Driving in snow will greatly change how you and your car behave should a serious situation arise. It is important to be fully aware of your limits; this includes both your own and your car – not forgetting those of other road users!
You may have a high performance car, you may have the latest stability control system, but in snow the cornering ability of your car, along with any technology, will become almost irrelevant due to the sheer lack of grip – even cars equipped with ABS are unlikely stop a straight-line skid due to the lack of grip available. With this in mind it’s worth staying focused on your driving environment.
Avoid making any sharp movements with the steering wheel. It’s also worth avoiding harsh acceleration, sudden braking and travelling at high speeds.
General driving
Try to keep in as high a gear as possible to avoid wheel spin. Although you should always concentrate whilst driving (!) ensure you double your concentration in the snow – bear in mind you may have covered many thousands of miles in everyday road conditions but most people will drive fewer miles in snow than they do when learning to drive – making the majority of the public very inexperienced snow drivers!
