MILLIONS of cars have a button designed to help them tackle snow and ice, experts have revealed.
Brits are bracing for up to eight inches of snow today, with several weather warnings in place, making safe winter driving even more vital.
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The white stuff has blanketed much of the nation and a trio of snow and ice alerts have been activated by the Met Office.
National Highways has also advised road users to avoid four major motorways, while several busy A-roads are closed thanks to the weather.
But if you do find yourself needing to venture out on the road during in wintry conditions, it’s vital to take as many precautions as possible to stay safe.
Motoring organisations have long been sounding the alarm about the risk of “black ice” in particular, but patches of normal ice and snow can still have devastating consequences.
The main issue is that both snow and ice reduce the amount of traction your motor can make use of, meaning you’re more likely to lose control of the vehicle and skid.
As a result, many car manufacturers have tried to mitigate this risk by installing some ingenious tech into their products.
Most modern motors now have some version of a “snow mode”, which can make all the difference on snowy roads.
This function is usually accessed by a dashboard button or by turning the selector knob in models with multiple driving modes.
In practice, it modifies several aspect of the drivetrain in order to provide better stability.
First of all, it reduces the amount of power available to the engine and the sensitivity of the accelerator pedal.
This makes it much harder to accidentally lay down too much power, which can send you into a spin.
The button also restricts the engine speed via the transmission and distributes torque more evenly to prevent the wheels from losing grip.
Owners of all-wheel drive models will feel the benefits of this most, but it is also effective for two-wheel drive cars.
Motoring experts from Otogo added: “We’d tell you to turn it on as soon as there’s snow or ice on the road… but not all vehicles were created equal and not all drivers are looking for the same sensations.
“The amount of snow and how slippery the road is can also have an impact.
“It’s a driver assistance system, and like most of them, its action can prove to be more annoying than useful in some cases.”
In terms of other winter driving advice, they added: “Avoid sudden moves when accelerating, braking and turning.
“Also maintain a greater distance with other vehicles and avoid using the cruise control in the snow.
“Finally, if your car has a manual transmission, start in second gear instead of the first to reduce the risk of skidding, and use engine braking to slow down before stepping on the pedal.”
