When it comes to driving in cold weather, one thing to watch out for is freezing of the road surface (ice burn). Water starts to freeze at 0 degrees Celsius, but the temperature on the street is different from the air temperature, so the street may freeze even when the temperature is not below freezing. In addition, when it snows, the snow is compacted by driving the car, which is called “compacted ice snow”. When this is further worked on and polished to a high shine it appears to become a more slippery ‘mirror burn’. We asked Takashi Konishi, a driving instructor at Karasuyama Driving School (Nasukarasuyama City, Tochigi Prefecture), what points to keep in mind when driving on icy roads.
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Is the road slippery when it’s not snowing? Ice burn pitfalls
On a cold morning, the car slipped slightly while driving which was a terrifying experience. Skids that cause you to lose control of the car are more common on icy roads. However, according to Konishi, this freezing of the road surface appears to occur even when the outside temperature is not below freezing.
“It is said that when the temperature drops below 3 degrees, the surface temperature drops below 0 degrees and freezing begins. It is important to set off and drive carefully to avoid sudden manoeuvres.”
Before that, the most important thing is to prepare tires that can grip the slippery road surface. Of course, studless tires are “consumables”, so pay attention to the number of years of use.
“Get ready early by getting studless tires or bringing tire chains. The effectiveness of studless tires is said to decrease after four to five years, so don’t be overconfident even if there’s still some tread. No. If the platform portion, which represents the limit of effectiveness as a studded tyre, is exposed, it can be dangerous to drive on snowy or icy roads”.
What if you slip even if you’re ready? What’s the correct way to deal
What should I do when I notice frostbite after actually starting running?
“Reduce the speed as much as possible and keep enough distance between vehicles. Sudden operations such as sudden starts, sudden braking and sharp turns, and the same speed and distance between vehicles as on a dry road surface are dangerous. If you are worried for driving. If you feel it, or if you don’t have studded tires or snow chains, it’s important to make the decision to turn back without overdoing it.”
However, even if you go back, you have to be careful when driving. If you do indeed slip, there is technology to suppress lateral slip, but it appears to be very difficult.
“If the rear wheels are slipping, you can control the slip by releasing the accelerator and turning the steering wheel in the direction the rear wheels have slipped, but it is a very difficult technique. If not, hold the brakes firmly to minimize the damage.”
It seems the best way to deal with it is to minimize the damage. The cold and full-fledged snow are yet to come. Pay attention to the weather information and drive safely.
(Hint-Pot editorial staff)
