Snow and ice are two of the most dangerous weather phenomena on the road. In Spain, where cold waves are more sudden and harsh, we are not used to driving in extreme conditions, so inexperience can play a trick. For this reason, recognizing and solving the different dangerous situations that occur on the road will prevent scares or accidents.
So, what should we take into account if during a trip we are surprised by a snowfall? How to recognize a sheet of ice? For Luis Moya, two-time world rally champion and ambassador of the Volkswagen brand, the most important thing is visual anticipation, adjusting speed to road conditions. “85 percent of perception comes from sight, so if we don’t see where we want to go, we won’t get there,” explains Moya. «In fact, you always have to anticipate. If you look far, you will slow down and improve the situation you are facing », he adds; on the contrary, “if you look at a very close reference point, it arrives earlier and you won’t have time to react,” he concludes.
There are even two false myths surrounding driving on snow or ice. The two-time champion stresses that there are many drivers who think “that you should brake slowly or hard”, however, “the more decisively we press the brake, fully, the sooner the vehicle will stop”, Moya emphasizes. What’s more, given the latter, experts recommend pressing the clutch and brake at the same time -whether you have ABS or not- forcefully until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
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There is also the misconception that “it is better to sit in a high position to have better visibility. But you have to sit low since what interests us is what is coming on the road and not what color is the hood of the car », he points out.
Likewise, “you always have to adjust the speed of the car with that of the place and weather situation.” To do this, the rally co-driver is one of those in charge of offering the necessary guidelines to successfully overcome skids, understeer and oversteer. In a driving course like the ‘Volkswagen R Ice Experience’, held just 100 kilometers from the Arctic Circle in the town of Arvidsjaur (Sweden), anyone who wants to can perfect their driving skills. And in a circuit of more than 10 kilometers on a frozen lake it is impossible not to have fun and learn.
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First, if the vehicle skids with the rear wheels, oversteer occurs. The solution is to turn the steering wheel to the same side that the rear axle slides (counter-steering: straighten the steering at the moment in which the skid begins to be corrected). Then the counter-steering must be undone to prevent the vehicle from starting a sharp turn to the opposite side.
If you enter a corner too hard, the front wheels can spin and the car tends to go straight. It is what is called understeer. And to correct it, you should not turn the steering wheel or lift your foot off the accelerator. It is advisable to wait for the front wheels to regain grip.
Finally, if the vehicle skids, slow down gently and keep it very low. Additionally, traveling with a vehicle with certain off-road capabilities or equipped with four-wheel drive will increase your ability to escape winter’s trappings. And, of course, if you ‘fit’ good winter tires, you ensure optimal and safe grip.
For this reason, the Volkswagen Golf R has been the perfect companion for this learning. With a power of 320 CV and a torque of 420 Nm -accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds-, this sports car moves on low grip like a fish in water. Obviously also thanks to its all-wheel drive with selective torque management for each wheel – it offers unparalleled driving dynamics and comfort – and studded tires, but it is very easy to redirect a skid or wrong direction. Even with all the driving assistance assistants deactivated -so learning is more effective-. Not to mention the rigidity of its chassis and components. It is easy for an outing to end up ‘bogging down’ the car in the snow on the shoulder, but the Golf R comes out again with ease and without a scratch.
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Therefore, in an everyday situation, following the appropriate guidelines and knowing some basic notions of driving, any driver will know how to ‘escape’ any winter trap.
For example, a simple snowfall, even if it is not intense, requires special driving and the use of winter tires -they are distinguished by the marking ‘M+S’-‘Mud and Snow’ (mud and snow)- or chains (according to the section you will need one or the other) since the grip and visibility is lower, the braking distance and the possibility of a skid or skid are increased. So slow down, turn on the lights and drive through the tracks of other cars, will prevent the situation from ending in an accident. You should not use the pedals abruptly or avoid overacting with the steering wheel, maneuvers that could destabilize the car.
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The snow level is indicated by four simple colors, in order to exercise extra caution if necessary. Green means it’s starting to snow. When it already falls continuously and begins to deposit on the road -the difficulties are greater-, the signage will be yellow. The red color predicts that the asphalt is covered with snow and, finally, the black color, that the thickness of snow on the road is abundant and circulation will be prohibited due to the risk of becoming immobilized.
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But finding snow on the road is not the worst that can happen. Ice sheets are very “hard to see” and cause most accidents on the road. “Sometimes you can see some glare with the glare from the vehicle’s headlights, but it’s unusual.” Jorge Ortega, technical manager of Fundación Mapfre’s area of prevention and road safety, recommends “intuiting the license plates, instead of detecting them”.
“These are found on the shoulders or on roads that do not have much traffic, where it is shaded or inside the curves, so it is essential to avoid these areas or take precautions,” he adds.