While driving in winter can be much different than driving in warmer months, especially if you live in a place that gets snow, there are quite a few things that people believe to be true about winter driving that are just not accurate. Here are several common winter driving myths that we’ve debunked to help you stay safe while driving the next few months.

You Only Need To Scrape Snow Off Your Front Windshield

It’s obvious that you need to scrape the snow and ice off of your front windshield before driving so you can see, but this isn’t the only thing you should clear. To maximize visibility, be sure to scrape off rear and side windows and well. Additionally, wipe off any snow piled on top of the car, as it could fall down onto your windshield while you are driving.

Underinflating Tires Is Better For Traction

You never want you tires inflated too much, especially in winter, but underinflating them won’t do much either. It may give you a wider contact patch but usually skinnier, winter tired are best for snow. It’s not worth ruining your regular tires just to see if deflated tires may help.

Rear Wheel Drive Doesn’t Help If There Is Snow

Cars with 4-wheel drive are known to perform better in snow and on icy roads, but that doesn’t mean that front-wheel and rear-wheel are useless. If fitted with the proper winter tires, vehicles with front- and rear-wheel drive can be just as good in the snow – as long as you’re also being a cautious driver.

Bigger Cars Are Better In Snow

Many people assume that bigger cars, SUVs, and trucks are automatically better equipped for winter driving but this isn’t always true. This may be accurate if you’re planning to do some off-roading or rough driving, but if you’re just commuting to and from the office or running a few errands then most cars will perform the same.

Courtesy of Jalopnik