Common Winter Driving Mistakes Ontario Drivers Make

Every December, Ontario's collision reporting centres fill up with drivers who thought they knew how to handle winter roads. And here is the uncomfortable truth: most winter crashes are not caused by inexperience. They are caused by experienced drivers who have developed habits that work fine on dry pavement but fail catastrophically on snow and ice.

I have driven Ontario roads through every kind of winter condition for over fifteen years. I have made several of these mistakes myself. Here are the ones that cause the most trouble, starting with the errors that lead to the most serious crashes.

1. Following Too Closely

On dry summer pavement at 100 km/h, a typical car needs about 40 metres to stop. On packed snow, that doubles to 80 metres. On ice, it can be 150 metres or more — that is nearly half the length of a football field. Most Ontario highway pileups happen because drivers maintain their normal following distance in conditions that demand three to four times the space.

The OPP recommends at least a four-second following distance in winter conditions. On the 400-series highways during snowfall, I push that to six seconds. Count from when the car ahead passes a fixed point until you reach the same point. If you cannot count to six, you are too close. It feels like an enormous gap, especially when someone inevitably pulls into it, but it beats plowing into the car ahead at 90 km/h.

2. Braking Hard on Ice

Your instinct when the car starts sliding is to stomp the brake pedal. On ice, this is exactly the wrong thing to do. Even with ABS (anti-lock braking system), which pumps the brakes automatically, you lose steering control when the front wheels lock or the ABS engages aggressively on pure ice.

Instead, ease off the gas and let the car slow naturally through engine braking. If you need to brake, apply gentle, steady pressure. If you feel the ABS pulsing (a rapid vibration in the pedal), keep your foot firmly on the brake and steer where you want to go. Do not pump the brakes on an ABS-equipped vehicle — that defeats the system.

For specific ice-driving techniques, see our guides on handling black ice and driving in freezing rain.

3. Running All-Season Tires Through Winter

This is Ontario's most common and most dangerous winter driving mistake. About 30 percent of Ontario drivers still run all-season tires year-round, despite overwhelming evidence that all-seasons are not designed for temperatures below 7°C.

The rubber compound in all-season tires hardens in cold weather, reducing grip on every surface. Testing shows winter tires reduce braking distances on snow by up to 30 percent and on ice by up to 40 percent compared to all-seasons. That is the difference between stopping before the intersection and sliding into cross traffic.

If cost is the barrier, a set of budget winter tires like the Goodyear UltraGrip Winter runs $500 to $650 for four and will still massively outperform all-seasons in cold conditions. See our winter tire guide for options at every price point.

4. Not Clearing Snow Off the Entire Vehicle

Ontario has a law against driving with an obstructed view, but every winter you see vehicles with a peephole scraped in the windshield and a foot of snow on the roof. That roof snow does two things: it slides forward onto your windshield when you brake, blinding you at the worst possible moment, and it flies off the back as an ice sheet at highway speed, potentially smashing through the windshield of the car behind you.

Clear the entire vehicle. Roof, hood, trunk, all windows, headlights, and taillights. A telescoping snow brush costs $20 at Canadian Tire and takes three minutes. There is no excuse.

5. Ignoring Tire Pressure

For every 5°C drop in temperature, your tire pressure drops about 1 PSI. Between a warm October day at 15°C and a January cold snap at -25°C, that is a loss of roughly 8 PSI. On a tire inflated to the recommended 35 PSI, losing 8 PSI means you are 23 percent underinflated.

Underinflated tires have less contact surface in the centre of the tread, reduce handling precision, and increase braking distances. Check your tire pressure monthly through winter and every time there is a major temperature swing. Our full guide on tire pressure in cold weather covers the details.

6. Using Cruise Control in Winter Conditions

Cruise control is designed for consistent speeds on predictable surfaces. On snow or ice, it cannot react to a loss of traction. If one wheel hits a patch of ice and spins, cruise control may apply more throttle to maintain speed — exactly the opposite of what you need. It also delays your reaction because your foot is not already hovering over the brake.

Disable cruise control any time there is snow, ice, slush, or even heavy rain on the road. Keep your foot near the pedals and maintain speed manually so you can react instantly.

7. Tailgating Snowplows

Snowplows travel at 50 to 70 km/h and throw back a blinding cloud of snow, salt, and ice. Getting caught in that spray reduces visibility to nearly zero. The salt and gravel also sandblast your windshield and paint.

Give plows at least 30 metres of space and do not pass unless you can clearly see the road ahead and the plow is not actively spreading salt. Remember that the road in front of the plow is worse than the road behind it. If you pass the plow, you are driving on unplowed, untreated road.

8. Overcorrecting on a Slide

When the rear of your car slides out, the instinct is to wrench the wheel in the opposite direction. This usually causes a second, more violent slide in the other direction, which can spin the car completely. Instead, steer gently in the direction you want the front of the car to go. Make small corrections and let the car settle. This takes practice, which is why I recommend finding an empty snow-covered parking lot early in the season and deliberately sliding at low speed to reacquaint yourself with how your car behaves.

9. Not Adjusting for Bridges and Overpasses

Bridges and overpasses freeze before the road surface because cold air circulates both above and below the deck. On a morning when the regular road is merely wet, every bridge and overpass can have a thin layer of ice. Ontario has hundreds of overpasses on the 400-series highways. Approach each one assuming the surface may be worse than the road you just drove on.

10. Driving with Low Windshield Washer Fluid

Ontario winter driving consumes washer fluid at an astonishing rate. Highway driving behind other vehicles throws salt spray onto your windshield constantly. Running out of washer fluid on the 401 means you cannot see, and pulling over on a busy highway shoulder in winter is its own safety hazard.

Keep your reservoir topped up with -40°C rated fluid (the purple stuff, about $4 to $6 per jug at any gas station). Carry a spare jug in the trunk. Check our winter windshield care guide for more on this topic.

11. Forgetting to Pack an Emergency Kit

Ontario highways can close for hours during major winter storms. Getting stranded between exits is a real possibility. A basic winter emergency kit with a blanket, flashlight, snacks, phone charger, and small shovel takes almost no trunk space and could be the difference between an inconvenience and a dangerous situation.

12. Overconfidence in AWD/4WD

All-wheel drive and four-wheel drive help you accelerate in snow. They do absolutely nothing to help you stop or turn. A Subaru with all-seasons will still slide through an icy intersection. A pickup truck in 4WD still needs the same braking distance as a front-wheel-drive sedan on ice. AWD gets you going; tires and driving technique are what keep you in control. Do not let the confidence of easy starts make you forget that stopping is the hard part.

For a complete winter preparation guide, see our fall maintenance checklist and how cold weather affects your engine.