Winter Driving

Often there are variable conditions that we think we need a special car for each, but what we miss is that, our driving style is the ultimate factor.  Roads during the winter especially it is snow filled needs special driving considerations like smooth braking and maintaining traction. Losing grip to this two may lead to fatalities and injuries, and thousand dollars worth damages.

"Always drive as if you have a cup of coffee on the dash," says David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test division.

There are certain features in cars made for snow driving but also means additional cash. These equipment when installed in your vehicle may decrease the likelihood of accidents, but these things also have their limits.

"When snowstorms hit, people who have all-wheel drive become overconfident," says Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. People drive faster than they otherwise would. Yet all-wheel drive doesn't help them stop quicker.

"It's not a safety system," Rader says. "It's a system to keep you from getting stuck."

Consumer Reports' Champion agrees. "The problem with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is that because you have the traction to get going," he says, "you don't have the sense of how slippery it is underneath."

According to experts, winter tires are the best answer to improve traction, performance and safety when winter driving. Champions said that winter tires are more needed during this season because the regular tires being attached to vehicles have been wider and wider.

"Unfortunately, the wider the tread, the more difficult it is to dig down through the snow," he says. "It's actually a detriment to grip."

And while most says heavy vehicles are better, they are wrong. According to Mark Cox, director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colo. lighter vehicles are definitely better.

"If you have more weight, you have a better contact patch to get moving, but then you have that much more weight to stop," he says. "You also have that much more centrifugal force. It's actually harder to regain control."

Also aside from tires and light vehicles, it is also best to maintain your vehicles on the best condition. All parts are vital to run the engine perfectly. If your Rover oxygen sensor has been causing you trouble lately, better get them checked and if necessary — replaced, to avoid bigger problems.