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4WD no safer than 2WD?
- Thread starter brightredmtn
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Pixels
New member
I would say that 4WD is less safe than 2WD. I live in a snowy climate, but there's nothing here compared to what I grew up with in Buffalo and then spent 6 years in Rochester NY (FTR, Rochester gets more inches of snow each year, but Buffalo gets bigger storms.) What happens when the weather turns sour is people with 2WD slow down. People with 4WD go because they can go. But 4WD doesn't let you stop any better, and it's stopping that's the problem 99% of the time. Can 4WD help you get out of a snowbank? Perhaps. But it won't stop you from sliding through the intersection. People who have 4WD get overconfident in their vehicle's ability to GO. 2WD drivers slow down more (partly because they can't go any faster safely) and so they don't have quite as much problem stopping.
Maggie
New member
I think 4WD is more about keeping you from getting stuck at the bottom of a hill when it's icy out, than saving you in a crash
Agreed. 4 wheel drive doesn't do anything to keep you from slipping on ice.
Around here I see MORE 4wd in the ditch than little cars. Why? Because people think 4wd equals super powers.
brightredmtn
Well-known member
Agreed. 4 wheel drive doesn't do anything to keep you from slipping on ice.
Around here I see MORE 4wd in the ditch than little cars. Why? Because people think 4wd equals super powers.
That's exactly what the website said. Does 4WD help at all in preventing a roll over crash?
I don't have anything official to back this up but ....
I don't see how 4WD could help prevent rollovers, in fact I'm guessing statistically speaking they are probably worse simply because the types of vehicles that generally have 4WD are usually high up type of things rather than something low to the ground which is harder to roll. From experience having hit the ditch a few times I would also say that your angle and speed play a big role in rolling over so if you are driving faster because you have 4WD (which around here seems to be the norm) you're odds would also increase.
One time I was really stuck in the ditch and 7 SUVs ended up in the ditch as they tried to stop to help me (2 of them rolled spectacularly) - it was the craziest thing I've ever seen.
I don't see how 4WD could help prevent rollovers, in fact I'm guessing statistically speaking they are probably worse simply because the types of vehicles that generally have 4WD are usually high up type of things rather than something low to the ground which is harder to roll. From experience having hit the ditch a few times I would also say that your angle and speed play a big role in rolling over so if you are driving faster because you have 4WD (which around here seems to be the norm) you're odds would also increase.
One time I was really stuck in the ditch and 7 SUVs ended up in the ditch as they tried to stop to help me (2 of them rolled spectacularly) - it was the craziest thing I've ever seen.
Maggie
New member
I have no idea. Sorry
I drove a Grand Cherokee for several years. A few things to keep in mind.
Keeping a 4wd vehicle in 4wd all the time in NOT good. At least in my GC, you weren't supposed to go over 50? mph with it in 4wd. It sucks gas like crazy in 4wd.
So even if it could help prevent a rollover, unless you know you're going to be in a rollover that day and flip it to 4wd, it doesn't do any good anyway. KWIM?
It doesn't help you stop any faster on slippery roads. It does have it's uses. DH enjoys playing in mud and around here (Wisconsin) back roads (like our road) don't get plowed until last. So it's nice to be able to drive down my road without the worry of getting stuck in the snow.
It's just laughable around here how many huge trucks are in the ditch each winter. They think they're invincible.
I drove a Grand Cherokee for several years. A few things to keep in mind.
Keeping a 4wd vehicle in 4wd all the time in NOT good. At least in my GC, you weren't supposed to go over 50? mph with it in 4wd. It sucks gas like crazy in 4wd.
So even if it could help prevent a rollover, unless you know you're going to be in a rollover that day and flip it to 4wd, it doesn't do any good anyway. KWIM?
It doesn't help you stop any faster on slippery roads. It does have it's uses. DH enjoys playing in mud
and around here (Wisconsin) back roads (like our road) don't get plowed until last. So it's nice to be able to drive down my road without the worry of getting stuck in the snow. It's just laughable around here how many huge trucks are in the ditch each winter. They think they're invincible.
For safety, good quality all-season tires and stability control are the key things. Snow tires if it's a really bad climate, of course. Since 4WD/AWD doesn't affect braking, some claim that the confidence of having it is why you often see more SUVs and trucks in the ditch or with their front end on a post at the first sign of slippery roads...
AWD/4WD are really just to avoid getting stuck and maybe to improve acceleration in slippery conditions, especially if off-road or towing. Even for that purpose, some AWD/4WD systems are considerably better than others. Some react quicker, can transfer more power to wheels with traction, can be used at higher speeds and can detect and react to slip on any of 4 wheels.
AWD/4WD are really just to avoid getting stuck and maybe to improve acceleration in slippery conditions, especially if off-road or towing. Even for that purpose, some AWD/4WD systems are considerably better than others. Some react quicker, can transfer more power to wheels with traction, can be used at higher speeds and can detect and react to slip on any of 4 wheels.
I wouldn't say 4WD is safer than 2WD either. I've had both in snowy conditions, and like everyone has said, 4WD/AWD helps get you started in some situations, but it isn't necessarily going to keep you on the road and it doesn't have anything to do with braking capabilities. We have always put snow tires (not all-seasons) on our cars/truck, usually with dedicated wheels, and the only time I've noticed a difference between driving my DH's Subaru Outback, for example, and my Jetta is on icy or slushy/mashed potato snow conditions going uphill. The ESP in the Jetta comes on then and I sometimes have to wiggle my way up the hill. The Jetta performs fine in other winter conditions with good snows on. Add a stick shift, and it does even better! I agree that a lot of people who don't have to drive in winter conditions regularly and have 4WD/AWD assume they are safer and go faster. It drives me nuts, particularly on the interstate. I watch them fly past me in the semi-plowed fast lane doing about 60 and their vehicles look like they are just skating along.
:yeahthat:
That site is overly simplified and antiquated. Sorta like holding a CPST class with one 15 yr old seat and no classrooms, test cars, etc.
Darren threw in a basic fact/distinction that the site didn't even cover: the difference between AWD and 4WD. Other important variables are road surface and different tires (summer tires vs all weather tires vs snow tires vs snow tires with studs). Generally, for safety, you want a good AWD system over a 4WD system along with good computer software (like traction control, etc). If really icy, you wanna swap your regular tires for some snow tires.
beeman
Active member
I agree with the overconfidence that 4wd creates in drivers. Another issue too is if the vehicle doesn't have traction control, you loose traction on both axles if the drive wheels start spinning, leaving you with no control of your vehicle with either braking or steering, whereas a 2wd will still keep traction on one axle for braking, and possibly steering. I also believe that if a road can not be traveled with a 2wd vehicle, it should not be traveled, as the 4wd is just able to get further into the snow, or deeper into the mud before it gets stuck :twocents: .
brightredmtn
Well-known member
Thank you everyone. You all have saved me $1200 plus gas since you've absolved me of any guilt for buying a 2WD over the 4.
Only the most simplistic AWD systems lose traction with a single, spinning drive wheel. Even without traction control, most have some system to transfer power to a second wheel, some even a third or fourth wheel. The better mechanical systems of transferring power are far superior to traction control in almost every way except for cost. Even better for heavy duty off-roading, many trucks allow you to lock all 4 wheels to guarantee that equal power is always going to each wheel. None of these systems offer much extra in terms of safety, unless they are combined with stability control and quality tires.
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