Winter driving is risky. Keeping the vehicle under control on snow-covered roads and trails can be tricky. Every year during the winter season, we come across multiple instances of overconfident (and underskilled) drivers getting stuck on snow or losing control and damaging their vehicles. A video has now surfaced online, showing people recovering a stuck Audi Q7 from the snow. The overconfident driver then tries to drive away, loses control, and eventually ends up crashing into a Black Mahindra Scorpio-N. This clip proves why it is important to have proper skills and patience while driving in the snow.
This incident is from a road in Himachal Pradesh. The video has been shared on X by Rattan Dhillon, a professional off-roader from Chandigarh. In it, we first see a Black (older generation) Audi Q7 stuck in the snow.
The Q7, in this case, has the Quattro All Wheel Drive system. It got stuck after the wheels failed to gain traction on the snow. People from nearby help it get out of the tricky situation by pressing the loose wheel against the road/snow. Soon, the SUV is able to get going.
It looks like getting out of the tricky situation made the driver a bit too confident. He drives forward confidently. The entire road/path is covered with snow. The SUV seems to be on highway tyres and is not using snow chains or other such equipment to ensure traction.
As it moves forward, we can see the Q7 losing traction. The driver applies the brakes to slow it down and keep it under control. The car doesn’t slow down at all. It continues to go downhill and finally crashes into a Mahindra Scorpio-N parked nearby. The Scorpio-N tries to move away and avoid the collision, but it is too late. The Audi rear-ends it and comes to a complete halt.
The collision damages the front end of the German luxury SUV. People push it backwards and move it out of the scene. Its front grille, bumper and headlamps seem to have been damaged in this crash.
Let’s scream it loud: driving on snow is dangerous! You may be a beginner or a professional, but snow can be very risky. Maintaining traction on snow requires a lot of practice and patience. Dhillon, in the description of the post, says that he has been a professional off-roader for over 10 years and snow still ‘scares’ him. He further states that it is impossible for anyone to ‘master’ snow driving overnight.
Driving on snow requires high skill levels and a proper understanding of the vehicle that you’re driving. It also requires you to have a lot of patience. Drivers must have a clear understanding of their vehicles’ throttle response, braking character, and weight transfer. These will only help them navigate snow safely. Sadly, many drivers who attempt snow-driving in the hills lack these skills and knowledge.
Dhillon also says that owning an expensive car/SUV like Audi alone will not keep you safe on the hills. People lacking skills, patience and off-roading know-how often end up crashing their vehicles on the hills. Such accidents create massive traffic jams too, as ghat sections are often narrow.
If you as a driver, are now confident enough, it is better to stop your vehicle- no matter how expensive it may be- somewhere uphill, and hire local drivers to take you safely along the rest of the journey. He also suggests that the government should ban 4x2 vehicles from entering snowy ghat sections.