Winter Driving

This video was scary and shocking. Every winter we go thru the same thing, it takes a couple of snow/ice events before people get their cookies together and start driving for the conditions. Yesterday had to go out and while my passenger was moaning about my caution we passed a minivan imbedded in a tree an phone pole.

To be fair that stretch of road is along a creek an black ice is the norm not the exception. Most locals know, but this one learned the hard way. Fortunately no one hurt, just pissed and cold. Where I live there's a straight away up on top of the hill, the road drops right after that into a bad S-bend so I usually have a front row seat for people either wipeing out a bunch of mailboxes or a phone pole. It's a yearly event, altho we haven't had a fatality...yet.

I just can't believe the amount of vehicles in this wreck that DIDN"T immediately put their 4-ways on!! It might have stopped a few more from piling in? Looking at the road it's very difficult to see it was a sheet of ice and just not dry-snow covered.

What's so scary is that so many people who are allowed to drive are f#cking idiots.

What kind of idiots sit in their car exposing themselves to 2500lb mssiles coming right at them....lol.....had just one more car stopped in line in the lane to their right incoming speedballs would have begun braking slightly earlier and tracked directly into those 2 morons sitting there like ducks with death-wishes.

They should have at the earliest opportunity exited their car and gotten to their 8oclock position safely away from the runway and strike zone they were sitting in.Yes,the people who exited their vehicles and loitered instead of getting clear were even more ignorant of their possible deaths.

Those incoming vehicles were doing IMHO well over 50km per hour.

Unintended 2x post.

originally posted by: one4all
What kind of idiots sit in their car exposing themselves to 2500lb mssiles coming right at them....lol.....had just one more car stopped in line in the lane to their right incoming speedballs would have begun braking slightly earlier and tracked directly into those 2 morons sitting there like ducks with death-wishes.

They should have at the earliest opportunity exited their car and gotten to their 8oclock position safely away from the runway and strike zone they were sitting in.Yes,the people who exited their vehicles and loitered instead of getting clear were even more ignorant of their possible deaths.

Those incoming vehicles were doing IMHO well over 50km per hour.

Armchair driving much?

But, I know, I'm from Yankee land most of my early life and have been in similar situations. We tend to trust our intentions more so than what Nature has offered at those times. Part of the supposedly indomitable spirit of humans.

When I was first learning to drive, one of the most valuable lessons I learned was one no driving course ever taught me. Before I was allowed to drive in bad conditions, my dad took my and the car out after the first bad ice and later snow and ice event to a local large parking lot after it was emptied out for the night and turned my loose on it in the vehicle.

Basically, it was so I had plenty of room to get a feel for what snow and ice do to your vehicle and its traction.

I learned a healthy respect for them and why you never gun it or go very fast without lots and lots of space.

originally posted by: Aliensun

originally posted by: one4all
What kind of idiots sit in their car exposing themselves to 2500lb mssiles coming right at them....lol.....had just one more car stopped in line in the lane to their right incoming speedballs would have begun braking slightly earlier and tracked directly into those 2 morons sitting there like ducks with death-wishes.

They should have at the earliest opportunity exited their car and gotten to their 8oclock position safely away from the runway and strike zone they were sitting in.Yes,the people who exited their vehicles and loitered instead of getting clear were even more ignorant of their possible deaths.

Those incoming vehicles were doing IMHO well over 50km per hour.

Armchair driving much?

But, I know, I'm from Yankee land most of my early life and have been in similar situations. We tend to trust our intentions more so than what Nature has offered at those times. Part of the supposedly indomitable spirit of humans.

Lol...nope....however this was not an intelligence test although those2 would have failed had it been one....the first vehicle which ripped past them should have triggered the flight or fight response...instead someone was tryng to play video director and forgot to get their lady friend to safety.....lol....while a few other nutbars were living the Vegas lifestyle betting big by loitering around their own cars in the fire-zone of incoming vehicles .

a reply to: Caver78


I've always hated the term "black ice".
Ice is clear.
People need to stop blaming the ice for their wrecks.
They were simply going to fast for the conditions.

I know from experience. I hit some ice and lost control of my truck 30 years ago.
My fault, not the ice.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Caver78


I've always hated the term "black ice".
Ice is clear.
People need to stop blaming the ice for their wrecks.
They were simply going to fast for the conditions.

I know from experience. I hit some ice and lost control of my truck 30 years ago.
My fault, not the ice.

i dont agree.
driving in this # sucks and even if you are going within the limits and doing everything correct that # can still get you.

i do agree if you spin out and land in a tree then yeah it probably was a speeding issue.

im talking about when youre going the proper speed coming to a stop or something and then at the very end you hit a little patch and you wind up sliding out about 3 feet too much or something. just enough to be in a bad spot.

plus it just sucks in general.

this was yesterday at about 2 in the afternoon.

major drag dealing with this #.

Looks like a yooper pileup. We usually have one of those kinds of things happening around here almost every year. People aren't paying attention to the black ice and go way too fast. A few days ago the visability was around twenty feet and of course, some people had to go fast when most traffic was going around twenty five MPH on the highway. Too fast for conditions is a real ticket cops give out, it does effect your insurance cost. That forty five MPH minimum on the highway does not apply under certain conditions, people think they have to go fast even though they can't see ahead or the roads are black ice. The cops give out a real lot of too fast for conditions tickets around here, you can get a too fast for conditions ticket for doing thirty miles per hour in a fifty five speed limit if there is no visability. It is not the fault of the slow moving car that a person runs into, people inappropriately try to justify their accident by blaming it on the other person going slow. If someone has car problems occur like freezing ice in the wheelwells, twenty five MPH might be the maximum they can go sometimes, people need to be aware that the speed limit is not always legal.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Caver78


I've always hated the term "black ice".
Ice is clear.
People need to stop blaming the ice for their wrecks.
They were simply going to fast for the conditions.

I know from experience. I hit some ice and lost control of my truck 30 years ago.
My fault, not the ice.

I get where black ice comes from.

It's the stealth ice that may or may not exist when the road either looks otherwise clear or otherwise wet. At least when it's otherwise wet, you should already be driving with some caution because wet blacktop can be slick. But on cold, clear mornings when the roads are almost completely clear ... except for those last lingering patches that look like clear black top? I hate that kind of black ice.

a reply to: TinySickTears

im talking about when youre going the proper speed coming to a stop or something and then at the very end you hit a little patch and you wind up sliding out about 3 feet too much or something. just enough to be in a bad spot.

Like pulling up to the garage, going so slow it's not even registering on the speedometer, but you hit the ice, and slide into the wall.....or drifting through corners at 2 km/hr with zero control hoping you end up where you're supposed to...

Hate ice.

originally posted by: snowspirit
a reply to: TinySickTears

im talking about when youre going the proper speed coming to a stop or something and then at the very end you hit a little patch and you wind up sliding out about 3 feet too much or something. just enough to be in a bad spot.

Like pulling up to the garage, going so slow it's not even registering on the speedometer, but you hit the ice, and slide into the wall.....or drifting through corners at 2 km/hr with zero control hoping you end up where you're supposed to...

Hate ice.

exactly that.
sliding ever so slowly with towards the curb with the wheels turned wondering if its gonna be a little curb shot or not

a reply to: Caver78

I've lived up North and Down south, and by far the Southerners take the cake.

In Florida I would watch car after car after car think their car would turn into boats. I just could not believe the amount of people that thought it was ok to drive in 5-6 ft water. The more shocking part, they would see other cars stall out and still do it! Don't believe me, just go to Clearwater during a rainstorm, get some popcorn and take a look at the car soup that follows!

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: Caver78

I've lived up North and Down south, and by far the Southerners take the cake.

In Florida I would watch car after car after car think their car would turn into boats. I just could not believe the amount of people that thought it was ok to drive in 5-6 ft water. The more shocking part, they would see other cars stall out and still do it! Don't believe me, just go to Clearwater during a rainstorm, get some popcorn and take a look at the car soup that follows!

been in clearwater during bad storms. i can vouch for what youre saying

i grew up in st pete. have seen some pretty stupid #

Used to be it wasn't officially winter till you did your first 180 (by accident).
Our roads are the worst in the US, we get voted as the worst by truckers for like the last 20 years, regardless we have plenty of steep hills and what's fondly referred to as "buckboard".

This is where your first 180 usually happens, on a downhill stopping for a red light or stop sign an WHEEEEEEEE as you slowly swing around. Usually it's just embarrassing at worst you ding up your rim or try to ignore the other drivers laughing at you. Cause they are.

I disagree about black ice. It's deadly even for experienced drivers who are being cautious. Couple years ago I had the privilege of watching a State Cop in front of me rear end the sedan in front of him broadside with his patrol car cause....Black ice. We were all going a sedate 25 mph on a two lane along another creek in ice fog. All the Cop did was tap his brakes.

It was spring, the valleys are always colder than the ridges an ice fog, the road was NOT wet it was a sheet of clear ice.
Still how cool is it to be a witness for the guy a Cop slammed into????
BTW....if it's icy enough you just demo-derbyed? Don't jump out of your vehicle an think you'll be vertical for more than a split second.

a reply to: Caver78

Hi Caver, happy new year.
That video was almost hard to watch. I did with bated breath.
Sadly some folks don't drive for the weather conditions or potential road conditions. Living right near I40 we have our share of wrecks.
Hard rains, ice and fog all play a role especially with folks not familiar with the rises on the plateau or the pitch/grade of the road.
There is an area west of me at the county line, between two commuter locations, and if the temp drops suddenly this area, that rises at an 'odd' way and has an overpass can send folks into the wire guard rails and even over them.
Just because he speed limit is 70 may not be the ideal speed for the moment.
Living beside a high school (big parking lot) I would like the opportunity to teach my youngest daughter some skills when the weather gets bad, ice/snow etc.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Happy NY right back at 'cha!


I was an absolute #@%$ when I taught my kids to drive. Took them on dirt fire roads, metal grated bridges an parallel parking in the warehouse section of the city. The roaring semi's just added to the excitement.
Altho at first I slapped them out on the Turnpike while they got used to the vehicle. I screamed, they screamed but now they can drive anywhere an nothing phases them.

Think the best thing I taught them is "do what you're comfortable with". Meaning park in the back of the lot if you think the spaces are too narrow, pull over if someones tailgating, don't outdrive your headlights, you can go slower than the speed limit if the conditions suck, take the longer way if it feels safer than the shorter route.

Around here the backroads are shorter, but chock full of deer. Highways longer, but safer also better lit. The family motto is "No one elected me parade marshal an someone has to call 911!!!" But we're weird.
Grins.