Having recently driven the company Navara and Hilux, I have to say those sorts of vehicles do seem to instill a feeling of safety and invincibility. I can definately see how it causes people to overestimate their abilities in weather like this.

It's not just "SUV" size vehicles that do it. The magic words "4-wheel drive" contribute mightily to people's impressions that they can drive on ice the same way Brian Orser skates. 4WD != "go fast".

I dunno, it looks pretty easy to me...


heh

Mind you, they have their uses: Late one afternoon, I left a client's in Skipton in my Range Rover, crossed the Pennines and came down to Harrogate.There I was stopped by a police car who asked me where I'd come from and informed me that the road I'd just used had been closed to all traffic at lunchtime, three hours earlier.
I thought it was a bit quiet! Because I'd come out of a side road in Skipton, I'd missed the barrier!