Winter Driving Isn’t Rocket Science
Nov 28th, 2006 by Jeremy
Winter has finally arrived in full force where I live. Some of you may have already had some big snowfalls, but yesterday was the first here in the Rocky Mountains for us. I enjoy all seasons really, so winter is neither good nor bad for me. I like the cold, I enjoy snow and I even enjoy driving in snow. I know, something is off in my head you are thinking. What I don’t enjoy is the drivers that have no sense about how to change their driving styles for the road conditions.
How hard is it really to recognize that when their is some snowfall and the temperatures drop that road conditions just might be a little less favorable than normal? Ice is not your car’s best friend, trust me. No amount of engineering into the roads and snow removal equipment efforts is going to completely remove the patches that can send your car a flyin’. I leave of the “when you least expect it” purposely here - because you should, EXPECT IT! If you allow for a little extra time in your commute to wherever you are headed, you can drive like a sane sharer of the road and avoid sliding your car around me, which is what I really care about.
Oh, I know, you have that wonderful SUV that makes you feel big and important, and impervious to any road conditions being a problem. Trust me, you are the worst ones on the road. You think 4WD is going to help you stop any faster? Little tip: nope. In fact, you have such a high center of gravity and bigger tires to go with that mammoth weighing tank you drive that you actually need MORE distance to stop than a smaller car. Uh oh, did I break your happy SUV owner bubble? Hey, I like enjoy 4WD on my truck too, but I also drive with some sense to keep that paint job intact.
As I said, I enjoy snow and the winter season. I have fond memories of sledding, snowball fights and forts, and playing in the snow throughout my childhood, and into my adulthood for that matter. I grew up in Washington State where snow was a plenty. Washington also has a lot of country road with big ditches for the regular rainfall we were so famous for. I also have fond memories of going out with my dad at each fresh snowfall and pulling cars out of those big ditches with our 4WD vehicles. And if you are from the Northwest, you know that most of those drivers were recent imports from California who didn’t realize you needed to slow down when there was snow on the road. Huh. I would have chalked that one up to common sense, but then I grew up in a state where we had “weather” 85% of the year.
So if you live in states that receive snow and ice, do us all a favor. Go find a big parking lot and do some practice driving. Get up to speed and put on your brakes, hard. Yep, you slide. Get used to the feeling and learn how to turn into that slide, pump your brakes and leave enough room to stop without sliding. Learn how to drive a little slower if the conditions require it. Save yourself the heartache of dinging up your fenders, or worse getting into a major accident. You’ll appreciate it, and if you live around me, so will I.
We haven’t received any snow here in NJ yet (temperatures have been in the high 50’s!), but I’m bracing myself for it. Not because I don’t like the snow, because I do. I love it when I am inside my warm home, logs in the fireplace, something good like “It’s a Wonderful Life” on the tv, and just looking out our picture window at the snow falling on the trees.
What I am bracing myself for is driving in the snow! Oh I can drive fine in the snow - it’s all of the other NJ drivers who fly by me on the highway still doing 60 mph when they should be slowing down to about 30. I absolutely dread it. I have had people tailgate me, and mind you when it snows I am driving in the right lane, going slow. Not too slow - but slow enough so that I am not on the butt of the car in front of me, just so that if I have to stop I will have plenty of room and time.
I just got an SUV this year - my first one. I really don’t think that’s going to change my driving style at all!
Reading your post reminded me of a time “some years ago” when i had a little Austin metro (reckon only UKers will know which car i mean). The village where i used to live ALWAYS got “snowed in” in Feb. One day i decided to use the car to go to feed my horse and while on my way back had to drive up a very steep hill. As i got to the bottom of the hill some “clever so and so” raced past me in a flashy car. He then tried to get up the snow packed hill !!!!!!!!
HA HA, the more he tried, the more he skidded and slid back. I stopped at the base of the hill so he wouldnt slide into me. When he got back to the base, his flashy car had overheated and he had to pull over for it to cool down. I said i would have a go in my car and he replied “in that thing lady, you got no chance. There is no way a woman can drive better than a man up that hill. You need something like mine to get up there”.
HA HA, thats what he thought !!!!!!!
I got in my little car, switched on the engine, put it into first gear and drove straight up the hill NO PROBLEMS. I didnt even slide !!!!! Ooooh the look on his face. It was a picture !!!! I LOVED IT. LOL
Reckon there’s something to be said for living in the countryside. At least then your ready if animals suddenly stray into your path. Anyone else ever tried rounding up cattle BY CAR !!!!
Liz