Best time to deactivate ASR.

Just drove in some snowy/icey highway conditions today. I noticed a few times when I stepped on the accelerator in town, and the tires started to spin, the triangle warning would come on in
the speedometer display. Is this in fact the ASR deactivating? The other thing is, should I be driving with these road conditions on the highway, with ASR deactivated? Could you guys tell me in what conditions, or if I should at all deactivate the ASR. Is there a certain speed involved in the decision also?, meaning when I am trying to take off from a stop for better traction.

Thanks fellas,
Daig

Daig. Don't ever deactivate the stability and traction control system on the roadway, in normal driving. The flashing triangle is telling us the system is working, saving our butts as it's supposed to. The only time I turn mine off is when I am off-roading, in sand or mud. In those circumstances, you must keep your speed up to stay afloat, and you must stay afloat to keep your speed up.... But with the system left on, the poor traction in mud or sand causes the drive wheels to spin, so the system clamps the brakes down and cuts engine power. Then I slow down, sink in, and I'm stuck. I can do that all by myself, without the traction control helping me, so I turn it off. Yes, that means the van slips, slides, and dances sideways, but it keeps moving forward. So in sand or mud, turn it off, keep your foot to the floor, and enjoy the skid control practice. IF you get stuck, then experiment with the system turned back on, to see if it helps. Otherwise, on the road, leave it turned on. You don't have the problem of sinking in to slick surfaces on asphalt, like in loose sand. Steve Tracy.

I turn it off only when the vehicle is stuck in the snow and I' m trying to get out of this situation.

Turning it off got me off a bit of wet grass recently. With ASR on, the vehicle was going nowhere.