Not all vehicles are dangerous in the snow. Snowmobiles rock in the snow! and I've had a blast riding a dirt bike in the snow. A properly driven car is not dangerous in the snow, either.

Remember, FWD cars have a weight bias that is very different than the typical RWD, unless it's an old VW or a 9xx Porsche, both of which are quite good in the snow. Clearly, there are a number of factors involved, and the driver is probably the most critical factor of all.

 

I agree, driver is the key. And making blanket statements on whether AWD is safer in snow vs FWD is kinda hard. There are so many factors, the key one probably:
1. Driver
2. Weight
3. Weight Distribution
4. DSC/Staility Control
5. Snow Tires

If I had to buy the safest snow car i would get a Subaru Impreza with Blizzak snow tires and DSC (which they don't offer). The Impreza has a great AWD system, but unlike most SUVs it is relatively light and manageable and has a low center of gravity. While the AWD would help move the car the DSC would ensure that it is pointed in the direction of the steering wheel. And ABOVE ALL, the snow tires would provide 2 times the traction of any all season tire that comes stock on any car or SUV. Like Car & Driver noted, nothing, NOTHING makes a bigger difference than a set of snow tires. I wonder if you take a Dodge Viper and put on a set of snow tires - would it be safer in snow than an Explorer?

 

Nothing like a good old safe Ford SUV. Here is some info from the DOT in 2002 - those numbers are way worse now. Active safety is just as important as passive safety and mass:
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There will be an estimated 70,000 SUV rollovers in 2002, in which it's estimated 2000 people will die.

In the 10-year period during which Ford-Firestone related rollovers caused some 300 deaths, more than 12,000 people -- 40 times as many -- died in SUV rollover crashes unrelated to tire failure.

A Ford Explorer is 16 times as likely as the typical family car to kill occupants of another vehicle in a crash.

1 out of 4 new vehicles sold in the U.S. is an SUV, making it the most popular type of vehicle in America. The Ford Explorer is the most popular SUV in the world.

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The third statistic is pretty disturbing. 16 times more likely! And thats an Explorer - we now have Expeditions, H1s and H2s, H3s and Yukons, Excursions, F350s.....

I guess reasonable people, who buy sensible, modest, economical cars like civics, corollas, accords, etc... deserve to die!

 

My SUV is more then 16 times more likely to get my boat out of the water than my Mini so it makes up for it. Not everyone can own a Mini as their only car. Some of us have towing, hauling, ect to do. Mini isn't great in either of those catagories. It is interesting though that it does not seem that you hate all AWD it seems that you hate SUV's in general. Why? What does it matter what other people drive?

 

You better read the most recent reports from the Insurance Institute. It seems as though their findings indicate that SUVs are much more dangerous for the occupants of the SUV. They are now raising the insurance premiums for the whole class of SUV vehicles. Roll over seems top be the largest cause of death.

There are also findings that indicate when a SUV is envolved in an accident with a smaller vehicle it is more likely to roll over, endangering the occupants. So don't be so smug about your preceived safety sitting up there in your SUV. You are at much more risk that you will admit, at least according to real life accident investigation.

 

You are correct sir. I do not hate AWD. AWD is a great invention and in the right car/right application its a great asset. The only thing that I hate about AWD is people's interpretation of it. Most enthusiasts know what AWD is, how it works and what it means for the dynamics of the cars. But then most people are not enthusiasts - most people have no clue - and most manufacturers have learned to capitalize on that. They advertise AWD as a life saver, as the ultimate drivetrain. Common drivers have learned to associate AWD with safety. How many times do you hear people brag that they are good in the winter time cause they have AWD and how many times have you heard those same people say they are all good in the winter time cause they have snow tires? AWD will not help you slow down nor will it help you avoid an accident during emergency panic stops or lane changes. It just so happens that most SUVs are AWD.


Now your other question: What does it matter what other people drive?
I am not sure how many different ways I can answer that. Let me first start off by saying that there are people that really do need SUVs and trucks because their livelyhoods depend on that. There are people that really, trully use their SUVs for the right purpose, people that live in very rural areas, hunt, etc... That group is people comprises less than 20% of all SUV buyers. The rest of the SUVs never tow anything, never go off road, rarely/never see any heavy duty snow. As a matter of fact, most SUVs today are not made with those uses in mind as they come on car platforms, are nice as soft, leather, 18 inch wheels, car tires, bad clearance. So focusing on those types SUVs and the drivers that don't actually use SUVs for their actual purpose (roughly 80% of SUV drivers) I will answer your question of: What does it matter what other people drive?

1. SUVs are more likely to kill their occupants
2. SUVs are much much more likely to flip over
3. SUVs are 16+ times more likely to kill occupants of other types of cars
4. SUVs don't handle very well, have bad braking distances, and are quite a handful in any kind of emergency situation
5. An average SUV weighs twice as much as an average compact car
6. SUVs pollute the environment more than just about any modern car
7. SUVs have a tendency to make their drivers feel empowered and invincible futher adding to the danger
8. SUVs are designed for comfort, cruising and come loaded with features that distract drivers from what really matters - driving. This is an issue with many cars as well
9. There is a sizable group of SUV buyers that keep buying larger and larger SUVs in order to one-up others - it makes them feel safer. An example: I have a friend that happens to be a bad driver. She doesn't do a good job of paying attention to the road, because she doesn't seem to care. She is fully capable of being a good, safe driver. She drives a BWM 328. A year ago, her father said this "I am afraid that she is a bad driver and constantly gets into accidents. I will get her something that she can be safer in - probably a Hummer H2 - that thing seems pretty burly" (That is something I have a HUGE problem with. And there are many people who use the same logic - "as long as I am safe". Why don't we all drive tanks then. If there is a traffic jam we can just clear it with a couple of lazer guided shells.)

This doesn't mean we should outlaw SUVs or anything like that. Choice is a great thing. I think both shoppers and manufacturers should use more moderation when it comes to large cars.