[lojack]

Just to provide a counter point, in my experience, the biggest problem I face in winter weather is other drivers. I know when I hit a patch of black ice and have difficulty stopping that the oversized van behind me is going to have more difficulty stopping, and I have the instinct to quickly turn instead of waiting on the red light. I also know that cars have difficulty stopping on a steep hill and I may wait before going through an intersection. Both of these experiences have happened in the past year for me.

This may seem like a straw-man argument, I don't intend it to be. I think self-driving cars will be on the whole better drivers, but these are also situations that I see as being extremely difficult for a computer to identify to the level a human driver is capable of.

[kerryfalk]

Agreed. I don't think the problem in winter driving is the speed. It's anticipating what the hazards are and how to avoid them.

You - and the other drivers on the road - have less control at all speeds and are always much closer to the limit of traction. Driving on winter roads is a lot like racing a car on a track with other drivers - everyone is near the limit of traction and a hazard can present itself very quickly. Having the right reaction at the right time helps, but planning ahead is more important. Daily driving in summer months is benign in comparison.

[eric_h]

> Driving on winter roads is a lot like racing a car on a track with other drivers - everyone is near the limit of traction and a hazard can present itself very quickly

That is an excellent analogy.