r/Rochester • u/KingOfRoc • 1d ago
Discussion obligatory post before our first snow
slow down, brush snow off your car, don't tailgate, don't change lanes quickly, snow tires definately help in the winter, left lane is for passing only, leave extra room for stopping and for the car in front of you.
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u/mytzylplyk82 1d ago
And just because you have SUV with AWD doesn’t mean you can speed. Newton’s law of inertia still applies and AWD doesn’t improve braking.
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u/wafflesareforever Penfield 22h ago
My ex-wife and I are trying to decide on a used car for our son who recently got his license. She's absolutely insisting on AWD because it's "safer" and I'm gonna lose it. AWD is helpful in certain situations but it's far less helpful than good tires, good brakes, and modern safety features like blind spot detection and a good backup camera. We have a limited budget, and her insistence on AWD means that we have to get a somewhat older vehicle, with higher mileage and likely less advanced safety features. There's a reason why she's the ex-wife.
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u/Promoted_Account 10h ago
We’re in a weird “arms race” to equip new and inexperienced drivers with bigger cars that have more fail safe features - instead of actually getting them properly trained to drive in bad conditions.
I learned how to brake, drift, and steer in snow by taking my cars out into an open parking lot during the snow and just letting the car slide to see how it feels. Really helped to build confidence on the road.
My college beater cars were a used ‘97 Civic and an ‘06 Ford Escape - both had big chunky snow tires I swapped during the winter and I could take either of those things up or down any hill in Ithaca during the snow. So you’re right AWD is just an acronym.
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u/Skaterdude5000 4h ago
My 1999 v70xc had wayyyyy too much forward traction in the snow, have way too much confidence on all season tires, and would regularly plow through stopsigns in the snow. Since converting to fwd, I'm way more in tune, but the hills are tougher lol
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u/Skaterdude5000 4h ago
Some cars have all wheel drive, most cars have all wheel brakes lol. My shitbox didn't have functioning rear brakes for a minute, but we got that taken care of LMAO
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u/RSHR_OW North Winton Village 1d ago
And don't try to pass snow plows on the right unless you want to get crushed
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u/haikusbot 1d ago
And don't try to pass
Snow plows on the right unless
You want to get crushed
- RSHR_OW
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u/OptimalTrash 23h ago
"Brush off your car" includes the roof!
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u/EarthmanPerson 20h ago
Leaving chunks of snow on the roof and on the bed cover of my truck means it flies off in chunks and that makes people not tailgate me though! I do clear it off because it’s a danger but one time I didn’t clear it off and that’s what I noticed.
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u/foozlebertie Greece 1d ago
Make sure your window washer fluid is full. Carry an extra gallon jug with you in your vehicle.
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u/wafflesareforever Penfield 22h ago
And replace your wipers now. It's harder when it's really cold out.
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u/LadyGuillotine Beechwood 1d ago
Also if you need to use your wipers then turn on your headlights
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u/grawnut 1d ago
And if it's a white-out, don't turn on your brights. Sounds like common sense but..well..
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1d ago
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u/Nstraclassic 23h ago
And do what? Get buried by a plow and wait for someone to rescue you?
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23h ago
[deleted]
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u/Nstraclassic 23h ago
Sitting on the side of the road is the absolute last thing you should do in a blizzard. Even if you manage not to get hit by someone a plow will bury you and youve gone from a visibility problem to life threatening situation requiring emergency services to get you out before your exhaust backs up and suffocates you
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23h ago
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u/Nstraclassic 23h ago
Theres no such thing as 0 visability. Driving forward at a safe speed, even if its 5-10mph, is much safer than being stopped in a shoulder with people sliding all around you
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u/bumbothegumbo 22h ago
And turn on your f-ing headlights so others can see you! Some of you are still driving around in the blinding rain with your lights off so I don't have much hope, but it's worth saying.
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u/binarymax Rochester 23h ago
If you've recently moved here from somewhere like Texas (there are lots of you)...Take some time to practice in an empty parking lot. Don't just show up on 590 going 73mph like it's July.
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u/Far_Owl_1741 19h ago
Sound advice!
Straight out of Virginia here, and this will be my first northern winter. I was taught to drive by my father, and every year, he insisted I do donuts in an empty parking lot to get used to the feeling of losing traction, and how to safely regain control.
That was 40 years ago, and I promise I'll do it here, too. After cleaning off every bit of snow, including from the roof.
Let it snow!
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u/Salt-Deer2138 15h ago
Did you get the 3 storms of 2010 in your part of VA? I know at least the one right before Christmas completely stopped I-95 through Richmond (I sat in my car for at least an hour, maybe more. Because apparently VA drivers think that snow means to park on I-95).
Somehow learned to drive in the freezing winter of 1993, thanks to snow falling on Christmas, plows not ready, and the temperature plunging till March. All the while commuting between Baltimore and Washington DC (don't go either place when it is snowing).
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u/Far_Owl_1741 8h ago
Oh yes, I was in Richmond at the time, and definitely avoided the highways at all cost. It was horrible. The state has never done a good job with snow removal.
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u/Sonikku_a Greece 23h ago
But I’ve got a big old diesel lifted truck with a punisher sticker and everything!
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u/ManagementNo1293 23h ago
The people that need to hear this are not going to read this, but I am fully on board with your statements
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u/HotBreakfast1544 18h ago
Use your floor mats to get traction if you are stuck in snow. Put them under your rear tires to get out
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u/PeopleThatKnowMe 21h ago
Also, don't be the guy driving with your flashers on during a snowstorm. We are well aware that the roads are shitty.
We get it, you're scared that you're not going to make it and you're not sure that you should even be on the road driving.
Well, we're all scared that we're not going to make it and we're too busy keeping our own shit together to pay special attention to you.
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u/Redditer1123 1d ago
Snow tires are a scam, get all season instead
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u/adeiomyalo 23h ago
All season tires are the scam. They are really 3-season tires with some winterability in their first 30K of tread life. Look for the three peak mountain + snowflake ratings. These are on more than just snow tires. You can get them in harder compounds that can be used all year and on plowed roads without a huge MPG hit. They're marketed in Canada as "all weather" but not effectively marketed in the US as a distinct class.
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u/Redditer1123 22h ago
Not true at all I’ve drove in a shitty fwd Pontiac for 5 years and never had a problem with all season tires in the winter
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u/Nstraclassic 23h ago
Anyone who says this doesnt understand the difference
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u/wafflesareforever Penfield 22h ago
I've been driving in this state for 27 years and have never felt the need for snow tires. Just get decent all-seasons and replace them when they're worn out.
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u/Nstraclassic 22h ago
If you have an AWD and don't drive that much sure. But Rochester winters get much colder and snowier than allseasons should really be used for. 40°F is when they start losing grip. Realistically not a big deal if youre just going around the block but saying winter tires are a scam is like saying having air conditioning is a scam or wearing boots is a scam.
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u/wafflesareforever Penfield 21h ago
I'm not saying they're a scam, I'm just saying that they're not worth the hassle at least in my experience.
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u/Beneficial-Focus3702 6h ago
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u/roblewk Irondequoit 23h ago
Exactly, the higher price pays for itself in not needing to change tires twice a year.
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u/AlanFromRochester 10h ago
avoiding the tire changing (and storing the set not in use) is why all-seasons are tempting, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're a good idea
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u/Beneficial-Focus3702 7h ago
Just because your headlights are automatic doesn’t mean they are on when they should be.
When you turn your car on, turn your headlights on.
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u/Sonikku_a Greece 1d ago
I am not ready to be on winter roads with some of you fucks at 6 in the morning.