Essential winter tips on how to drive in the snow from Bridgestone's winter driving school

Sliding around a snowy parking lot is a safe, relatively low-risk way to learn car control, but in reality, folks are wise to be nervous driving in snow and ice. These surfaces offer a fraction of the friction your tires experience on asphalt or concrete. If you french fry when you're supposed to pizza, you're gonna have a bad time. Plus, winter tires account for just 5 percent of the U.S. tire market — it's dominated by all-seasons that compromise cold-weather performance for year-round convenience. After all, who wants to buy a separate set of tires for one season, when just one set of tires is expensive enough for many people?

We can't blame folks, either. Driving enthusiasts will tout the benefits of dedicated winter tires until our faces are bluer than glacial ice, but realistically, we know not all cold-weather drivers have the budget or storage space for a second set of rolling stock. (After all, where do those other, non-snow tires go during the winter months?) All the more reason to know the vital essentials of driving on the cold stuff — and what better place to do so than the Bridgestone Winter Driving School? We spent a day with their expert instructors on a pristine 1.0-mile track of natural ice and snow. Here are some takeaways, no matter what tires your car has.

The basics 

Like you'll be told at any performance driving school or driver's ed course, it's paramount you look where you're going and develop a plan early. Sounds simple, but it's not always intuitive. The car is more likely to go where you're looking; if you stare at the snowbank your car is sliding toward, you're a lot more likely to hit it. As you approach a corner or plan a pass, develop a strategy early and point your head where you want to go.

Don't try to do too much at once, either. Separate your inputs so the tires are only doing one thing at once. If you try slowing down (longitudinal force) and cornering (lateral force) at the same time, it's easy to overwhelm the tires and lose control.

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The school also stresses to adjust speed for the conditions. That does not mean driving 15 mph on the highway when there are a couple flurries in the air, an easy way to make enemies and prompt folks to make dangerous passing maneuvers to get around you. Use what you see and feel, being conscious that as the road surface changes, stopping distances can be longer and cornering limits lower. (Yes, even if you have winter tires.)

Oh, and when you hit the brakes, don't fear ABS. Track rats will tell you braking is most effective right at the threshold of grip, which is technically correct, but in a panic scenario the best realistic strategy is to stand on the brake pedal with firm, consistent pressure. The pedal will judder and vibrate underfoot — you're not breaking anything; the antilock braking system is operating as intended to minimize wheel lockup and bring you to a safe stop. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has mandated antilock brakes in the U.S. since 2012 — so don't worry if your 2012-or-newer car doesn't have a rad ABS badge — you're probably good. The feature has also been widely available for decades, so check your owner's manual for more detail.

If you're driving something ancient (or if your ABS warning light is on and the system isn't functioning) and your tires lock up when stopping hard, let off the brake pedal. Allow your vehicle to coast so the wheels start rolling again, then brake hard, repeating the process at increasing frequency as speed drops.

Patience, weight transfer and staying off the brakes

The ideal cornering line is far from what you'll see watching professional racing such as F1 or even by attending a local track day. Be patient, brake early in a straight line, and turn in late. A shorter-duration, tighter turn at lower speeds is the best strategy for safety because the surface can change over the duration of the cornering arc. If you turn in early, it's easier to come in too hot and run out of room to slow down.

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Especially as you enter a corner or navigate a twisty mountain pass, it's crucial to think about weight. This isn't some January gym promotion, but just like in the canyons or on track, driving in the snow is safer and easier if you're conscious of the vehicle's moving mass. As the school's operations manager Kurt Spitzner told us, driving is you managing mass as it moves through space. Accidents happen when the mass manages you.

Deceleration sends weight forward, which is bad if you start to understeer, where the car resists turning, or oversteer, where the rear end of the car wants to turn too much. In an understeer situation, the car won't turn as much as it needs to if you didn't anticipate the turn or gave too much steering and braked too hard. Unwind the steering a bit to regain traction, and avoid the brake pedal in the middle of a turn; the additional weight on the front end will only further overwhelm the tires that have already lost grip.

If the rear starts to lose traction — so, oversteer — turn the steering in the opposite direction and get on the throttle to send weight back and put more weight (read: traction) on the rear tires. Braking will just make the rear go light and lose any remaining traction, at which point you'll find yourself facing the wrong direction.

The right tires help*

No matter how early you plan and how many tricks you remember, all of a car's acceleration, braking, and cornering loads are managed by four phone-sized patches of rubber in contact with the ground. Winter tires (and some all-seasons) have specifically developed rubber compounds that stay pliable and grippy when temps drop below freezing.

Not all snow-ready tires are created equal, either. Bridgestone set up a few tire comparisons with direct competitors from Michelin, Nokian and Continental. Driving two Toyota 4Runner SUVs with comparable Blizzak DMV2s and Nokian Hakkapelitta R5s, the Bridgestone had a slight advantage in cornering traction, especially on ice. We were especially impressed with the new Potenza AS all-season's turn-in, cornering stability, and braking advantages over Continental's equivalent.

Admittedly, these are very specific conditions tailored by Bridgestone on its home turf, but point being, just because two tires have the same snowflake rating or all-season moniker doesn't mean they'll perform the same. Do your research (the folks at Tire Rack have some great resources), be intentional about what you want and need from your tires, and you'll be in good shape. Any winter-rated tire, of course, will be an improvement over a strict summer tire or most all-seasons.

Stay safe

Next time you drive a snow-packed back road, you now have a few essential tips from an elite winter driving school. Jack Frost demands respect, but if you're well prepared, you can stay on the road and out of the snow bank. You might even have a little fun.