.png)
It's the middle of winter, depending on where you are, it's cold, it's snowing and your car doesn't react the same way. Of course, if in Algeria the winter is generally mild, there are still days or regions where you have to adapt. And if you're elsewhere and the winter is even harsher, these recommendations are more than useful to you.
To be prepared for such situations, we first tell you how to prepare your vehicle and then how to adapt your car style.
Preparing your vehicle for winter
When winter is just around the corner, it's time to prepare your vehicle to get through the winter safely on the roads.
Tires: are one of the most important elements in winter driving, if they are the only contact your vehicle has with the ground, their texture and design are even more essential in cold weather and must be adapted to the type of surface. Indeed, when temperatures drop, summer tires lose their effectiveness. The cause? The hardening rubber offers in this context a less good grip. This is the reason why it is advisable to as soon as the thermometer flirts with temperatures equal to or lower than 7 ° C. Developed to meet the requirements of winter driving, snow tires are made with materials adapted to the cold. On dry, wet, snowy or icy ground, their flexible rubber, coupled with a siped tread pattern, ensures better grip. Road holding and traction are thus optimized, and braking distances are reduced. The grip of the tires on the road determines the efficiency of cornering, braking and general behavior of the vehicle. A pictogram appears on the tires; it consists of a mountain peak with a snowflake. This pictogram indicates that the tire has been designed to meet specific requirements for traction on snow and that it can be used in heavy snow conditions. Only use all-season radial tires in regions that receive very little snow. For even more complicated conditions, there is the option of equipping yourself with studded tires which are, as their name suggests, winter tires with studs (made of aluminum or steel) inserted into the tread. These tire studs provide additional grip on ice. Studded tires also offer better traction on snow. The use of studded tires on your vehicle is particularly recommended in regions where winters are harsh and roads are frequently covered with ice. They are an asset for safety, because they allow you to maintain stable and controlled driving even in adverse weather conditions. They have the advantage of having better grip and reduce the braking distance, effective in extreme temperatures, but have the disadvantage of deterioration of the roads, make increased noise and limit the speed.
As an alternative for occasional use, use chains or snow socks for tires, again the disadvantages lead to an even more limited speed, noise and discomfort, but they will get you out of embarrassing situations, to remove it once the conditions are no longer suitable.
Also know that on ice, the less wide the tires are, the better it is because you have less surface that risks being on the ice, so think about reducing the dimensions of it compared to your summer tires while respecting the instructions of the manufacturer of your vehicle.
Battery: temperature changes have a strong influence on the wear of your car's battery. It is estimated that at 0°, it loses about half of its charge. This is why, if you don't have a garage and your car sleeps outside, it is necessary to protect it as much as possible from negative temperatures. To do this, you can simply place a blanket on the hood. Another tip, a piece of cardboard in front of the grille. A not very aesthetic but effective solution to protect your battery from the icy wind. The voltage at the battery terminals must not be less than 12.4 V. Using a multimeter, a measuring device available to everyone, do not hesitate to regularly monitor the condition of your battery in winter to limit the risk of breakdown. It is imperative to take care of your battery in winter. If you notice any weaknesses in the ignition, avoid using the car radio, air conditioning or heated seats! Indeed, these accessories consume electricity and overload your accumulator. When starting, do not be too insistent: several short attempts are better than one long one. If your car has difficulty starting, you can turn on the headlights: this will help warm up the battery. In order to relieve your engine, you can also keep the clutch pedal pressed.
Choose synthetic engine oil because it remains fluid even in very cold weather, which helps the engine to start more easily and to protect itself better.
The rest of the car will also need attention, the windshield wiper blades are more flexible to withstand the hazards of frost. Be careful not to put water in your windshield washer fluid reservoir because it will freeze and could also crack your reservoir, use an antifreeze-based fluid.
To have in your vehicle in difficult conditions: a shovel, a scraper, a snow brush, anti-skid plates, a bag of sand, fuel line antifreeze, windshield washer antifreeze, a flashlight and spare batteries, jumper cables, to warm yourself up: a blanket and warm clothes, accessories to be visible and safe.
A small point to bring out, the efficiency of all-wheel drive is proven on snowy surfaces and be even more alert with rear-wheel drive cars.
Winter driving
In winter, road conditions are more varied and changeable; it is important to adapt your driving accordingly. You must also be prepared to deal with emergencies and to face the cold season with a vehicle in good condition.
When starting, let your car warm up but not too much, starting cold can cause premature wear of the engine and letting it run for more than 3 minutes is useless except to foul your engine, give the engine time to oil itself well and the rpm to drop to its cruising speed, the engine temperature will be when you are going to drive. Opt for a gentle start and do not activate energy-consuming elements such as defroster, headlights, heating, interior lights, heated seat, radio, etc. before starting, in order to save your battery and be able to start.
If you drive an electric car instead, the autonomy can decrease by up to 50% in very cold weather. It is then suggested to preheat the car about twenty minutes before leaving by plugging it into a charging station without starting it.
While driving, as soon as you suspect that the road presents a risk, whether because of snow or ice, the golden rule is to go easy on the accelerator. Following this instruction allows your tires to better adhere to the road. Similarly, you must handle the steering wheel gently to maintain control of the vehicle.
Focus on prevention!
Avoiding sudden maneuvers and adapting your speed to the weather conditions are basic rules for safe winter driving. But you must also be wary of special conditions.
A roadway may appear dry when it is covered in black ice. Invisible on the road, this ice usually forms when the temperature remains close to 0°C. Bridges and the tops and bottoms of viaducts are places where inattentive drivers risk encountering sneaky patches of ice.
When leaving the city for the countryside, the road conditions can suddenly change from dry to snowy or icy. The prudent driver will therefore reduce his speed to avoid surprises caused by a radical change in tire grip.
Your best ally: reaction time!
While during the summer, it is strongly recommended to maintain a minimum distance of 3 seconds with the vehicle in front of you, in the winter, this distance should be longer, sometimes even up to 6 seconds or more. A greater following interval will allow you to make the best decision in an emergency situation while offering you a much more pleasant drive since you will be able to anticipate the movement of traffic.
Reduce your speed and maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you, especially when visibility is reduced or the road is slippery. At all times, beware of black ice.
Poor visibility in winter can make driving difficult. It is therefore important to be vigilant and alert while driving.
Make sure you see and be seen.
In case of a straight-line skid: limit the vehicle's progress in order to stop it more quickly. It is recommended to put the gear lever in neutral using the following technique:
Disable the coupling of the driving force applied to the wheels by doing one of the following maneuvers.
If your car has an automatic transmission, put the gear lever in neutral. However, if you cannot do this immediately, do not touch the transmission.
If your car has a manual transmission, disengage the clutch.
Other sources suggest leaving the gear lever engaged, but not pressing the accelerator pedal during the skid. At the end of the skid, it may be necessary to accelerate slightly or you may have to avoid an obstacle.
When cornering:
- In the event of a front-end skid; when cornering, everything is fine as long as the tires "bite the road". However, from the moment the centrifugal force is greater than the grip of the front tires, your vehicle begins to skid from the front, which is called understeer.
Skidding is often caused by excessive speed or wheel lock. To stop it, reduce the pressure on the accelerator or brake pedal and turn the wheels in the direction of the curve while looking in the direction you want to steer the vehicle.
Of course, the steering must be done smoothly, which is easy since the wheels are already turned in the desired direction. However, be careful with front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive: if you release the accelerator sharply, the rear wheels could start to skid.
In case of a skid at the rear of the vehicle: if you suddenly notice that the rear of your car is starting to take its own trajectory, this is called oversteer. To remedy this, simply turn the front wheels in the direction in which the rear started to skid, while of course looking in the direction you want to go.
It often happens that the vehicle skids again, but in the opposite direction: be ready to start the manoeuvre again, combining smoothness and speed. This delicate operation requires great presence of mind. So, never forget that your eyes should be focused on where the vehicle needs to go, not where it is going!
Good braking is important for safe driving in winter. Since it takes longer to stop on a slippery road, you should: keep a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you; pay close attention to what is happening on the road and try to see as far ahead as possible; make sure you do not release the brake pedal when you have lost control of your vehicle. Concentrate on steering with the brake pedal firmly applied.
How to brake on a slippery road
If the emergency does not require slamming on the brakes as hard as possible, lightly applying the brake (also called threshold braking) and disengaging the clutch (in the case of a manual transmission) will make braking more effective.
Braking without anti-lock brakes
Use the heel-toe technique. Keep your heel on the floor and use the ball of your foot to press firmly on the brake pedal, but do not lock the wheels.
Release the pressure on the pedal and press again in the same manner.
Repeat this maneuver until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
Braking with anti-lock brakes
Also use the heel-toe technique, but do not remove your foot from the brake pedal until the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
Do not use cruise control. In winter driving mode, the driver must have full control of his vehicle at all times.
Slow down when approaching an icy or snowy intersection.
Don’t hesitate to take more time to make the trip or simply postpone your trip if the temperature is not mild.
Drive with the low beam headlights on. They are brighter than the daytime running lights and the tail lights activate at the same time. Your vehicle is thus more visible.
Leave a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. The braking distance on an icy road is double that on a dry road. For example, it is approximately 45 metres at a speed of 60 km/h and 80 metres on an icy road.
Kommentare