Driving on Ice in a Front Wheel Drive Car

The kind of car that you are driving is only a small part of how you are able to drive on ice. The real thing lays in the skill of the driver, the way the car is handled, and whether it is a front wheel drive or a rear wheel drive vehicle. The way the cars are driven in snow is almost the same. However, both the cars require different handling when certain situations arise. Many drivers are not aware of the fact that there is a difference in the way the cars should be handled.

While rear wheel drives (RWD) might be better to drive in normal conditions, a front wheel drive (FWD) is better in the snow and is believed to be able to pull its way around corners. A FWD provides more control to the driver in snow and ice. The advantage that a FWD has in snow and ice is that if the front wheels of the car slip by any chance, the car will not sway from the line.

FWDs are considered better for snow and ice because they grant the driver more control over the vehicle and when the car skids, the way the car should be handled is entirely different from what it is in case of a RWD. A FWD is more practical as compared to a RWD, and the brake and accelerator can simultaneously be used to keep the vehicle under control. In case you lose traction with a FWD, you can bring the car back into the right lane by simply pointing the wheels in the direction you want your vehicle to move in. While turning a corner, you can use both the brakes and the accelerator at the same time. The speed at which you can turn a sharp corner with a FWD is faster than that for a RWD.

In order to perform everything in accordance with the way it should be done with your car, you should read your car's manual and find out the right way to handle the car in ice and snow. It is essential to remember that when a FWD vehicle skids, you can't let go of the accelerator completely as you have to use both the brake and accelerator simultaneously without letting either of them go. It is conventional wisdom that makes people let go of the pedal and hence end up in trouble. This act would make you completely lose traction.

The right thing to do when a FWD vehicle skids is to apply some pedal, and at the same time a little brake, one with the right foot and the other with your left foot. This should be the very first reaction of the driver of a FWD when the car skids. However, this reaction may not come very easily and needs to be practiced so that when the moment arises, it is this reaction that is the very first one - instead of doing something that should not be done.