Traction and Stability Control
If you’re driving a new car, chances are good it has electronic traction and stability control. Both use the brakes—and sometimes the engine computer—to help the driver maintain control of the car. Traction control monitors relative speed between the driven wheels, activating the brakes or reducing engine power to curb wheelspin and wheelspin alone. Stability control adds sideways yaw sensors but uses similar methods to keep the car pointed in the direction you want to go. Stability control always includes traction control.
Stability control should always stay on in the winter, because if you hit a patch of black ice at 70 mph rounding a bend on the freeway, it can help you keep the car on the road and under control and might even save your life. On the other hand, there’s a reason that your traction-control system comes with that easily located on/off button. If you are stuck in the snow, wheelspin can sometimes help you get unstuck. Traction control will prevent wheelspin, so if you turn it off, motion might return to your car. Just be sure your car is actually moving. If you are stuck in truly deep snow and the car isn’t moving at all, spinning the tires is going to make the problem worse.