thursday, October 30, 1975
page 8
daily nebraskan
w
inter roads magnify car response
By Jim Williams
My first introduction to the subtle nu
ances of winter driving came just a few
months after getting my driver's license.
Headed down the snow-covered hairpin a
few blocks from my house, I tried to slow
by stepping on the brakes.
My 1968 Falcon responded by whipping
into a three-quarter spin and coming to rest
against a curb about two feet from a new
Riviera. It was a thought-provoking
experience.
Winter is a sort of car-response magni
fier. Funny things happen at 20 m.p Ji. that
usually appear in the more exclusive neigh
borhood of 90-plus on dry pavement. You
need to think ahead when roads get slick
-way ahead.
Slick tricks-Think of yourself behind
the wheel of a wild 300-h.p. firebreather,
maybe a Ferrari Daytona. Now picture
yourself blasting around your local roads at
about 150 m.p.h. You know you're going
to have to make adjustments.
That stop sign ahead-get on the brakes
a lot earlier than you're used to. But not
too hard, or they'll lock. That tricky
corner-take it easy turning the steering
wheel-too much and you'll skid. And
watch the traffic very, very carefully!
Just keep the Italian-supercar image in
mind and you know what you're up
against. The key word in winter driving is
finesse.
Change of plan-You need to re-train
your reflexes to cope with the different
needs of winter driving so emergencies
don't take you by surprise.
This means giving your car a lot more
space in traffic. The traction of an icy road
is about eight per cent that of a normal
road. A stop from 70 m.pji., to pick an
illegal example, would take about 2,500
feet-unless you hit something.
To slow down, pump brakes gently, be
ginning well in advance of where you need
to stop. Sometimes it helps to shift into a
lower gear. Simultaneously braking and
turning is just asking for a spin.
Once you're spinning, there's not much
to do but take your foot off the gas and
hope you don't hit any parked Rivieras. If
the car in front of you spins, racing writer
Paul Petersen suggests you aim right at him
-he probably won't be there anymore
when you get there.
Steering efficiency diminishes drastically
on slick raods. Turn too sharply and the
car's front "plows" straight ahead. When
starting your trip, it pays to test yourself
on a quiet street to see just how far you
can turn the wheel.
Un-ticking-No matter how careful you
are during the winter, you're bound to
get stuck at least a few times.
The emergency stuff mentioned in the
car-preparation section can help. Scoop
away snow from all four wheels with the
shovel. Spread out the kitty litter
or sand for traction. Broken twigs, dry
leaves, cardboard-any thing you can stuff
under the wheels is probably better than
snow.
Then drive forward, applying just
enough power to spin the tires slightly.
If you can't force your way out, try
rocking the car-shifting into reverse and
backing as far as possible, then powering
forward "on the rebound." But don't do
this for over a minute or so, for your trans
mission may overheat.
Failing all else, there's no substitute for
manpower, unless it's a tow truck.
The bright side Now I've told you how
lousy winter driving is. In fairness, it has
some advantages.
Do you know how to get out of a skid?
Really? Hae you ever tried it? Sure, prac
tically everybody knows that you turn in
the direction the rear wheels are skidding.
This is a reaction only practice can train.
But it's hard to find a safe place to prac
tice in the summer-a place where you can
toss your car sideways at 50 m.p.h, and not
hit anything if you goof. A snow-covered
parking lot is an unbeatable "skid pad"
where you can swing the car into the most
bizarre attitudes at 10 or 15 m.pji.
It's a great way to practice skid control
-and if you choose a place free of ob
structions like light poles, cars and
pedestrians, it's quite safe.
A drift is a high-speed cornering tech
nique involving the controlled sliding of all
four wheels. The car is steered into the
turn. Then the driver steps hard on the gas
pedal, swinging the rear wheels out into a
skid.
Still applying power, he steers the front
wheels away from the turn-"opposite
lock"-and slides through under perfect
control, with the car's nose pointing down
the road at the turn's exit.
It's difficult, challenging and not
every car has enough power to perform on
a dry track. But on the snowy skidpad you
can while away hours practicing it.
Then there are the maniacs whose fav
orite sport is bundling up in drafty sports
cars on freezing days, then driving from no
where to nowhere on rotten secondary
roads according to a strict schedule and
route directions.
This is winter rallying. It's also called
a lot of other things, particularly when the
contestants take a wrong turn into a ditch
full of ice water. Winter rallies are silly and
ridiculous, and I'd sign up to participate in
one tomorrow if I could.
If this appeals to you (ya weirdoi), you
might write to national headquarters of
Sports Car Club of America. Their address
is P.O. Box 22476, Denver, Colo. 22476.
And if that's not challenging enough for
your winter-driving skills, there's still the
Trans-Nebraska Open-enter at your own
risk.
Emargancy telsphona numbers for
motorists' yun or wailst:
-American Autoroobila Association nation
wide road condition raport and 24-hour
towing sarvica 477-8931
-Emergency road conditions, Novambar-
April 477-9202
-Emargancy road conditions .... 477-6012
-Weather forecast service,
24-hour 432-9211
-Towing services:
A-1 Wrecker Service, 24-hour , . 475-8441
AAA Truck Service Inc.,
24-hour 477-71(38
Above Standard Service ..... 466-9927
Auto Ambulance Co.,
24-hour . . . .477-8340
Glenn Hiilhouse euto body and towing,
24-hour 475-8441
Hickman Motor Co., 24-hour . , 782-2025
Iramlman Garage 435-2739
Kaar Service, 24-hour. 464-741
Lewis Service Center Inc.,
24-hour 475-8471
Misle Chavroiet Co. . 483-2281
Owen's Red Horn Mobil Service 477-6765
Pierson's Texaco . ...... . 475-0384
Royal Motors 435-2138
Scanlofl Crash Service 432-1810
70th and Adams APCO,
24-hour 464-9917
Van's Auto Repair , 475-9947
Ward Body Shop ......... 432-6059
Wedgewood Conoco ....... 433 -854
Whitney's Commercial Wrecker Service,
24-hour 432-4413
State Patrol service
Tapes report on roods
If you plan to drive in Lincoln or state
roads this winter, rest assured the people in
charge of informing you of the conditions
of those roads and of trying to help motor
ists in trouble are preparing to do their
jobs.
If you travel state highways between
Nov. 1 and April 1, but are not sure of
road conditions, dial 477-9202 (or 553
5000, in Omaha) and a one-minute, re
corded message will give you current road
conditions, said Capt. D.W. Scharnp, direc
tor of communication for the State Patrol.
The messages "change as conditions
change," he said and are based on informa
tion collected from troopers on the road.
Scharnp said the tapes, in the third year
of use, free State Patrol personnel from
answering the same questions that callers
often ask.
The phone number in Lincoln can
handle three callers at a time and the
Omaha number can handle 20, he said.
The American Auto Association (AAA)
- eajaaeiaiejeieie .. . .
)PmmmmZI!Zmmmmm pamammmmsxamammmamKaBmmBnmmmmmmmmmammmmm r - - - rir . , .
m m iwwwwwww
!j JUDSON CUSHING STEVE BARBER
utomotive J
I FOREIGN
also helps inform drivers of road conditions
as well as those who may have trouble with
their automobiles.
AAA, a non-profit motor club, distri
butes pamphlets, brochures and notices in
monthly billings to inform members of
procedures for winterizing their cars, said
Larry Erdkamp, Lincoln's AAA branch
manager. But members are not the only
ones who can benefit from AAA services,
he said.
Like the State Patrol, AAA also has
reports on road conditions, as well as sur
veys on gasoline availability which are
broadcast frequently on local radio stations,
he said. (
Lincoln's AAA pays local service sta
tions which have towing services to assist
motorists, especially during winter months, .
he said. AAA members receive free towing
and starting services in most instances,
Erdkamp said, adding that long distance
towing or special repair services may cost
more.
Wants you to start
the winter out right,..
from tune-ups to brake work
call Pete Peterson and get winterized.
Carl A. Anderson Co.
distributor of parts and
accessories needed to keep
your car going.
1627 P St. 432.7596
Get the AC-Dc!co
tune-up habit
and cure the
common
cough
in i i.i. .u.h.. - pi
t I 1
A(-JL : XT W m U A uhe up
J Condon Auto Electric
I 1821 N St. 477-41CS
I I I HI ! " Ml.,1.1, ,,, ,
Just tho namo (should tell you
that we'll Qivo your car tho
finest coro in toirjn.
complete winterization tune-ups brake work
Tho Complete KViachino Shop
at
1710 O Et, Ph. 432-1 B1 G
CAR
SPECIALISTS
l m 475-9022
r" tangrj'ijrfrijxifiii
Wnterize your
car now!
Front end
alignment
Suspension
work
Tune-up
Brake work
Lincoin Safety Service
2010 O St. 432-4565
27th and T
nrrraTmYmraTrTYmraTm run rana
I he sure to...
I s s I r
r
i t
B I n r
UUyy
J U
K. '!
t i i n ft t .3
1-3
0 LaJ li.--m.iwaj --'-
with automotive parts
from Car Parts Inc.
Ik 11
p A
132-33733
1 8 srmYTrmrn
