I agree with PaulC.

Go slow! It's amazing how many wackos are on the road...the first snow of the year in Fairbanks and 1/2 of the drivers are standing by their vehicles in the ditch! It's like they forget how to drive on snow!

I wouldn't live without ABS (OK, I would for an 84 300d) but it can lull you into a false sense of security. All ABS does is prevent your tires from skidding, you have to determine when to apply the brakes to allow yourself enough stopping distance. In an emergency, hit the brakes as hard as you can and STEER for the softest landing.

ABS doesn't do anything to help you if you're skidding sideways. If your skidding sideways always steer TOWARD the direction of your skid. I personally do this without my foot on the brake until I regain control of the car then I slam on the brakes or power out in a different direction (without spinning the tires).

Spinning a tire in snow is the worst thing you can do since it heats the tire up, melts the snow, makes everything that much more slippery and may be digging a hole you have to get yourself out of. If you get stuck, the key is to GENTLY rock the vehicle (between Drive and Reverse) with your friends pushing. Give the car gas until the point just before the wheel begins to spin. Oh, and the very first thing to do is get out the shovel and clear a path for the tires, or use your feet if you've forgotten your shovel.

Spinning the tires when you're stuck makes many drivers feel good, but I always smile when they dig themselves a big hole then they hit dirt or pavement and then they wear 5,000 miles of rubber off their tires!

To learn about controlling the car in a skid, I recommend practicing in a mall parking lot. Seriously. But don't get caught of course. This is the ONLY time to use the parking brake...it'll help you go into some wild spins that you can learn how to get yourself out of.