Car pinball... Driving on ice video

Stupot_ · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:03

How do the do this??!! Is this some kind of ultra slippery ice I'm not aware of? Or just a combination of silly Americans in their big automatics?!

I've never had a problem with just whacking my car in a low gear and not touching the accelerator...

edit: Wow didn't realise it's got 14mil youtube views... Sorry if it's been posted before!

BigglesPiP · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:08

Sheet ice + hill - driving ability = carnage.

The 1st one panicked and floored it with her eyes closed until it all stopped.

The next few were using autos in Drive.

The BMW at the end showed that manoeuvring was possible at very slow speeds, ie not letting the auto box idle you up to a scary speed.

mrk · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:26

I saw this a looooooong time ago, still makes me snicker it does, you'd have thought places like that people would get provided with some special snow/ice awareness programmes to help deal with this kind of weather since it's so common?

Then again it's like saying the British should get special classes on how to drive when it rains going by the amount of fail that happens down here during a downpour!

MarkDavis · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:30

Are these drivers thick or what? ZERO grip, and the car sliding left, right and centre....it comes to a stop...and they try and drive again???? I know a lot of Americans are dumb but....

Disco Boy · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:32

Stupot_ said:
I've never had a problem with just whacking my car in a low gear and not touching the accelerator...

I've always been told, and found, that it's better to put it in a high gear and use the clutch.

mrk · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:38

At my old place of work once I got to work during this year's early snap snow storm moment and I had actually parked up and arrived without a single issue...then the car started moving at an angle as the bays were at a slope!

Luckily it stopped and I crept back in slowly ¬_¬

teaboy5 · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:39

i think its clear that its not just the drivers, but the road its self.

The first one for start floors it a few times the rest the car is just going were it wants.

It must be one super slippy road to be honest. Happens everywere.

Stupot_ · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:42

Disco Boy said:
I've always been told, and found, that it's better to put it in a high gear and use the clutch.

Don't really know to be honest. I luckily had a driving lesson in a random freak snow storm! Instructor advised crawling down quite a steep hill in first gear and not touching anything. That's all the snow/ice training I've had!

Stupot_ · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:44

teaboy5 said:
i think its clear that its not just the drivers, but the road its self.

The first one for start floors it a few times the rest the car is just going were it wants.

It must be one super slippy road to be honest. Happens everywere.

Mmm I would imagine flooring it makes it worse - clears any snow that might give you grip and heats up the ice making it more slippy perhaps?

I still think that a little FWD manual would be fine in those conditions

mrk · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:46

Stupot_ said:
Mmm I would imagine flooring it makes it worse - clears any snow that might give you grip and heats up the ice making it more slippy perhaps?

I still think that a little FWD manual would be fine in those conditions

Of course

RWD would have wider rear tyres usually too so would lose grip and begin sliding everywhere the moment the tyres lost any form of traction!

FWD and thinner tyres = Better on snow no?

Tute · 13 Dec 2009 at 23:49

I remember having quite a bit of snow earlier in the year, we were trapped at a friend's house and I had to travel 100 miles to hand in coursework the next day!

She said it was fine to stay there, but I had left all my work at home, so I had to creep home in the snowstorm and creep back. About a 15 mile round trip, but it was probably the most nerve-racking drive i'd ever done.

Visibility was about 6 inches, road was laden with snow and it was like driving on ice. I prayed there were no chavs nearby driving at stupid speeds - luckily I didn't see a single other car or person all the way home and back.

The technique is to take it nice and slow, and hope to god the traction control saves you if you don't.

mjt · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:00

on ice you're pretty much ****ed unless you're on studded tyres
in snow its high gear, low revs and no sudden inputs, be they brakes, steering or throttle

having said that, 4wd and winter tyres makes driving in snow and slush effortless

Bennie-Mac · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:23

My dad taught me to drive on snow before i had actually passed my test, very good to have some experience of it before you find yourself out there on your own. My leon is surprisingly good on the snow though, fat tyres plus heavy fwd diesel engine means its a lot more capable than most. Ice though can be a complete nightmare, havent yet encountered sheet ice and i hope i dont have to.

Its also amazing the number of idiots you get who tailgate you in the snow :rolleyes:

annoys me greatly.

CliffyBiro · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:25

Bennie-Mac said:
My dad taught me to drive on snow before i had actually passed my test, very good to have some experience of it before you find yourself out there on your own. My leon is surprisingly good on the snow though, fat tyres plus heavy fwd diesel engine means its a lot more capable than most. Ice though can be a complete nightmare, havent yet encountered sheet ice and i hope i dont have to.

Its also amazing the number of idiots you get who tailgate you in the snow annoys me greatly.

Safe in the knowledge that it will always be them to fault if they hit you though. Yet to experience driving in such conditions myself and not looking forward to the day I do.

Sin_Chase · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:30

Couple of bags of coal in my shed waiting for the boot JUST incase

daveydave · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:54

I once took on some sheet ice in the clio....there is literally nothing you can do, steering wheel, brakes, accelerator all become useless until there is something your rubber can grip.

The last car barely had any control if you look closely, the brakes are applied and the car keeps on sliding.

[TW]Fox · 14 Dec 2009 at 00:59

mrk said:
Of course RWD would have wider rear tyres usually too so would lose grip and begin sliding everywhere the moment the tyres lost any form of traction!

Most RWD cars - especially in America where the 'average' American car is RWD - have the same tyres front and back. It's only the more 'sporty' models, especially in the case of BMW, that have wider rear wheels.

Your average Lincoln, Mecury, etc etc won't.

FWD and thinner tyres = Better on snow no?

Thinner tyres certainly. FWD, probably, yes, especially in the hands of your average driver.

[TW]Fox · 14 Dec 2009 at 01:00

Bennie-Mac said:
fat tyres plus heavy fwd diesel engine means its a lot more capable than most.

Well no, fat tyres are the enemy of snow. The fatter your tyres the worse your car will be on snow. The thinner the better.

Why do you think Rally cars have ultra thin wheels for use in snow?

BigglesPiP · 14 Dec 2009 at 01:19

mrk said:
FWD and thinner tyres = Better on snow no?

[TW]Fox;15520375 said:
Thinner tyres certainly. FWD, probably, yes, especially in the hands of your average driver.

It's not FWD and thin tyres you need. It's driven wheels under engine and thin tyres.

The Uno and the Punto's I've driven in snow were all epic, even steep hill starts on compact snow without any drama. The 146 is quite horrible to drive in snow, if you let the wheels spin at all the nose tries to slide down the camber of the road.

Sin_Chase · 14 Dec 2009 at 01:28

Actually driven wheels that also steer is what is beneficial as well as the weight of the engine.

FWD can "Pull" you in a direction whereas RWD will rely on front wheels gripping in order to steer.