Range Rover Sport Allegedly on Snow Tires Fails To Climb Snowy Street, Is Driver To Blame?

Winter is a particularly challenging season for drivers, considering the cold and all the problems associated with it. Not only do you have to prepare your car for operating in the cold, but you also have to consider difficult and potentially hazardous road conditions, like slippery roads or the accumulation of snow.

Winter is also the season your driving techniques matter the most and it’s usually easy to spot a bad driver when road conditions are less than optimal. This is why the people who saw a video showing a Range Rover Sport failing to climb a snowy street indicated the problem is behind the steering wheel. It sure didn’t help that whoever filmed the poor guy’s failed attempts indicated the car was on “snow tires.”

There’s a common belief that all-wheel-drive cars are better at tackling slippery roads. It surely must be that modern off-roaders make the best cars for winter, right? Especially with all those clever electronic systems, locking differentials and such, it should be as easy as a walk in the park. Well, not quite, as those off-roaders are heavy cars and you cannot defy the laws of physics no matter how advanced the technology onboard is.

Heavy SUVs are even worse at starting uphill on a slippery slope than a small car, as the driver in the video below is about to discover. The author of the video states the car was on Michelin Alpin snow tires. Even so, there are limits to what winter tires can do, especially when there is ice under the blanket of snow.

Without further information, it is difficult to conclude whether it’s the car’s fault or the driver’s. Even with the most capable car, it is important not only to have the right gear for the job but also to know how to properly use it. As some indicated, shutting off the traction control systems would’ve helped the car gain momentum, maybe, but there is no guarantee.