Advice for driving in snow

A Canadian friend of mine, currently living in Christchurch, would like to pass on the following advice. I'm pretty sure that most of the population of Porirua has little or no experience with driving on snow, what with it never snowing here... so it's very timely.

As usual, if there's snow on the roads, it's really best to stay home. You might get the hang of driving on snow, but the other person coming towards the intersection might be completely useless. I'd prefer to stay out of their way entirely - though you hear the occasional story of someone ploughing through someone's front fence as they completely lose control.

1. If you're new at this, start very slowly and get a feel for how the car copes.
   
2. Slow down! Don't try to drive at anything like the speed limit. If you're skidding or fishtailing, you're going too fast.
   
3. Assume your braking distance will be double what you're used to and brake gently.
   
4. always apply the accellerator gently so that you don't lose traction.
   
5. Increase your following distance. (one of my other friends commented that the 22 second rule would be appropriate - sounds nice and safe!)