I'm not assuming anything, but have you lived in a place outside of Ohio, specifically in the Rocky Mountain area or in the Northeast?
I'm just saying this because I do see your point. I'm perfectly comfortable driving my dad;s M3 in the winter. Its a helluvalot more stable than my FWD celica, because he puts on some Blizzaks. That said, we in Ohio don't face any kind of tough winter by any means. Though slush makes it difficult to navigate, thats pretty much all we deal with because of the massive amounts of salt and dirt they lay on the roads because the majority of drivers don't know how to deal with averse weather.
In VT/NH/MA/CT where I've lived most of my life, they barely plow roads for a couple days. People know how to drive, and in the winter people generally do not drive RWD cars, not for inability to coherently drive, but because the conditions absolutely do not allow for it. EVERYONE in Vermont drives either a 4x4 or a FWD car. Most cops drive old Broncos, or some lucky ones get Tahoes.