Toyota Innova MPVs Sliding and Bumping on Snow Shows Importance of 4WD

In the Himalayan range of India, it has been snowing quite heavily these days. Hill stations are therefore filled with tourists from all across the country. Most of them reach the cities and towns of high altitude with an FWD/RWD car and no prior experience of driving in snow. Thus, they land themself in a life-risking situation. Since last few days, Manali in Himachal Pradesh is facing heavy snowfall and tourist footfall. The town is famous for its scenic landscapes and Atal tunnel. However, this time, a lot of videos of cars sliding in the snowy roads of Manali are floating on the internet. We too came across a video, where a couple of Toyota Innova MPVs can be seen struggling for traction and bumping into each other. The video was uploaded by Riding Elf on his YouTube channel.

In the video, it can be seen that two Toyota Innova Crysta MPVs have crashed into each other. Soon a Maruti Alto 800 also joins them. In a later part of this video, a Toyota Fortuner also encounters the same patch of the road, but manages to get past it without crashing into another car. While it is obvious to think why these cars are sliding and bumping into each other, one should understand that it is because of the driver’s lack of experience with the snowy conditions. Often, drivers are trained to brake as a safety measure whenever they spot a hazard. This technique, however, fails to work in slippery and snowy roads. The driver should focus on keeping the momentum intact and manoeuvring the vehicle, instead.

Engaging the brakes, lock the wheels in such cases. Resultantly, the vehicle starts sliding without the driver’s control. Something similar happened with these Toyota Innova MPVs that are visible in the video. The Fortuner’s driver, on the other hand, managed to steer the car away from the obstacle and could navigate the turn without pressing the brakes. This technique helps the driver in keeping the car well in control. Moreover, it is advisable to reduce the air pressure of the tyres in such critical scenarios.