All-wheel drive can be helpful for providing extra traction while navigating an icy road. But you still need to drive cautiously because lateral grip is at a premium, no matter how many wheels are putting power to the ground. This Subaru WRX driver in New York learned an important lesson about limits of AWD after they lost control and struck a plow truck head-on, slicing the car in half.
The X (formerly Twitter) account for the New York State Department of Transportation posted the dashcam video from the snow plow as a warning to other motorists about how not to drive on a snowy road. The clip starts as the WRX is attempting to pass a big rig, not realizing there's no room to squeeze between it and the oncoming plow. The car slams into the plow, causing an explosion of debris.
Note to self: don't try to pass when roads are covered in snow and slush.
— NYSDOT (@NYSDOT) January 18, 2024
Thankfully, no one was injured in this crash. pic.twitter.com/pO1haHGk1P
The video ends with the plow pulling off the road, though photos of the resulting wreck were published to X by Erik Ghiraduzzi (below). The terrifying pictures show the WRX's rear as a crumpled ball, with the front half still present ahead of the B-pillar. It looks like someone took a massive knife and cut the sedan in half. Somehow, no one was injured.
— Erik Ghirarduzzi (@eghirarduzzi) January 19, 2024
All-wheel drive can help you to accelerate in slippery situations, but it can't help you stop. Whether your vehicle is front-, rear, or all-wheel drive, the four brakes are still the only things slowing down the vehicle, barring the mild effects of engine braking. So be sure to take care out there when the weather's bad.
