As a large SUV driver, I hate to say it, but on a percentage basis the majority of the accidents I witness on the interstates involve SUV’s.

The problem isn’t the SUV’s – it’s those drivers (and I use that word lightly) who seem to grasp that an SUV grants them more control in bad weather, but who can’t comprehend that an SUV has no better stopping power than a 2WD sedan. These particular morons fly past everyone on the interstate, and inevitably, these are the ones who are most likely to slide into the ditch when they can’t slow down quickly enough, or when they try to make a lane change and can’t recover quickly enough to stay on the road.

My rule for SUV drivers in bad weather is this: Don’t drive any faster than you would drive in a sedan. It’ll give you the same stopping distance as everyone else, while your 4WD grants you better handling control. And if you’re like me, and you drive a large SUV, drive even slower than you would in a sedan. Because of the weight of the vehicle, you’ll need the extra stopping distance when the roads are slippery.