As the weather gets colder, the winter tire threads have been popping up more frequently. I'm a huge believer in winter tires, but I understand they aren't a cure-all. I know, because my wife slid off the road two years ago during a snowfall, even with Nokians on the Matrix. She misjudged the conditions, was travelling too fast, and overcorrected when the car began to drift.
She has since attended the weekend Skid School in Oakville, and drives the X-Trail to work with snow tires (Gislaved NordFrost 3). That setup is the best we can think of - Skid School/Winter Tires/AWD. A second at-fault on her record would raise our insurance premiums more than the cost of the tires and classes.
She came back from the classes last year with more confidence, backed by improved overall driving skills that I could see. Where she used to be timid, she is now perhaps cautious, but more confident in her decisions.
I suppose my point is, before you throw snow tires on your car and declare yourself prepard for winter, consider enrolling yourself or a loved one in a qualified skid control school. My wife went to a school in
Oakville, but I understand there are others.
Before anyone asks, no, I did not take the class. Perhaps I will at some time, but I do have a lot of winter driving under my belt, and have successfully corrected a number of skid situations (controlled, in a snowy parking lot) and a few rather uncontrolled situations. Of course, don't the vast majority of people believe they are above-average drivers?