4X4s help you go in the snow of a Wonder Lake winter but not to stop

Those 4X4s are great for offroad and getting

you started in the snow of a Wonder Lake
winter. But they don't make much
of a difference when you want to stop.

The potential for adventure is resting in your Wonder Lake driveway waiting for your next offroad excursion. Of course, you drive that 4-wheeler on the roads and highways, too, right? And why wouldn’t you, especially when winter rolls through town.

It doesn’t snow everyday of winter here in Wonder Lake. But it does snow often enough that your 4-wheel drive comes in handy (though we've had some warmer days lately, that doesn't mean we won't see anymore snow this winter).

If you’ve got tires that will pull you through mud and over random trails, it’s certain those tires will do an admirable job pulling you through the snow.

Then again, maybe you’ve got a 4X4 that isn’t built for that kind of adventure. You’ve got some reasonable meats on the four corners but nothing like those folks who see offroad trails as a challenge. Your tires are made for the road.

If you want to take advantage of your 4-wheel drive, you’ll have tires with a little extra grip – with tread that sinks its teeth the road.

There’s a glorious feeling of freedom when several inches of the white stuff covers the landscape in these parts and you know that your vehicle isn’t the least bit intimidated. While neighbors may worry about getting stuck without the benefit of 4-wheel drive, you’ll walk your truck or SUV through the snow as though it’s nothing at all. But don’t allow that sense of power over the elements get the better of you.

4-wheel drive helps you go but doesn’t help you stop

While 4X4s have an advantage when it comes to getting going and going through the snow, they don’t mean anything at all when it’s time to stop.

Sometimes, it seems as though a disproportionate number of 4-wheel-drive vehicles have gone off the road when a winter storm rolls through Wonder Lake. It’s not that they’re less able to handle the road. Rather it’s the sense of power that can lull the operator of a 4X4 into a false sense of security.

There’s a sense that, if the Jeep, Bronco, Toyota 4Runner or other 4-wheeler can get you going so smoothly in the snow, it should be able to help you stop in the snow. That’s simply not true.

When it’s time to stop, your best bet, 4-wheel drive or not, is caution so you’re not caught off guard. The need to suddenly slam on the brakes when driving on snowy roads creates the potential for spinning out or losing control with or without 4-wheel drive.

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