Survey: only 11% of Estonian drivers rate their winter driving skills as very good
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Just over half, that is 53% of Estonian drivers rate their winter driving skills as rather good, according to a survey* conducted by Moller Auto. At the same time, only 11% of the respondents, most of them male, consider their driving skills to be very good.
The survey also found that 10% rate their winter driving skills as rather poor and 2% as poor. The majority of the respondents who rated their winter driving skills as poor were women. 23% of the respondents do not drive. Driving in winter is a challenge even for experienced drivers. Two years ago, 1,311 traffic accidents were registered in eleven months, compared to 1,460 last year and 1,568 in the first eleven months of this year**.
In addition to the appropriate driving style, the technical condition of the vehicle also plays an important role on the road and, in the Estonian climate, the choice of the specific vehicle.
Front-wheel-drive cars are easier to handle in winter than rear-wheel-drive cars, because more weight is transferred directly to the drive axle of the car and the car is more stable, less likely to skid and easier to handle.
In the Estonian climate, the safest and most stable all-wheel drive is Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel drive system. According to experts, higher-clearance city cars such as Volkswagen T-Cross and T-Roc are also safer in winter conditions.
A good driver takes a proactive approach to potential accidents in winter conditions. After a snowfall, clean not only the windscreen but also the roof, bonnet and any ice and snow that has accumulated around the wheels. In this way, you can be sure that the visibility is good and that the snow sliding from the roof or pieces of ice from under the wheels do not pose a risk to traffic.
Based on the experience of the service experts of Moller Auto, the most common car-related problems can be divided into three areas - engine problems, gearbox repair and brake system inspection and repair. While the of Volkswagen and Škoda services are mostly used for routine maintenance such as oil change, there are also many problems with electronics, which require diagnostic equipment to fix. Minor accidents in winter usually involve bodywork deformation and paint damage, while more serious accidents involve complex damage, including to the electronics, engine, etc of the car.
*The survey was carried out in December 2022 by Moller Auto in cooperation with Norstat. The survey was responded to by 1000 economically active people aged 18-74.
**https://www.transpordiamet.ee/liiklusonnetuste-statistika