Whether you grew up in the blistering cold of Western New York winters or on the sunny coast of Southern California, driving in snow, sleet, and ice can be dangerous even for the most experienced fleet driver.

Automotive Fleet reached out to one of the experts at AAA, William Van Tassel, Ph.D., to find out the top five winter driving mistakes to keep in mind when traveling down the highways, byways, country roads, and city streets during this wintery season.

Mistake No. 1: Not Adjusting Speed to Conditions

The speed limit is just a starting point; drivers need to adjust their speed to match immediate driving conditions. Consider three factors: visibility, traffic, and traction.

Solution: If visibility is limited or the road is wet, snowy, or icy, slow down significantly. This gives you more time to respond to any incident and helps prevent a loss-of-traction situation.

Mistake No. 2: Doing More Than One Thing at a Time

Even in clear, dry conditions, it is easy to overload the one tire that does most of the work when a driver tries to do more than one thing at a time, such as steer and brake. In slick conditions, the risk of losing traction increases greatly when a driver tries to do two or more things at once.

Solution: Do one thing at a time — brake, then steer/turn, then accelerate. This helps prevent demanding too much of the tire that takes the brunt of traction requirements, reducing the chance of a loss-of-traction situation.

Mistake No. 3: Not Looking Far Enough Ahead

Too many drivers look only just ahead of their own vehicles, often missing something down the road they need to respond to, such as steering or adjusting speed.

Solution: Lift your eyes and look ahead. Work on looking further ahead, and also predicting what other drivers might do that could create trouble. Detecting potential problems ahead as early as possible can make the difference between a collision and a near miss.

Mistake No. 4: Not Maintaining Enough Space

Most drivers fail to maintain enough space between their vehicle and other vehicles. Frequently, drivers position themselves too closely to the vehicle ahead. But maintaining "open" space to the sides is also critical — you may need to move into that space quickly. Without that space, you'll have no effective option to prevent a crash.

Solution: Back off a bit and lift up on the accelerator to keep an open space to at least one side of the vehicle. Space is your best friend out on the road — to the front, sides, and rear. It's hard to collide with something if you have plenty of space around the vehicle.

Mistake No. 5: Not Giving the Road Your Full Attention

Driving in poor weather requires complete concentration so you can constantly adjust your speed and position and detect potential trouble as early as possible, such as your tires losing traction or another vehicle pulling out into your path. If you add other tasks to driving, such as using a cell phone, your risk increases dramatically.

Solution: Stay focused on driving. Get there, and then get busy with non-driving activities. Common-sense precautions include programming navigation systems and adjusting music selections before driving and, of course, powering down the cell phone.

About the Author: William Van Tassel, Ph.D., is manager of driver training operations at AAA. He is a member of the National Driver Education and Training Administrative Standards Core Development Team, the Association of National Stakeholders in Traffic Safety Education, and the Transportation Research Board Committee on Operator Education and Regulation. ^{*This article was authored and edited according to Automotive Fleet editorial standards and style. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of AF or Bobit Business Media.} 

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2013 and was reviewed and updated in September 2026 to verify that the information and recommendations remain current.