Winter is the time when a SAFESPEED is most beneficial-not too fast that you have problems stopping,yet not too slow that an incline is too much for the impetus of the car to overcome .Judging gearchanges is essential ,to prevent any sudden acceleration when it's least beneficial.Get down the box on the flat, not when the engine is struggling .Something that looking well ahead does ( In fact ,thinking on - perhaps the principles of COAST apply more in winter conditions than at any other time ).
In the middle of nowhere ,especially at night - sometimes a good idea to try and "straightline " corners -or at least minimise the centrufugal force element .Smoothness of control (and operation of controls) is the byword - and I always try and avoid ABS coming in ,or if it does cadence brake .To many people ,getting into a skid means you have failed ,but if you don't know the vehicle limits -how can you know -so an empty space -have a little one or four -correcting them certainly helps boost the confidence ,and more importantly lets you know what's going to happen ,and the danger signs.Biggest danger (IMHO) IS power steering ,not the power assisted type ,which changes as the front wheel grip changes ,but the total control power steering ,which gives no feedback as to road conditions .
As for parking( as in putting the car to bed at night
) - help the car help you -I park mine on the drive ( posh way of saying on the garden
).Most of the year ,I reverse in -makes for a safer exit ,but when the temperature drops ,I drive in -the windscreen does not get a badly frozen ,so the front of thecar must be warmer than the rear , leaving the glowplugs less work to do,so the battery has also less to do.
Please forgive the ravings of an ancient motorist -but if anything helps a newbie -it'l be worth it .
I ALWAYS try to be courteous to learner drivers - hoping that in todays cut and thrust motoring world ,a glimmer of hope might just spring up .Perhaps that's the duty of the elder motorist