Tips for drivers

What to do when you find yourself in such a situation?

First of all, reacting quickly is a key to success. A natural sequence of motions, when driving a front-wheel drive car, is to release your leg from the brake pedal and proper counter-steer. This must not be done rapidly and you have to know when to straighten the wheels. Otherwise, the car may rotate in the opposite direction.

Of course, the theory alone is not enough. To be able to properly react in such road situations, training is essential. Preferably on snowy yards which are widely available in large cities.

• car technical condition – it is absolutely necessary to check the condition and pressure of tyres (including spare wheels), the condition of wipers and external lighting. It is also recommended to check all fluids and replace oil and an air filter before a long trip. I also suggest visiting a trusted mechanic who will inspect the most important car subassemblies.
• equipment – remember about basic stuff, i.e. a first aid kit, a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher and a high visibility vest. The latter is required in a few European countries. Additionally, I suggest equipping yourself with a set of spare light bulbs, a flashlight and a small amount of oil for any refills.
• trunk – even distribution of luggage is important. Even distribution (right and left side), arrangement of the heaviest items towards the centre of a car and at the lowest possible level will ensure better distribution of mass in your car, improving traction properties.
• remember about yourself – sleep well before a journey, remember about taking breaks and drive responsibly!
• Have a safe trip!

205/50 R16 82T

205 – a width of a tyre expressed in millimetres.

50 – a value expressed in percentage points – it means a relation of the height of the tyre side to the tread width.

R – a designation of a radial tyre.

16 – a rim diameter given in inches, which is also a seat diameter

82 – load index.

T – speed index.

• safe drive schools – a lot of safe drive schools have been operating in Poland for a couple of years where everybody can take lessons from experienced instructors. This is where you can learn how to control a skid, correct mistakes which became your habit and observe experts.
• rallies – driving at the edge of your limits, fighting for tenths of a second, different surfaces. This is the everyday reality we encounter on special stages at rally events. I truly encourage to watch the driving technique of rally drivers. You can learn a lot. Come and see special stages!
• training – no theory can compare with training during which you can learn the behaviour of your car. However, you do not need to find a race track as such facilities are practically not available in Poland. It is good enough to have a large training yard where you can move freely. The best time for training is winter since only then you can feel your car when trying to control a skid. Last but not least, tyres, brake pads and discs are subject to minimum wear in winter periods.

What happens when pressure in our tyres is too low?

•  tread wear - tyres with too low pressure used for a longer time contribute to accelerated tread wear on both external sides of the tyre.
• tyre overheating – the bending part of a tyre will heat much more. In such cases, a darker line along the entire periphery of the tyre side wall can be noticed. What happens when pressure in our tyres is too high?
• tread wear – intensive wear of the tread in its middle part.
• loss of amortisation – a too hard tyre will not provide its amortisation functions anymore, which will in turn result in a reduced driving comfort and increased wear of car suspension elements.

• minimise the weight – each redundant kilogram in our car increases fuel consumption. Look through your trunk. Perhaps you carry unnecessary objects which only increase the total weight of the car.
• air resistance – for rally drivers, car streamlining is a very important element which determines special stage travel time. For regular drivers, it rather affects fuel consumption. Each extending element of a car (e.g. roof racks) or opened side windows have a negative influence on fuel consumption.
• shift gears properly – try to drive at the highest speeds, if possible. Remember to shift up to second gear as quickly as possible, because driving in first gear noticeably increases fuel consumption.
• engine braking – when approaching crossings or traffic lights try to brake using gears. With this method, no single drop of fuel will leak out of your trunk.
• tyre pressure – too low pressure may result in higher consumption. For example, pressure lower than the recommended one by 0.6 bar will results in a 4% increase of fuel consumption

• car equipment – remember to buy the following accessories before any winter period: a scraper, a snow broom, a shovel to dig a car out of snow.
• tyres – it is the most important element and indeed one can notice that the majority of drivers change from summer to winter tyres. On this occasion, I would like to debunk some myth. All-season tyres will never be as good as a proper set of summer and winter tyres. The truth is that they will not perform well both in hot days and during snowfall.
• battery condition – if you have been using the same battery for a couple of years, check its condition. Otherwise, you might face unexpected problems in the first frosty days when the starter will not react at all.

So what shoes are suitable? A thin even sole is essential because it helps us feel pedals and perfectly adjust their inclination. A too thick sole will not let us feel the pedal right. In turn, a too wide sole will make us press two pedals at a time.
And finally, very important information for ladies. Say ‘No’ to high heels in a car!

According to our observations, the majority of driver sit too close to the steering wheel. This is probably due to bad habits developed already when taking driving lessons. How to determine the proper distance? Put your hands on top of the steering wheel so it touches your wrists. They should be stretched out with the entire back resting against the seat. The left leg, after pressing in the clutch pedal, should be straightened.

I often see drivers, in particular young ones, who tend to position the seat back far back. The truth is, this is neither comfortable nor safe. Our back should adhere entirely to the seat, so it holds us firmly on the bends and we can comfortably drive long distances.

• oil – remember to control oil level from time to time (especially before a long trip) and change oil every 10,000 or 15,000 km. If you follow this rule, the heart of your car will beat for a very long time.
• winter period – failure to sufficiently remove snow from a car is a common mistake of Polish drivers. During the winter, I often see cars driven with large snow caps on or cars where only a windscreen is free of snow.
• tyres – control the condition of tyres on a regular basis as this is an element which actively affects our safety. Pay attention to side tyre walls (which can be easily damaged by contact with curbs) and the condition of the tread.
• cleanliness – cleaning of a car is key to maintain its aesthetic values and technical condition. The bottom part of the car is particularly susceptible to corrosion. Therefore, it is recommended to remove a layer of salt from the chassis after winter.

So how should we put our hands on the steering wheel? The most common rule is the ‘quarter-to-three’ position rule. Imagine that the driver is a clock. We should hold our hands in places where the clock hands point 02:45 a.m.

Aquaplaning is a loss of traction when driving a surface covered with water, caused by the formation of a layer of water between the tyre and the road. As a result, a driver may lose control over the vehicle. Aquaplaning occurs often when driving asphalt roads with ruts and cavities, where a sufficient layer of water is accumulated and maintained, during and after rainfall. How does it feel to drive in such conditions?

Basically, it is very similar to driving a car on a surface covered with ice. Precautionary measures are identical: avoid violent movements of the steering wheel, if braking is absolutely necessary do it sensitively (if the vehicle is not equipped with an anti-lock braking system), and in the event of heavy braking, apply a cadence braking technique. This phenomenon is also undesirable in rallying. However, it is not always possible to avoid puddles as the optimal car trajectory changes.

Source: www.wikipedia.pl