Spinning Your Wheels - it usually doesn't help

Your first instinct will be to start spinning your wheels when you can't get going on snow or ice. Resist this temptation and you'll be much better off.

I know "giving it the gas" feels like the right thing to do, but it's not.

Let me show you why. There are many disadvantages to unnecessary wheel spinning. For the most part, it's counter-productive since traction is lost. It can also be expensive if you're doing it excessively and for prolonged periods.

Here are the main reasons why spinning wheels in snow or on ice isn't in your best interest:

• On snow, you're creating ice with the added energy imparted by the spinning tires. This can lead you be getting stuck, even in shallow snow. Instead of being on snow, which provides limited traction, you'll be on ice which provides even less traction.
• If the snow and ice is on a dirt road, you could create mud with the silt. A watery mud in the pottery world is called "slip" and that's just what you'll end up doing.
• Whether on ice or snow, you're "shining" up the surface, thus making it more slippery than it was to begin with.
• Spinning your wheels will cause you to slide, especially on an inclined surface. This re-aligns your vehicle in a manner that you don't necessarily want, and it can cause you to slide off the road into deep snow.
• Excessive spinning of your wheels can damage your drive train and create expensive repairs.

Resist the temptation to engage in spinning your wheels. It may seem useful at times, but if you simply reduce the power applied to the wheels, they will turn much slower and get a grip. Spinning them only reduces the grip that they might be able to get at slower rotational speeds.

Your interest in spinning wheels is linked to your interest in maintaining forward movement. Often this is best achieved by slowing down so your tires retain traction. Spinning the tires only reduces traction, so resist the temptation and you'll be better off.

Done with Spinning Your Wheels, back to Safe Driving