Icy road slide correction (turn into slide?)

Read my last post again. Yes, FWD has more traction on the drive wheels because they are under the weight of the engine. However, that doesn't change the fact that a tire only has a limited amount of traction available, and that traction is divided up between accelerating, braking, and turning forces. A RWD vehicle has the exact same engine over the steer tires, but those steer tires don't have to divert ANY of their available traction to acceleration. Unless you're on the brakes, 100% of a RWD's available traction is being used to maintain the intended path of the vehicle. Unless you're absolutely FLAWLESS with your throttle control, there will ALWAYS be accelerating or braking forces being applied to the front tires in a FWD vehicle...which means LESS available traction for steering. Run out of traction? You slide wherever the nose of the car is pointing...and if the road has a crown, the nose of a sliding FWD vehicle WILL head towards the ditch. It doesn't matter which way you turn the steering wheel, if your tires are spinning, gravity pulls the front of the vehicle downhill, and the rear blindly follows.

Compare that to RWD, where sure, the spinning tires also head downhill, but unlike the FWD vehicle, a RWD still gives the driver control over where the front of the vehicle is going because the steer tires still have traction.

FWD = break traction = ZERO control until traction regained.
RWD = break traction = possible to maintain control despite the loss of traction at the drive tires.

Tell me again how FWD is safer? Just because it gets out of the driveway better (more weight on the drive tires = more traction for driving) doesn't mean it's safer, because every bit of traction being used to go forward is less available to hold it in that curve. Which is safer, drinking hot cocoa at home because you couldn't get out? Or putting yourself in the ditch because you thought the roads were OK since you were able to get out of your driveway? And if you've just GOT to get out, a couple sandbags in the trunk increases the weight (and therefore traction) over the drive tires, while still allowing 100% of the steer tires available traction to be used for steering.

 

The best vehicle I drove in snow and ice was an AWD Eagle Talon. That was a beast getting to ski areas in the PNW. High clearance and good control getting up and down from Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass for night skiing.

In a big rig, for most drivers, your best option is engaging the power divider. Then be real sensible about how you apply power and brakes.

Other than than that it's a piece of cake.

 

Best thing to do before it happens is slow down as you said your mph was low which was the safest thing to be doing, the only other thing to do is not to panic which is easier said than done, try applying very lightly the rear axle brakes only, when people panic they naturally hit the maxi's which is not the best thing to do and you see it every winter with trucks off the side of the road seen one to many shows on tv on heavy haulage and all their doing is pulling out over turned trucks.