Also, I think drivers of larger vehicles are often over-confident. I know my cars are really bad in the snow, so I drive incredibly carefully. I slow down really early, speed up really slowly, and turn as gently as I can. I haven’t been stuck in the snow in over a decade, nor have a slid into anything (though I have slid), and I’ve been in some pretty crappy snowstorms.
I think AWD/4WD can be a liability because people seem to think it’ll solve their problems.
Agreed, and something else I’ve noticed… people seem to think AWD/4WD will help them in all cases, but don’t realize that stopping has nothing to do with that feature. So they get better traction to go, go too fast, and ABS only helps so much.
As someone who lives in a snowy area:
Also, I think drivers of larger vehicles are often over-confident. I know my cars are really bad in the snow, so I drive incredibly carefully. I slow down really early, speed up really slowly, and turn as gently as I can. I haven’t been stuck in the snow in over a decade, nor have a slid into anything (though I have slid), and I’ve been in some pretty crappy snowstorms.
I think AWD/4WD can be a liability because people seem to think it’ll solve their problems.
Agreed, and something else I’ve noticed… people seem to think AWD/4WD will help them in all cases, but don’t realize that stopping has nothing to do with that feature. So they get better traction to go, go too fast, and ABS only helps so much.
Exactly. 4WD/AWD helps when climbing a mountain pass, but it won’t stop you from sliding through an intersection.
you’re right, of course. i simply meant to point out that it’s often a variety of factors, not simply one thing or another.