Disaster on I-95 in Virginia

I have a Hybrid Mavrick on order it has an electric heater so as soon as you get in you have heat!! And a gas engine to charge it. Best of both worlds. 50 MPG city. Will be an interesting time with it.

a reply to: chiefsmom

I thought snowmobiles had to be used on more snow? They hardly got anything snow, I doubt a snowmobile would do well in so little snow without damaging it.

It seems people are STILL stranded on the Interstate. And they seem to have no word from authorities regarding a plan. In the face of all this, it does warm my heart when people reach out to each other, regardless of any differing ideology, and see each other as just fellow humans...

Truckers share supplies with fellow motorists

Here is the whole twitter thread:

Link

America's Vice President (Kamala Devi Harris), says things are moving along just fine!

www.foxnews.com...

originally posted by: MaMaa
a reply to: chiefsmom

I thought snowmobiles had to be used on more snow? They hardly got anything snow, I doubt a snowmobile would do well in so little snow without damaging it.

You can drive snowmobiles on grass in the summer.

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: DBCowboy

In the ski resorts defense, they probably got a bit more than a couple of inches...

But yeah, seems like happens every winter...you'd think they'd learn how to do it at some point.

yep i can't count the times we had been stuck behind a row of snow plows on a highway.

but lets blame the incoming governor anyway.

they could have cleared 1 lane around the trucks for the immediate traffic and diverted the rest to off ramps.

what ever

originally posted by: carewemust
America's Vice President (Kamala Devi Harris), says things are moving along just fine!

www.foxnews.com...

She's not very good at reading the room, is she?
Open mouth, insert foot!

originally posted by: mtnshredder
Imagine if all these cars and trucks were electric. They wouldn’t be able to bring them a gallon or two of gas and they’re on their way, every one of them would have to be towed if they ran out of juice, would be a nightmare. 😳😳😳

Actually, new Teslas have what's called a "camp" mode. You can recline the seats for sleeping and keep the internal heat at 70 degrees for anywhere from 2 to 4 days, depending on the outside temperature.

a reply to: 1947boomer

That’s impressive if it works as designed in cold weather. I have hope in electric vehicles but they’ve some challenges ahead of them, nothing I’m sure we can’t overcome in time.

They look helpless, looks like amateur hour. Sad sight for such an advanced country.

Feels like the enitre country has dropped any kind of high standards

Nobody has a four wheel drive vehicle anymore?

originally posted by: new_here

originally posted by: carewemust
America's Vice President (Kamala Devi Harris), says things are moving along just fine!

www.foxnews.com...

She's not very good at reading the room, is she?
Open mouth, insert foot!

That's been the unofficial purpose of most vice presidents: to be so spectacularly awful that they make the president look good.

This is why you should never, ever vote for someone who's been the VP to be president. Look what happened when Bush Sr got into office. (We got an oil war in the Middle East.) Or the current sad sack. (We pretty much don't have a president.)

a reply to: new_here

Maybe all those off road vehicles that ride lawless through Baltimore every year could get suited up and deliver food supplies etc. until it clears up.

The Cars these days all have giant 17+ inch "Latino" Rims with 50 series (or less) Tires. A perfect recipe for disaster. Those Wheels/Tires are passable in San Diego, but not anywhere else with actual "Weather". Another "Up-Downgrade"(Where they tell you it's an upgrade, costs you more, but you actually receive less) brought to you by the Auto Industry. reply to: new_here

originally posted by: jjkenobi
Nobody has a four wheel drive vehicle anymore?

No, no...NO!!! You completely don't understand!!!

People don't have 4x4's and SUV's (with 4 wheel or AWD) because of their function! OH NO!!

The reason people buy 4x4's and SUV's in that part of the world is...to LOOK cool!! Most of them don't even know how to engage the 4 wheel drive system!!

At this point, there is absolutely NO excuse for what is going on in this incident!! None, zero...NADA!

ETA - I'd be willing to bet that a good percentage of the people who wrecked and DID have 4x4, are now cussing out their vehicles because THEY didn't realize 4x4 doesn't help you stop, it only helps you GO! ... "Officer, I engaged my 4 wheel drive before I crashed into that Volvo!! I really did!! Honest!! And, and...my 4 wheel drive didn't do anything!! IT'S...NOT...MY...FAULT!!

originally posted by: EHowardHuntClub
The Cars these days all have giant 17+ inch "Latino" Rims with 50 series (or less) Tires. A perfect recipe for disaster. Those Wheels/Tires are passable in San Diego, but not anywhere else with actual "Weather". Another "Up-Downgrade"(Where they tell you it's an upgrade, costs you more, but you actually receive less) brought to you by the Auto Industry. reply to: new_here

far worse than that is front wheel drive. a truly inferior drive system in snow, and slick conditions. no matter how hard the auto industry has tried to promote it as better. and has the same critical failing which also make 4x4/all wheel drive so bad (other then to just get moving). only done in order to remove the rear wheel drive drive train and all of the weight associated with it. since the simple fact of the matter is that the main reason cars are more efficient (less polluting and gas usage), has been done by decreasing weight. it is even the same reason aluminum rims are also now so heavily used, they reduce the weight of the car by a bit over steel rims. and when trying to make cars more efficient, every ounce counts. even the thickness of the metal used for the body has been significantly decreased over the years to lower that weight.

a reply to: generik

i forgot to note that, that weight reduction of vehicles also has a serious impact on driving in snow. due to reducing weight,it reduces the ability of vehicles to maintain traction.

the fact that many vehicles have also gone to wider tires, and worse still those who put wider tires still onto their vehicles, which reduces the weight per square inch (such as is common with those 20" rubber band tires people love so much), which also degrades traction, and the ability to go through the snow, instead of riding on top of it. also has serious impacts on how a car can handle snow, slush, ice and water. the fact is, the narrower your tires are, the more weight per square inch you have. which allows the tires ti dig right in through things like snow, slush or mud, which lets you contact the solid surface underneath to gain traction. and that is on top of the additional traction gained by a heavier weight on narrower tires.

in fact if you look at really old video of very old cars, such as model T's, you can see then almost easily driving through several inches of mud, without getting stuck. all due to having tires about the width of a motorcycle tire of today. possible due to having a higher weight per square inch, due to being so thin that lets then go right through the mud to get to a more solid surface.

originally posted by: new_here
Miles and miles of motorists stranded for over 15 hours on I-95 in Virginia due to a snowstorm. They are running out of food, water and fuel in freezing temperatures. Many have young children and vulnerable pets. Emergency crews are unable to get to them because all lanes are full. This is a nightmare scenario and I pray we don't hear of casualties.

AP News

NBC Washington

Pic of nearly 90 miles of stalled traffic

Imagine if all those stranded motorists had EUV's . This whole scenario happened once i know of and maybe before. I worked as a civilian for the Army at Milpercen in Springfield Va back in the mid 80's snow storm came up my boss takes the outerloop of the capitol beltway and i take the inner loop home. he gets stranded and i just barely make it home. He was stranded from about 4:00pm to 10:00am.

a reply to: generik

Actually front wheel drive and front end motor is the same as rear wheel drive with rear motor snow wise...

But if you have a rear wheel drive with a front end motor you aren't going anywhere in the snow unless you know four or five people willing to hop in the trunk.

originally posted by: Crowfoot
a reply to: generik

Actually front wheel drive and front end motor is the same as rear wheel drive with rear motor snow wise...

But if you have a rear wheel drive with a front end motor you aren't going anywhere in the snow unless you know four or five people willing to hop in the trunk.

completely untrue. a rear wheel drive does not have the critical flaw of a front wheel drive. and that is that it is you wheels that do the steering, also being powered. this makes a car much more likely to loose traction, on the very wheels that also control the direction of travel. and then you have the fact that due to low weight, the rear end is also more prone to loosing traction, thus "fishtailing" (possibly even worse than in a rear wheel drive). this is why your snow tires/best tires, should always be on the rear wheels on a front wheel drive vehicle, to reduce that major issue. and that is as per industry standards and companies such as Goodyear, and their training.

i have never had any real problems, ever, driving rear wheel drive vehicles in deep snow. in fact far less problems then most front wheel drive vehicles in the same conditions, on the same roads. in fact generally passing front wheel drive cars, as they have severe problems getting going, and trying to barely drive in a straight line. in fact i once had a front wheel drive, spin out and cross the entire highway, from the far right lane, across 3 other lanes, and into the left side ditch. at the "high speed", of we were crawling so slow due to traffic, that the speed was not even registering on the speedometer.
another time driving a var out of the shop, stopped at the corner to drive around to the parking, and as soon as i tried to start moving, and turn the corner, the rear end spun around, and i slid sideways behind the garage, to the parking area (proving why you need good tires on the rear of a front wheel drive car).

having also driven front wheel drive cars in deep snow. and they shimmy along as the front/steering wheels constantly loose traction, due to being powered. at much slower speeds than can safely and easily be driven in a rear wheel drive vehicle.