some winter driving tips for my “experiencing heavy snow for the first time” friends (pls feel free to add more, i’m just a 22 year old who knows nothing about cars but has driven in snow a few times)

try to use your brakes as little as you possibly can. take your foot off the gas and let your car do it’s thing well before stop signs/lights

if your car does start sliding, DO NOT SLAM YOUR BRAKES. also do not try to oversteer in the opposite direction. this will make it worse. take your foot off the gas, and when you slow down and the wheels catch, steer in the direction you wish to go

helpful things to keep in your car:
-an ice scraper, or a plastic cooking bench scraper if you can’t find one
-booster cables
-a warm blanket
-kitty litter or road salt to put under your tires if you get stuck
-extra windshield wiper fluid

if your car has a sport mode use it!!! downshifting is a godsend to help you slow down quickly in the winter. (this has helped me avoid many slip and slide scenarios)

for the love of god, do NOT use anything metal to scrape your car. use a credit card if you really can’t find anything else

this one should be common sense, but please don’t heat up your car in a garage or an enclosed space

if it snowed super heavily, make sure your exhaust pipe is clear before starting your car

all wheel drive just gives you a false sense of security so please don’t think you’re less likely to go “weeee” into a ditch if you’re driving a 4wd

keep some sort of tow rope. sometimes miracles happen and someone nice in a really heavy duty truck happens to be driving by and willing to help if you get stuck (and yes i have witnessed this happen)

if you get stuck, straighten your tires (don’t try to dry steer back and forth or you’ll dig a deeper hole) and put kitty litter or road salt under all your tires and accelerate slowly out of it.

don’t brake while turning. also please don’t accelerate while turning. brake well in advance.

give all the cars in front of you extra room. if you think they’re far enough away, just give another car length for good measure.

don’t use cruise control

make yourself as visible as possible and use your hazard lights in near whiteout conditions.

before the storm, lift your wiper blades up off the windshield so they don’t freeze on to your car.

avoid sudden and aggressive moves in general. especially when something goes south