Need all Wheel Drive 4×4 in Winter
"Winter weather." That phrase can give you the chills when you hear it on the forecast, if you know that you'll be out driving in it the next day. For those who live in the Northern States and Canada, winter will present you with will snow, ice, and cold. Whether or not you are an experienced driver, these three factors will present you with difficulty, and even danger on the road. This is the time of year to make sure you always bring a warm coat and gloves, install snow tires on your car, and maybe even put a few granola bars in the glove compartment if you're cautious.
Like other things in life that require extra care, living in winter regions where you are required to travel should make you take your vehicle into careful consideration. You will need to depend even more on your vehicle on a daily basis to keep you getting from place to place, and also to protect you in hazardous road conditions. All wheel drive, and four wheel drive vehicles both give you power and stability, the only difference being that all wheel drive is always on, and 4x4 can be switched to front wheel drive if you want. Only a car or truck equipped with four wheel, or all wheel drive is dependable and versatile enough to cover all the situations you will invariably face in the wintertime.
The first and most common condition is snow and slush, which causes loss of traction. This makes the road wet and slippery, causing loss of traction. This makes a rear-wheel drive car get stuck in place because the back wheels can't get a grip to push the car forward, and it makes the back of the car swing forward while driving a front-wheel drive, because it has nothing to grip as the front wheel pull your car forward around a turn. In an four wheel drive vehicle, both situations are no issue, because all four wheels are pushing AND pulling the vehicle, keeping it stable and giving it traction from both sides.
The second and more feared situation is ice, sleet, and heavy snow, which can cause loss of control, on top of loss of traction. This makes the road sheer and slick, which makes it hard for all your tires to move in the same line, often causing them to slide. It also makes it hard for you to steer, since the slippery surface causes your car's momentum to keep it going in the same direction even when you turn the wheel. Front and rear-wheel drive cars are almost certainly doomed in these conditions, because whichever end of the car has the power will have no control over the other end. Only driving slowly and carefully in an all wheel drive will keep you safe, as all four wheels work in unison to keep the forward momentum, even while driving around a turn. In this case, a patented All Wheel Drive has an advantage even over 4x4. All Wheel Drive is constantly on, and when one wheel starts to slip, it quickly sends the power to the other three wheels, quickly correcting your car's skid without even tapping the brakes.
Lastly, but never to be overlooked, in the event that your vehicle should end up off the road or stuck in a snowdrift, only a 4x4 or all wheel drive has what it takes to get you out. In any "stuck" scenario, at least two of your tires will be unable to move. If they are your power tires in either a front or rear-wheel drive, you are helpless, and doomed to spinning your wheels until help arrives. Even if your power tires are initially free, the first gears on any transmission will not have the power to drag your whole car forward, and increasing power will only end up in your powered tires spinning, making your whole car hopelessly stuck. With power in all four wheels, the tires that aren't stuck can move you enough to the point where the rest of your wheels can get a grip. Nothing is sure in the winter, but it is a fact that four power wheels double the likelihood of getting out of the snow, and greatly improve your chance of staying safe on the road.
