Winter safe driving FWD/RWD Police car!

If you are talking to people who own FWD vehicle and search on internet, everyone would said FWD is better than RWD in term of road safety for yourself or other people around you. However a few people would argue the other way. I have FWD and had RWD. myself I said FWD is better especially when equip with winter tires and traction control. So my question is if everyone agreed that FWD with snow tires is the way to go, then why police car still a RWD vehicle? Why don't they have FWD Volvo or Cadillac or other vehicle that is safer for the driver or other?

Reply to
news
Loading thread data ...

news opined in news:2EW6d.20471$ snipped-for-privacy@news20.bellglobal.com:

Ummm could it be because MOST drivers dont have a clue on how to handle a car if it loses traction?

For those...FWD all the way! That's why the preferable MiniVans for mom are all fwd.

And, OTOH, Cops like race drivers are professional and train on it. RWD's are easier to recover once they lose it.. if you practice a little.

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Reply to
news

Yeah, but squawking out your front tires will *never* be as fun as with a RWD car. same goes with donuts :)

Reply to
Teknical

Rear drive is a lot more fun in winter if you know how to handle it. I've seen women do donuts with RWD cars. They have fun aswell.

Reply to
Black Bomb

Can I get some of what your smoking????

Reply to
Steve W.

Donuts in a FWD are much better if done in reverse.

Reply to
Bill 2

Don't know where you are but here, it's rare to see a cop driving like a professionals. For example, I doubt you'd ever see a race car driver blasting down city streets at 80+ MPH chasing a gay who 'might' have stolen a six-pack. Cops do these sorts of things all the time and can rarely if every be seen actually doing the speed limit (obeying the law). IOW, you didn't pick a very good analogy. Personally, I find a 50/50 F/R RWD car with the right suspension as close as one can get to driving bliss.

Reply to
FanJet

having done my share of high speed chases doing both, may i offer the following observations.

- FWD is fine if tread on tires is 40% or better, when tread gets thin, traction takes a real beating in trying to get control. especially when water is on pavement.

- FWD is all or nothing, as a rule when it comes to traction. you can only push the tires so far, and when they lose traction, it becomes difficult to get it back in short order, as in where distance is important. you can try cutting in the direction you want to go and stand on it, but if the tire is sliding, you will still be going into the slip angle.

- RWD is ok in a lost traction situation, but one has to realize that you are "pushing" the vehicle around to a position of traction.

- RWD are can greater slip angles. tires are front is in one job function only. and on rainy situations front tires can push water out of way so when rear tires arrive, they have better contact with road surface.

- RWD has advantages and disadvantages with posi-trac. in snow, i've found they work fine. in ice, can be very tricky. open rear ends work fine in icy situations where the car is moving and one wheel might be slipping. doesn't affect the vehicle as much.

weight ratios play a big part regardless of FWD or RWD. cars such as porsche 914 has 51/49 and handle great in the curves.

AWD is a different breed all together. and again, it depends if the vehicle has a full time or part time set up.

tires play a super big role in the traction picture. not just the tread design, but make up. a B rate traction can be like driving on a buttered roadway, and some AA rated tires will squeeze the water out of a heavy downpour to give you a very loud tire screech.

i'm sure i've left out many variables yet, but the bottom line is - if you are driving in a situation where it is life or death, nothing beats the knowledge of knowing how the vehicle you're driving will handle in an emergency situation.

hope this helps.

~ curtis

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional "Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."

Reply to
c palmer

? So my question is if everyone agreed that FWD with snow tires is the ? way to go, then why police car still a RWD vehicle? Why don't they ? have FWD Volvo or Cadillac or other vehicle that is safer for the ? driver or other? ?

Ever hear of a Chevy Impala? It's used by police, and it's FWD!

Reply to
Father Guido

Simple reason for that, look at how many RWD vehicles are in production.

Reply to
Thomas Moats

What? B/C a RWD will outperfrom a FWD car any day of the week. And dude, most police cars are RWD: CrownVic, F-150, E-350, Mustangs, Camaros, Explorers (4wd if required)... The only FWD police have are "pool" cars, or cars for any guy to take to drive wherever. Those on patrol are almost all RWD. Yes, I know, I work for "the cops"... Brad

Reply to
Brad and Mia

Excellent analogy especially about the front tire remove push the water out of the way for the rear tire. Now that you mention this, I had a Jeep Cherokee set as RWD awhile back. I could not move through unplowed road during winter month (~ 8 inches of thick snow) cover the road. When the vehicle's speed drop to rolling speed, the truck would spin away as it could not push the snow anymore. The truck has 4 new all seasons tires at that time. Putting the vehicle in reverse while keeping the steering straight to follow the same track, I can back out no problem. So if FWD vehicle going through puddle of water or snow, at cruising speed, this could create some problem then. Interesting!!!

So look like to me there is an advantage to RWD (with proper tires). What does official prefer to drive during winter condition? I know they have RWD vehicle but just wonder if there is preference?

Reply to
TT

Well, Brad, F-150s and E-350 aren't cars. Cops have no reason to use Mustangs or Cameros. Explorers aren't cars either and anyone who's ever driven one knows how pigly they handle (2wd or 4wd drive). Cops on patrol around here all use Chevy Impala. To keep up with the rest of the boys, we give them the 'police package' and more light bars than they need. Yes, I know, I pay the bill.

Reply to
FanJet

Why do cops have no reason for Mustangs or Cameros? I see lots of cops using Explorers and Tahoe's as well. Plenty of Crown Vic's and Intrepid's also.

Reply to
Thomas Moats

?>> wrote: ?>>

?>> f So my question is if everyone agreed that FWD with snow tires is the ?>> f way to go, then why police car still a RWD vehicle? Why don't they ?>> f have FWD Volvo or Cadillac or other vehicle that is safer for the ?>> f driver or other? ?>> f ?>>

?>> Ever hear of a Chevy Impala? It's used by police, and it's FWD! ?>

?> What? B/C a RWD will outperfrom a FWD car any day of the week. And dude, ?> most police cars are RWD: CrownVic, F-150, E-350, Mustangs, Camaros, ?> Explorers (4wd if required)... The only FWD police have are "pool" cars, ?> or cars for any guy to take to drive wherever. Those on patrol are almost ?> all RWD. Yes, I know, I work for "the cops"... ?> Brad ? ?Well, Brad, F-150s and E-350 aren't cars. Cops have no reason to use ?Mustangs or Cameros. Explorers aren't cars either and anyone who's ever ?driven one knows how pigly they handle (2wd or 4wd drive). Cops on patrol ?around here all use Chevy Impala. To keep up with the rest of the boys, we ?give them the 'police package' and more light bars than they need. Yes, I ?know, I pay the bill. ?

Ditto here.

Reply to
Father Guido

That may be their opinion but the Pennsylvania State Police believe otherwise. They operate FWD Chevrolet and RWD Ford Police specifically certified vehicles on the mountains windy roads of the state. Because of the many accidents and deaths of troopers driving FWD vehicles, while in pursuit over the years, the PSP stopped using FWD vehicle for ALL patrol work way back in the eighties. Their FWD vehicles are only used for transporting, or by detectives for investigative type police work. Few of the FWD cars are even marked. There is warring posted in every FWD Pa State police vehicle advising drivers that the vehicles is a FWD vehicle and should never be driven 'above the posed speed limit' and to drive 'prudently when traction condition are not ideal, specifically on dirt roads, wet or icy roads, or on snow cover plowed roadways.'

Because FWD may have an advantage in moving in deep snow and mud many think FWD has an advantage is all drive conditions. That assumption is far from the facts. The simple act of taking ones foot of the throttle of a FWD vehicle when traction is marginal can cause the front end to loose traction and therefor steering control at speed. The PSP uses the RWD Crown Vic, exclusively for patrol work year around. All of which are equipped with full time traction control and traction lock axles. If deep snow become a problem 4WD Jeep Cherokees and Ford Explorers are placed into service. If you doubt that, look at the drive type of any race car that runs on paved track at speeds up around 200 MPH.

Mike hunt

news wrote:

Reply to
BrickMason

If you want to go around a corner FAST, then RWD or AWD are the only way to go. Ask any race car driver, and thay will confirm that a loose (oversteer) car (not too loose) is faster than a tight (understeer) car. I personally HATE the understeer of FWD. I can steer just fine in the snow using the rear end, but if the front goes, you have no control at all... Just my opinion however....

Reply to
wolfriend

the reason they still make the police / taxi package with rwd is because it was built with a body on frame. it was tough, like a truck with a different wrapper. i think the fords now are unibody built, but they kept the same drivetrain. if you have a little weight in the trunk, with posi rear, good tires, etc.. , and you know what you are doing {90% of drivers don't!} they are fine. you just can't beat the rwd vehicles for abilty to take abuse from terrible urban roads.

Reply to
94712

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.