l had one heck of a time driving home in the Ice, sleet, and blowing snow. The back end seemed to be slidding all over the place going 20 MPH

same rules as any other vehicles: allow more time for stopping, drive slower and do not take turns fast. Oh and do not slam on the breaks.

Drive like there is a raw egg between your foot and the pedal

Imagine how fun it would have been if the vehicle was not equipped with Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control!

What can you expect from a 'car' with the areodynamics of a giant toaster?

l have a Scion XB as well. Absolutely love it.


The key to maximizing vehicle control on slippery surfaces can be summed up in one word: smoothness.

Traction is just another word for friction and, as u may recall from high-school physics class, friction is greatest when there is no motion between the mating surfaces—static friction. It is reduced when one of those surfaces is moving with respect to the other (sliding, or dynamic friction).

In the case of a tire, that means traction is greatest when it is rolling or stopped, not spinning or sliding. A fully locked, sliding tire typically loses 20 to 25 percent of its maximum rolling traction.

For maximum traction, therefore, it is imperative to avoid wheelspin or sliding. In deep snow, premium winter tires can generate near-maximum traction with some spinning, but that is an exceptional situation.

With the reduced traction available on snow & ice, any quick force input at the tires—through a harsh movement of the steering wheel, or quick application of the accelerator or brake pedals—can push the tires from a state of static to dynamic friction. In other words, it can cause the tire to slip or slide. That is why smoothness is so important.

When steering on slippery surfaces, as with the accelerator, it is the initial movement of the steering wheel that is critically important. Begin turning the wheel gently, then accelerate the rate of motion once the turn is initiated, if necessary.

Be aware that most people steer not only too quickly but too much. Steer just enough to follow the path u intend. There is nothing to be gained & vital traction to be lost by over-rotating the wheel, then having to turn it back.

Keeping ur vision high—as far ahead as u can see, in most cases—and looking where u want to go, will help smooth out ur steering. So will holding the wheel at the 9 o'clock & 3 o'clock positions, without removing ur hands unless it is necessary to cross over.
Easy With the Pedals
When accelerating, do not kick the accelerator pedal: always tip into it gently instead, as if there were an egg between ur foot & the pedal. The first few fractions of an inch of pedal travel r critical, in some vehicles even more so than others. Once the vehicle is rolling, u can increase pressure on the pedal—and thus ur rate of acceleration—more quickly. Just keep it below the wheelspin threshold.

If u do sense wheelspin—usually detectable audibly, from the movement of the vehicle, or through a lack of response to accelerator pedal movement or engine speed—ease back on the pedal immediately until u feel the wheels grip again.

The suggestion that u accelerate as if there were an egg between ur foot & the pedal also applies to braking—except, of course, in emergency situations. Allow plenty of space to slow down or stop. And begin early. You should apply the brake gently at first, then increase pedal pressure progressively as u begin to slow down. You can brake quite hard as long as the initial application is smooth.

In low-traction conditions, it is good practice to separate ur control inputs—accelerating, braking, steering—so u do only one at a time. If u r braking or accelerating, do not steer, & vice versa. This way, all the available traction can be used for one purpose & the chances of inadvertently exceeding the tires' ultimate traction limit r reduced.

Brake before u turn into a corner, steer through the corner at a safe speed, & then accelerate again when u straighten out of it. It is that simple.

Conscientiously apply those smoothness techniques & u will substantially reduce ur winter driving risks.

Always keep in mind that the most effective winter driving aid is a well-trained & responsible driver. Be one, or become one!