Winters coming. Whether it will be one smattered with heaps of snow remains to be seen. Of course, as Land Rover owners and drivers, we hope for the worst kind of winter weather possible, because that's when our vehicles come into their own.

Related Land Rover Winter Maintenance and running tips:

• Winter Proof your Land Rover
• Tips for Working on the Drive in Winter
• Cooper STT Tyres Review (Excellent snow tyres)
• Fit a Snow Plough to your Defender

We spoke to 4x4 off-road driving expert and advanced driving instructor, Gavin Earnshaw for help with this article.

Snow driving rule #1

Use the least amount of momentum possible.

Manage your speed

Just like driving on wet grass or slippery clay, you need to keep your speed down so that you have enough grip to safely turn, accelerate and brake whilst maintaining the inertia to traverse obstacles such as slopes.

Engage Low Range & Diff Lock

Engage locked 4WD and if possible, engage low range (use any electronic aids such as Hill Descent Control that you may have available to increase control). Low range is useful as it allows the engine braking and the torque to be spread more evenly across all four wheels, maintaining grip and control.

Brake Cautiously

Your brakes are designed to work mainly on high grip surfaces - with a heavy bias towards the front axle. For example front brakes on a Land Rover 90 are 4 pot, 302mm discs with the rear being 2 pot 278mm discs (sizes from memory). This means the front discs generate more braking torque for the same pressure on the pedal, resulting in the tendency to induce a front skid and loss of steering.

Expect braking to take ten times longer, or more, so start early! I occasionally check how much grip there is with a gentle brake until the first sign of traction loss – but only where it is safe! Better to find it out before you reach a junction! It's preferable to maintain a slow, safe speed and reduce the need for braking where possible. Remember too, you're in a large, 2 tonne plus, 4x4 vehicle!

Drive Gingerly

Drive in a careful and cautious manner. Be smooth and steady when applying the accelerator or brake pedal. Feel for the grip in the road. Avoid sharp, sudden steering movements. Any drastic or rapid changes in speed or direction can induce a skid and consequently a loss of control.

Remember!

The 4x4 Driving Mantra

[Drive] As Slow As Possible, As Fast As Necessary.

Skid Recovery

If you begin to skid (you'll feel the steering wheel go light, and have the sensation of unnatural sideways movements), release the brake pedal and lightly depress the accelerator (useful in low range) - this will compensate for the difference between the wheels and road speed, regaining control.

Alternatively, depress the clutch down - if on the flat or a very slight hill. Again, the goal is to try match the wheel speed with the road speed, closing this gap will end the skid. Neither of these options will be easy to do as both can actually increase the loss of control if done incorrectly and are contrary to your driving instincts. Make sure to practice these recovery techniques in an open area first.

Gears

Generally setting off in a 4WD is not too difficult simply because the engine power is distributed across 4 wheels. Using as high a gear as possible also reduces the chance of wheel spin. Low fifth or high second is an ideal gear to set off in.

Spinning your wheels generally doesn’t help as it tends to polish the ice and fill your tyre treads & sipes with slush. Low range will max out at around 20mph, at which point the whining from the transfer box will remind you not to go faster.

Automatic Gearboxes

Automatic gearboxes have an advantage in that they apply the power more gradually than most manuals particularly on a gear change. The main disadvantage is their relative lack of engine braking – so you need to keep that momentum under tighter scrutiny. For setting off, use D, or if you have a winter mode use that. To slow down, you can use the lower box settings, which do not break traction as easily as on a manual.

Tyre Placement

When travelling in fresh snow, it's usually best to try and place your tyres in fresh snow, as this provides additional grip, rather than pre-existing tyre tracks.

Check Ahead

Just as with water obstacles, never drive into deep snow without first walking the path you desire to take, there could be hidden objects such as street furniture concealed in the snow.

Be Alert

Gavin told us "Last year I drove the 2011MY Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery at an off-road site which had ice down one side of a steep hill. The latest electronic systems are very clever and we had no problem getting up this slope. I know that I would have managed to get my 90 up that hill but it would have been a lot more difficult. These new 4x4’s were amazingly good but I felt disconnected from what was happening around me."

He added "We have become more isolated from the outside world, so a good tip is to turn down the radio, open a window a little and listen to the noise your vehicle is making. If it goes quiet, it may be you are driving on ice so need to be very careful with steering inputs, gentle using the gears and avoid heavy braking as discussed above".

Above all, stay safe & enjoy driving in the snow.

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