Ice, Snow No Match for Winter Driving School Grads
Since 1983, Bridgestone/Firestone has been educating drivers on how to successfully face the challenges of white-knuckle wintertime driving.

And perhaps there’s no better place to demonstrate handling on ice and snow than a spot adjacent to the Rocky Mountains in Steamboat Springs, Colo., at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School.

Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) hosted a select group of media – from both warm weather and wintry climates – at the end of January to test their skills on one of the school’s three ice tracks. Each track is uniquely designed to teach specific techniques for increased car control and enhanced driving abilities in any weather condition. But all are ultra-slippery, coated with more than 250,000 gallons of water, and feature banked and off-camber corners with numerous elevation changes, BFNAT said.

The school provides vehicles for students, which, in the case of the media event, included Toyota Camrys and 4Runners equipped with the Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 and Blizzak Winter Dueler tires.

Labeled “The Official Tire of Winter” by BFNAT, Blizzaks feature a multicell tread compound with thousands of microscopic cells, or pores, that create thousands of biting edges to grip the road. In addition to the biting action, the pores help remove the thin layer of surface water which often develops on top of icy roads. Because the cells are distributed throughout the tire’s compound, new pores are exposed as the tire wears, the company said.

All sessions, which range from a half-day to three days and include safety and performance versions, begin with classroom instruction before students head out to the tracks. Instructor Morgan Kavanaugh explained the difference between oversteer and understeer on icy roads, how to correct both of those situations, how to stop with and without anti-lock brakes, and the various driving lines, both good and not-so-good, that can be taken through icy curves and corners.

“It’s all about avoiding the temptation to do what your instincts tell you,” he said, explaining that most people simply try hitting their brakes when in a slide, which is the worst thing to do.

“The main way to control your winter driving is to reduce speed,” he continued. “That’s one of the things we have the hardest time teaching people

He also emphasized the importance of looking ahead and using peripheral vision, rather than focusing on the portion of road right in front of the vehicle, and looking where you want to go, not where you’re going. “If you’re headed for a tree, don’t stare at the tree until it’s too late to do anything to avoid it,” Kavanaugh said. “Instead, look where you want to be going, then take the appropriate actions.

Kavanaugh, along with professional rally driver and fellow driving school instructor Matthew Johnson, led the group through a day-long series of maneuvers on the track, all the while communicating with those in the driver’s seat via radio. They offered tips and suggestions until each person perfected the exercises.

And while there were a few mishaps for some – a flattened cone or two, and a couple run-ins with the snow embankment surrounding the track – by the end of the day, good winter driving habits had become instinctive for most. To finish off the day, Kavanaugh and Johnson loaded everyone up into a pair of 4Runners and raced around the course as fast as they could go, just to show what’s possible if you’ve got as much skill and practice as they do.

The Bridgestone Winter Driving School operates seven days a week from mid-December through March, educating about 1,000 students each season. The school offers a winter driving manual and DVD, as well. More information is available by calling 1-800-WHY-SKID or visiting www.winterdrive.com .