Before driving in snow or ice, clear the car, check the route and leave extra room to stop. Reduce speed as grip or visibility drops. If conditions make travel unsafe, postpone the trip. If you have a G2 or G test booked, use the test-day vehicle checklist before leaving.
This guide turns official advice into a preparation routine for your first snowy season. Use it alongside your vehicle’s owner’s manual, current weather reports and the Ontario driver’s handbook. The aim is to make decisions earlier, before a slippery intersection or an obscured lane forces a hurried reaction.
By WDS Driving School. Cover image: AI-generated illustration of a generic winter road.
What should you change before the first snowfall?
Start with your journey, rather than the ignition. Check the forecast and Ontario 511, allow time to clear the car and choose a trip you can postpone if conditions worsen. A familiar destination can still involve an unfamiliar driving task when lane markings disappear or traffic slows unexpectedly.
Think through the return journey as well as the outward one. Daylight, a rested driver and a flexible arrival time make a first practice drive easier to plan. If you feel rushed before leaving, change the plan instead of expecting to recover lost time on the road.
Winter tires: look for the mountain-snowflake symbol
Choose tires bearing the three-peak mountain-snowflake symbol, which identifies tires meeting snow-traction performance requirements. Transport Canada explains that summer and all-season tires lose elasticity below 7°C, while winter tires retain flexibility at lower temperatures. Tire choice matters before deep snow arrives.
Fit a compatible set of four, using the size and specifications appropriate for your vehicle. Check pressure with the tires cold and use the vehicle’s tire-information label or owner’s manual for the recommended setting. Have a tire professional inspect damage and wear; a reassuring tread pattern is not a substitute for a condition check. See Transport Canada’s winter-tire guidance.
Do not let new tires change your judgement about speed or spacing. Treat them as part of the preparation, alongside a maintained vehicle and a cautious trip plan. Ask the installer what you should monitor between service appointments.
Can winter tires reduce your Ontario insurance premium?
Yes. FSRA says Ontario insurers must offer a winter-tire discount, but companies apply discounts differently. Ask your insurer about qualifying tires, installation and removal dates, documentation and the actual saving on your policy. Do not assume that a discount advertised by another company applies to you.
A checklist for the car and the driver
Use this table before the season, then repeat the trip checks whenever snow or freezing weather is expected. A technician should handle mechanical concerns; a new driver should not have to diagnose a weak battery or questionable brakes at the roadside.
| Check | Action before setting off |
|---|---|
| Visibility | Clear snow and ice from the windows, mirrors, lights and roof. Wait until the windows are defrosted. |
| Wipers and washer fluid | Replace streaking blades and fill with winter-rated fluid. Carry a scraper and snow brush. |
| Mechanical condition | Arrange checks of the battery, brakes, exhaust, heating, cooling and defrosting systems. |
| Tires | Inspect the full set for wear or damage and check cold tire pressure. |
| Supplies | Pack warm clothing, a blanket, flashlight, shovel, water, non-perishable food and a charged phone. |
| Journey | Check weather and road reports, allow extra time and postpone if conditions exceed your ability. |
The mechanical items follow Transport Canada’s vehicle-preparation advice; the trip and snow-clearing checks follow Ontario’s winter-driving guidance. Put the scraper and brush somewhere accessible before snow arrives. Preparation is easier when the equipment is already in the car.
Winter road-test vehicle checklist
Run these checks the day before your G2 or G test, especially if you’re borrowing or renting the car. The examiner checks whether the vehicle is safe for the test. If DriveTest declares it out-of-order, you lose 50% of the test fee. The other half stays as a credit you can use when rebooking.
| Check | What to do |
|---|---|
| Wipers, washer fluid and defogger | Run the wipers and spray the windshield. Fill the reservoir with winter-rated fluid and check that the defroster clears the glass. DriveTest lists failures in these items when weather conditions make them necessary. |
| Lights and visibility | Ask someone to check both brake lights and the turn signals while you operate them. Check the headlights and tail lights before leaving in poor visibility. Clear the windows, mirrors, lights, plate and roof. |
| Tires | Check for damage and flat tires. A temporary spare on any wheel is an out-of-order reason. Ontario recommends four winter tires for cold-weather traction. DriveTest’s published checklist lists tire condition and temporary spares. |
| Seat belts, doors and camera | Check the belts and doors the examiner and applicant will use. Disable recording devices. For a built-in camera that cannot be disabled, be ready to tell the examiner that it records neither the passenger compartment nor the examiner. |
Review the full DriveTest vehicle requirements for other checks, including the brakes, horn and speedometer. If snow or freezing rain may affect the appointment, follow the DriveTest cancellation and rebooking guide.
Braking, following distance and gentle inputs
Leave extra room because slippery surfaces increase stopping distance. Watch well beyond the next bumper so you can begin slowing before a queue or turn becomes urgent. There is no single gap that makes every snowy road safe: adjust as visibility, grip and traffic change.
With ABS, emergency braking calls for firm, sustained pedal pressure while you steer; pedal pulsation can be normal. The MTO handbook warns that ABS should not be expected to shorten stopping distance. Read your vehicle manual beforehand so that an unfamiliar pedal sensation does not become a distraction.
For ordinary manoeuvres, think of braking, steering and acceleration as actions to plan, rather than abrupt corrections. Talk through an approaching turn during supervised practice: what can you see, where will you slow and what would make you wait? This creates a useful learning conversation without turning public roads into a braking experiment.
If you are unsure how your car’s systems work, ask an instructor to explain them before practising. Vehicles without ABS require a different braking technique; the MTO handbook’s bad-weather section explains the distinction. Do not practise emergency stops in ordinary traffic.
Black ice, curves and hills
Black ice can resemble shiny pavement, and bridges, overpasses and shaded sections may freeze sooner. Notice changes in the surface rather than assuming that a dark patch is simply wet. The handbook advises anticipating ice and reducing speed before reaching the hazard.
On a route with curves or hills, look ahead and decide whether you can comfortably continue before committing to the next section. Avoid hurried acceleration, braking or steering, and leave cruise control off in snow or other poor conditions. If a route already feels beyond your control, choosing another journey or delaying is a reasonable decision.
If the vehicle skids, Ontario’s winter-driving guidance advises releasing the brakes and steering toward the direction you want to travel, without oversteering. That advice addresses a loss-of-grip skid; it should not be confused with maintaining firm brake pressure during an ABS emergency stop. Discuss the difference before you need either response.
Snowplows and poor visibility
Stay behind a working snowplow and give it room. Ontario advises against passing working plows: blowing snow, equipment and snow ridges can make the attempt dangerous. A cleared-looking strip is not an invitation to squeeze past.
When visibility deteriorates, use the full lighting system, reduce speed gradually and seek a safe parking area if continuing becomes unsafe. Do not stop in the travelled lane during a whiteout. Check conditions before leaving and be willing to wait; the decision to postpone is best made while you still have a safe place to stay.
A useful question for a first winter trip is, “Where could I safely end this journey early?” Think about that before departure, not while looking through blowing snow. The answer might be to stay home until the forecast improves.
What changes for G1 and G2 drivers?
Your licence conditions continue to apply in winter. A G1 driver needs a fully licensed accompanying driver with at least four years of experience, who is the only other front-seat occupant. The accompanying driver’s blood alcohol level must be below .05, or zero if they are 21 or younger.
G1 drivers must have zero blood alcohol, cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m., and cannot use 400-series highways or high-speed expressways unless accompanied by an Ontario-certified driving instructor. A relative with years of winter experience does not replace that instructor exception.
G2 holders may drive alone on Ontario roads, but must maintain zero blood alcohol and provide a working seatbelt for each passenger. Drivers aged 19 and under also have overnight passenger restrictions. Check the full conditions on Ontario’s graduated-licensing page before planning a trip.
Permission and readiness are separate questions. For a first snowy journey, choose conditions you can manage and keep the plan flexible. Our guide to G2 highway driving explains the licence question, while our freeway merging and lane-change guide covers the underlying skills.
Plan your next practice session
Bring a short list of questions to a lesson: how the car’s ABS feels, how to plan a turn early and how to recognise when a trip should wait. Describe your current experience honestly so that the session can focus on the skills you need.
For general instruction, compare WDS 1-hour lessons and driving packages. Ask about availability and discuss the session’s scope before booking. Progress comes from practising manageable tasks and reviewing decisions, rather than seeking difficult weather for its own sake.
Sources
- Ontario: Winter driving
- Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Driving at night and in bad weather
- Ontario: Get a G driver’s licence — new drivers
- FSRA: How to save on auto insurance
- Transport Canada: Using winter tires
- Transport Canada: Preparing your vehicle for winter
- DriveTest: Road test vehicle requirements and out-of-order fees
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Check current official guidance and your vehicle manual before travelling.