In this blog entry, the professional Chicagoland towing service and Chicago roadside assistance service team here at Towing Chicago will detail how the type of transmission your vehicle has affects winter driving safety.
Manual Transmission
Manual vehicle transmission, also called stick shifts, provide immediate control over your vehicle’s gears. Manual shafts are ideal for driving on slippery and icy roads, as you can shift down to better control your car without relying on your brakes. Engine braking is ideal for keeping traction on slippery hills or descendants. However, manual transmissions can cause issues when improper shifting time or shifting to the wrong gears can cause your wheels to spin out of control, which is especially dangerous in the winter. Skilled drivers can utilize manual shifts to excellent precision when driving in winter weather.
Automatic Transmission
Automatic transmission cars are the most common. Automatic shifts move gears seamlessly, allowing you to focus on driving rather than manually adjusting gears. Many modern cars have winter driving modes or traction enhancing features that help your vehicle drive better on slippery surfaces. The one drawback to automatic transmission vehicles is the way they rely on braking for speed control, which can increase the chances of skidding on icy, wet, or slippery roads. However, their common availability and ease-of-use makes them ideal for most drivers in windy conditions.
CTV Drive Vehicles
Continuously Variable Transmission vehicles don’t have fixed gear ratios, and adjust automatically to provide just the right amount of power for a range of road conditions, minimizing the chances of traction changes. CTVs, however, are not as durable as regular transmission, especially when they are heavily worn or exposed to extreme weather environments. Also, their inability to provide much manual control ist ideal for icy or snow covered roads.
Two Wheel Drive Vehicles
Never a good choice for winter environments, these vehicles only have power in the front or rear wheels, severely lowering traction on wintery roads. Rear wheel drive vehicles can easily skid on snow and ice, as rear tires can easily lose their traction during sudden turns or acceleration. Front wheel drive vehicles are slightly better because the weight of the engine over the front two wheels adds a bit of traction, but not by much, making them dangerous to drive in deep snow or steep slippery roads.
All Wheel Drive and Four Wheel Drive Vehicles
All wheel drive and four wheel drive vehicles provide ideal levels of stability and traction in extreme winter weather. All wheel drive helps to constantly adjust traction and power in the wheels as necessary, ideal for icy roads or light snow. Four wheel drive vehicles are better matched for harsh terrain and heavy snow and ice, by evenly delivering power to all four wheels and providing maximum grip and traction.