You must not live in the north then. With 6 months of winter every year, and several feet of snow, the practice I've had in racing/driving simulators has given me a markedly improved understanding of how cars and tires can react in traction-limited situations. I'm not saying it's the difference between life or death, but I feel more "connected" to the machine that is my car.

This of course ignores the fact that 98% of cars made after the early 2000s have electric throttles and other controls, and often non-direct responses to control inputs