semis and SUV's.
The amount of cars I saw on the road this morning still covered in snow was very concerning, people would rather drive blind than spend time making sure they can see
I'd not watched these two videos before as I don't need to go out in those conditions. However, I do need to in a couple of days time as my wife has an important appointment so I'm hoping it doesn't snow. Your videos as always are very helpfull. You spent a whole day making this video which is appreciated. I shall comment again in a couple of days.
I'm glad I found this channel I like cars I care about my and others' safty and not dying and I'm lonely and need some smart people to help me out and you check most of the boxes to be good for me thanks for choosing to be the person you are
😰😰😰😰😰😰😰 , OMG , My actual driving test is in the beginning of January 2024, its in Bristol and I'm extra panicking as the weather may be snowing or bad icy conditions, I'm glad i watched this video it helped a lot, thank you so much. you are fabulous , I have seen the way you handled the car and what gears you selected ho help drive in the worlds worst weather conditions and it was extremely helpful. God bless you, Stephen Patpal - from Bristol ( Bristol is well known for bad weather especially January/December Icy times guaranteed)
You're a great driver Rich, and you make fab, interesting videos! This was really fun to watch, and very helpful too! Iv only driven in snow once, on a motorbike, and I couldn't make it up a steep hill to get home, so turned around and went back to town, to see my Friends, and get a lift back in a car (and even the car struggled to get up that hill!)🐻❄
Better than 2 days before the test. They cancelled tests today but might not cancel mine tomorrow who knows i might have to drive my test in the snowy weather just due to the melted snow. They didn't clarify and just told Mr to call back in the morning to make sure smh im in limbo atm. Still preparing as though i have the test. Otherwise they're going to move it to after my baby's birth 😅
@@AmmaraSHAH773377 That doesn't sound fun at all :( I hope you're able to do the test and pass and soon as possible and before your baby! I wish you luck! ^^
This is a great video. Thanks. I'm quite an experienced driver but it's always good to have a bit of a refresher, especially as we don't often get snow up here in this part of England.
Thank you so much for sharing this tips. I live in Bosnia and Hercegovina and all citys are up hill like really huge hills. It is hard during summer I don't know how it will be during this winter but if I see snow I will walk to a job. I don't really get how people here driving in winter. Because mostly roads are not cleaned and no salt only ice. My brother had 2 crashing up hill on ice. Ice just turn him to left so he fellt out of road. How scary was that. I once participate in car crashing during ice. It is so scary how ice can turn off your car. Thanks to God my brother put us in position where we hit the bridge in the midle so that stoped us from falling. We hit really fast it was like a dream and I remeber every second from that so vivid.
If your ABS isn't working because of ice under the wheels, then you can use cadence braking. This is where you become the ABS by pumping the brake pedal as fast and hard as you can. When I passed my test many years ago, cars didn't come with ABS or any other driver assist aids, so this was a great teacher of how to deal with tricky situations.
Thank you. The trouble with cadence braking is you're only braking half the time and in more grippy situations that harsh action will unsettle the car.
You could also grip-brake, ie manually only braking as much as the tire grip will allow. Very tricky though, especially in modern cars with more powerful brakes and less feeback.
Thank You for this wonderful video Richard. Packed with useful information. It didn't take much time to bring back this situation in the UK. It's icy everywhere now :)
Excellent video! I have found that sometimes it is best to switch off the electronic traction control when attempting to get traction on ice or snow, with it switched on as normal you get a situation where the driven wheels just spin alternately. You should switch the traction control back on as soon as possible for normal driving.
I really love driving in these conditions. I guess it is because i like the challenge... I will never blame someone for driving slow. The only thing wich i find to be really dangerous are drivers that are scared of these conditions. Fear is never the way.
Question: How to drive in snow/ice? Conquer Driving: YES! :D The cheapest cheat ever is to buy a set of winter tires .. Unless it is a very high quality not-so-old summer tire, a set of 'bargain' winter tires can easily do better. Keep in mind, every tire has its limit. Then it is time to fight dirty - see the video :P. Also, aside things Richard said one should pack, I'd recommend a pair of rugs or (even cat litter) .. when it comes to the ultimate need of grit, grip .. they can be the best bet aside a shovel, a broom or a bag of salt (dump them under the wheel the engine propels to allow it to grab onto). Should one find getting into a car not worth it; it is no shame. Going at it and failing to judge one's abilities is a bigger one (when you know you are way past your limit, but you still force it). Just get a cab or catch a bus. A ticket costs less than a repair bill.
Hello Richard t my name is kondwani from Africa,zambia to be specific and I have been watchieng your videos from time to time and your videos helped me pass my driving test I highly appreciate what you are doing am just waiting for Part two of driving in the night I hope you will post the video as soon as possible and I will forever be thankful if you shout my name in the same video
Fanders' vids are by far the best, and I have watched 3 other channels to compare. Might get some winter tyres since I'm RWD and very hilly. Perhaps snow and ice driving should be added to the test.
I've just caught up with one Richard I enjoyed watching but it won't change me. I feel no shame in admitting that I am scared to take my car out in snow and ice and just stay at home.
Great video 👌. I'm quite lucky where i am the roads haven't been too bad this past week. By the time i finish work, day time traffic has cleared the main roads anyway.
At my place, It snows 36 inches on an average during winter every year, so salt doesn't work here but machines clear the roads. Very tricky to drive in snow.
For the situation that starts around 25:09, it would be wise to test emergency breaking way before car reaches junction in order to familiarize yourself with current grip level and thus you know what to expect. Otherwise it could happen that you overpredict the amount of grip and end up sliding onto the main road in front of other car = bad crash. Of course, that testing is safe only if there is noone behind you.
I had a lesson or two in snow and ice, then went with my mum in snow (started snowing when we were out, she has a 4x4 luckily 😂). We’re further up north so we’ve had now on and off for a good while now. I think the lessons so important, it’s so much different to drive on
Hi sir, I love your videos so much, I watch them all even thou I don’t drive, but honestly all the respect to you for teaching so many people. Also you look like my favourite actor Bill Skarsgård 😍. Thank you and Honestly so much respect goes to you🙏🏻
It is my first season of winter driving and I have been watching your tutorials to get an idea how to navigate this. I am driving a CVT car with winter tires, I am wondering if it's less likely to wheelspin as it doesn't accelerate as much as automate ones does?
Thank you, I did subtitles due to me forgetting to clip my mic on, adding those subtitles took me nearly an hour though, they were so time consuming. Maybe hot weather is a good idea.
@@ConquerDriving yes of course, you've cheered me up in many ways I've been so fed up and depressed with lockdowns and its great to see your videos mate keep it up
Can you please make a video about driving an automatic car on snow and ice? I have learnt a lot from your videos. I'm a new driver in NY and I'm a bit scared of driving on snow coz this is my first time going through this experience & I don't have any experienced driver to help me out in this year's winter driving.
It doesn't snow often here. But it's mostly the same without the clutch and gears, try to accelerator and brake very gently and used ice mode if your car has it.
fit crossclimate 2 and you wont notice snow ice or aquaplaning and you ll struggle to come unstuck bar snow deeper than car clearance possibly damaging front spoiler if frozen... thats all you need to know,
I never drive in snow or ice, far too dangerous. When I was in my youth I drove all over but not anymore. Snow and ice driving should really be included in the driving test.
2 questions: Could you theoretically use the handbrake to increase the rear brake bias and help in situations like this? And is trying to brake mid corner in an attempt to increase front end grip a viable idea or would it just instantly cause lift off oversteer? Thanks
The brake bias is suited to the car so changing it will only make things worse. On snow and ice the grip is so low you won't get weight transfer for lift off oversteer but the tyres are not good at doing two things at once so try to slow down before the bend.
With most modern automatics you can start in second, either by flipping it to manual mode and pushing to 2, or by engaging snow mode. Even older autos had snow mode, but there still may be some of them around which don't have that feature, like Nissan CVT in 1.6 Quashqai and FWD Juke, for example.
@@AlexGonoff I had a vw car with DSG auto....you can manually select 2nd but the computer overrides and goes into 1st for pulling away. No snow function either. Another limiting factor is, if you are in say 2nd going slowly along in snow...and slow down - the computer overrides and goes to 1st if the speed drops low enough. That gear switching can cause a break in traction. Many cars are in the vw group + use that DSG system, Skoda, Seat, Audi. I switched to a Honda with cvt auto and this far far better on slippery surfaces. No proper gears at all....just a stretchy rubber band. No gear changing because there aren’t any. I found letting the brake up really slowly helped the car bite into the snow. The absolute best automatic I drove in snow was a 2002 Astra....a conventional automatic + snow function. Simply brilliant. Just a shame the rest of the car was the most unreliable thing I have ever owned. Went wrong nearly every month!
@@ConquerDriving ok thank you. We also do the same thing in my country(Cyprus). I am thinking about buying all season tires just to be sure all year round.
Hey I was wondering which Seat do you drive? I really like your car and I was thinking about buying Seat, can you share your experience with that car and would you recommend it for new drivers? Thank you.
It's a 2014 SEAT Leon fr 1.4 TSI 140 SC. I think it's a great car but if you're less than 5'5" tall then I would look elsewhere as it doesn't accommodate shorter people with shorter legs well.
Can you make a video about what types of shoes are suitable for driving please. When I put on some brogues with wooden soles, my gear changing becomes very jerky..
I saw yesterdays video and you said that you have to get the snow from the roof for obvious reasons. But what happens/should you do, if the car is a van and you can't get to the roof? Greetings from Switzerland :)
Great point, that's one of the hardest things to achieve, lots of time and practise helps. This video may help: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0yKXFrpGAM8.html
Haha, I would have a place where I could practise and do a video on that. I only get to go sideways on track days, but you have to be careful because you're really fast and there already other people around who really don't appreciate the risk. There is a place in Ireland I will visit when I have an opportunity which is designed for slow speed drifting/power sliding.
You do have a slightly better chance in a front wheel drive car only. Given my circumstances and how far I had to go with the T junction it wouldn't have helped me much.
I'm old school I was taught driving in a totally different way in a manual car gear braking was way better than the brakes themselves. And another thing is the world is going electric and those electric cars.
Beware though that engine braking only usually slows 2 wheels which is less stable in slippery conditions than using the brake pedal which slows all four wheels.
