Smooth inputs only
Accelerate gently, brake gently, and steer gently. Sudden inputs break traction. If you have an automatic transmission, start in second gear if your car offers a snow mode that does this for you. Anti-lock brakes will pulse when you brake hard on ice — keep firm steady pressure on the pedal and steer where you want to go.
Following distance
Quadruple your normal following distance on snow and ice. Stopping distances grow proportionally to the loss of friction. Three seconds becomes twelve. The driver who tailgates on snow is the one who rear-ends the car at the next light.
How to recover from a slide
When the rear of the car slides out, ease off the gas and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. Look where you want to go, not at what you might hit. Once traction returns, straighten the wheel slowly. Overcorrection is what flips most cars in a slide.
Bridges and overpasses
Bridges and overpasses freeze before regular roads because cold air circulates underneath them. Treat any bridge as potentially icy when temperatures are anywhere near freezing, even when the rest of the road looks clear.