At the Land Rover driving school, Nikolas teaches his students "threshold braking," which means applying just enough pressure on the pedal to slow down without locking up the wheels.
It takes lots of practice and the confidence of a Yugo salesman to hold steady on the pedal without freaking out and clamping down.
"Use the gearing of the vehicle more," says Nikolas. "Use first gear and let engine compression hold you back, using less foot brake. Use the brakes sparingly. If it's a particularly steep hillside, we call it threshold braking. Use just enough to slow down, but not enough to lock up the wheels, and that's tough."
Cox can't stress enough the value of getting a grip when your vehicle starts to slide.
"A lot of people develop a fear of losing control," he says. "Most people are way out of the comfort zone. But with practice, you can learn you're never totally out of control."
What that means is: Ease off the gas and make smooth, controlled corrections while steering into the direction of the slide. Be prepared to ease the throttle back on once the vehicle is straight in the road. Remember, forward momentum is the only way you're getting home.
When negotiating deep snow, experts say handle the wheel and the gas as you'd handle them in deep mud.
"The techniques are the same--but you may need more momentum to get through the snow," Nikolas says. "Maintain a steady throttle; don't back out of the throttle too early. Don't give it too much throttle, either, over-torquing the wheels, creating unnecessary wheelspin and digging yourself in."
Nikolas, who's been off-roading professionally and as a hobby for over a decade, also recommends keeping the wheels as straight as possible.
"Turn only enough to negotiate the trail," he says. "You get a lot of feedback in the steering wheel, and you don't always want to let the wheels turn where they want to go. If you get too far from center, turn the vehicle into a plow, and shift more of the power to one wheel than the other, overtorquing that wheel."
Of course, a way for guided practice applying these techniques is to enroll at an accredited driving school.
The Bridgestone Winter Driving School teaches 2000-3000 students each year on how to properly handle a vehicle in the worst possible conditions. Spins, braking techniques, throttle, and steering are all on the lesson plan.
In February 2002, Nikolas and the crew from Land Rover's off-road academy in the Northeast, put together a special winter-driving curriculum at the Stratton Mountain ski area. The treacherous course simulates the worst highway driving conditions imaginable letting truck and 'ute drivers put their skills to the test.
"We concentrate on controlling the vehicle when everything goes wrong," Nikolas says. "What we've set up is the worst-case scenario that anyone could possibly experience. If something like this ever happens on the road, it would be less dramatic than what we're making it. The class is three hours--a bit of classroom time and all hands-on from there."