Winter Weather Driving Tips for your Audi and Porsche

On November 24th, 2015 / By

Winter Weather Driving Tips

WINTER WEATHER DRIVING TIPS

Last week, the snowfall we experienced in Denver and along the Front Range prompted me to write a blog post that addressed seasonal maintenance. The suggested service procedures will ensure your vehicle performs at peak levels in snow, freezing temperatures, and on ice.

As an addendum to that post, this week I thought I would offer some suggestions regarding winter driving strategies. The below list contains some import information that will allow you to more safely navigate the roadways during the winter months.

1) Preparation: Yes, it’s important to service your vehicle at the onset of winter; but there are other preparations you should take as the weather becomes inclement. To begin with, you’ll want to create a winter driving kit that contains a few essential items, such as a snow brush, ice scraper, flashlight, gloves, jumper cables, a blanket, flares, a small shovel, sand/salt, and washer fluid. And while it might seem self-evident, you should be dressed appropriately for the weather conditions. If you’re vehicle breaks down or you’re in an accident, you’ll want to be clothed in such a manner that you can be in an unheated environment for an extended period of time. Likewise, make sure you have a pair of sunglasses handy (which the hepcats call “shades”), as snow and ice can dramatically increase sun glare.

2) Accelerating: It’s important to remember that the tires on your vehicle experience the greatest amount of traction immediately upon depressing the accelerator. As such, you’ll want to leverage this heighten level of friction when road conditions are poor. To do so, apply gentle pressure to your gas pedal when first accelerating. If you do enter a skid, stop accelerating and do not continue until your vehicle regains traction and you have full control of your vehicle.

3) Distance: Rear-end collisions are the most common type of crashes. Poor road conditions, obviously, exacerbate the occurrence of such accidents. Check out the video below; it provides some quick tips on how to maintain the proper distance between your vehicle and the one in front of yours:


The kindly Australian man narrating this video suggests a 2-3 second gap between vehicles in dry conditions and 4-5 seconds in wet or icy conditions. But AAA believes that the proper gap should be 3-4 seconds in dry conditions and 8-10 seconds in wet or icy conditions.

4) Steering: To begin with, avoid lane changes, especially on the highway. Snow build-up between lanes can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. If you do enter a skid or want to avoid a rear-end collision, it is suggested that you first try to steer your way out of the problem. This will help you to avoid skidding caused by heavy or rapid braking. Finally, using the Push-Pull-Slide steering technique will provide you a range of movement that enables you to make continuous and unobstructed adjustments in either direction. The brief video below demonstrates this style of driving:

5) Braking: When driving on icy, wet, or slippery roadways, you must be more diligent about your braking habits and alter the manner in which you apply them. If your vehicle does not have an anti-lock braking system, you should employ the Threshold Method. The Threshold Method requires a driver to keep the heel of their foot on the floor. The driver then should apply firm and steady pressure to the pedal with the balls of their foot up to the “threshold” of the brakes locking. Once you near the braking “threshold,” remove pressure from the pedal, then depress it again. If your vehicle comes equipped with anti-lock brakes, you can simply depress the brakes. There is no reason to “pump” the brakes if you have an anti-lock system.

If you would like to learn more about how to drive in icy, snowy, and cold conditions, check out our annual Winter Driving event on Lake Georgetown. This year’s event will take place on the first Saturday and Sunday of January, which are the 2nd and the 3rd of the month, respectively. For more information, call Prestige Imports at (833) 825-5423.


Posted in Driving Tips
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