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The cold spell is on us, how to drive vans safely in the snow

Date: 08.01.2010

As you are probably well aware, its quite a cold spell that is upon us. Ireland in general does not see bad road conditions, but this January 2010 has proved to be quite the exception. It is common enough for van hire customers to have a bit of a learning curve when jumping into a rent a van, however in the current conditions; it is a lot more hazardous. Dublin and its surrounding roads are not well geared up for snow and Ice, so you should make a few prepartions to make you trip goes easier.

 
 
Driving a van or truck in Ice and snow is a bit different to driving a car. For starters, the vehicle is bigger, heavier and most likely rear wheel drive. The following article is for van rental customers who find themselves driving in snow or icy conditions.

 

Preparation for Driving.

·         Dress warm, if you do get stuck or have a problem at least you are better kitted out for it.
·         Check weather forecast before driving off, if conditions are set to deteriorate, you should consider putting off your trip.
·          Make sure you have your mobile phone with you and it is fully charged.
·         Top up your windscreen washer with quality anti freeze grade fluid
·         Start the engine, clean snow and ice from the windscreen, mirrors and rear windows.
·         Examine all tyres prior to your journey. The legal limit is 1.6mm , however when driving in cold weather conditions closer to 3mm is ideal. If your tyres are below the legal limit, do not drive!
 

Driving in Icy conditions.

      Braking performance.

Your braking performance is degraded in icy conditions. All season tyres efficiency is about 50% poorer in these conditions. Panel vans are more likely to lock up than a car n the snow. As most are rear wheel drive traction can become more of a problem than braking.
To stop on a slippy road, you need more space between you and the car in front. In these conditions, rear impacts are very common and occur by not enough space being left between cars. A driver should follow the two second rule. You should pick a marker in front of you and count the time it takes to reach the same point. In icy road conditions you should increase this margin ny two and leave 4 seconds between you and the car in front. This will compensate for the reduced braking performance of your vehicle.

      How to keep traction in the snow.

The key to driving in snow is to take it easy and gently. When pulling away, select second gear to avoid spinning your wheels. Maintain an even driving style, light use of brakes, accelerator and steering. When driving downhill change up gears to avoid using your brakes and let the gear choice maintain your downhill speed. If you are going up hill, it is advisable to have pre-selected your gear prior to going up. This limits the chance of wheel spin as you will not need tom change while on the ascent.
 

      A note on rear wheel drive hire vans.

When driving a rear wheel drive van you need to be ever more careful than in a car. With all the power going to the rear wheels it is much easier to skid. This happens usually on acceleration as the rear wheels lose traction and can result in serious over steer. This is particularly true when cornering.
 

 

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Vans and Trucks in The snow in Dublin
   
 
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