As with anywhere else in these United States, we have idiots behind the wheel up here, too. Some of the locals (mainly from the cities) believe that the posted speed limit is a divine right regardless of road and visibility conditions. I plow during blizzards, including severe ones, because some people don't have the sense God gave a rock to stay put. I can be called out at all hours of the day regardless of how much sleep I've had.
We had someone killed just east of town two days before Christmas. It appears that a pickup was following one of our snowplows too closely. When the plow blade is down and moving snow, the snow is thrown up into the air and upwards of 50' away and into the ditch. If the wind is right the snow can fly over a 100'. In this case the wind was contrary, and some of the finer particles were being whipped back around and behind the plow and across the road, creating what is called snow fog. A car was coming the other way while speeding, and when he hit the snow fog he either lost control, panicked, or completely lost his bearings. He crossed the center line just behind the plow and struck the pickup head on. The driver of the car was killed.
You see, both drivers share some blame in what happened. Though the driver of the pickup does not appear to have been charged with anything, he should still have been further back so that he could see more clearly, and the car coming from the other direction should have slowed way down and yielded right-of-way. The laws in my state afford the same protection to a snow plow out doing his job as they do any other emergency vehicle.
My plow was rear ended last February because someone decided to drive into my snow fog instead of slowing down. What gets me is that he even recognized it for snow fog, figured that there was a vehicle in there somewhere, and still drove into it without slowing down.
Most of the locals are pretty good, though. It's mainly those who moved from out-of-state facing their first few winters that get themselves into trouble.
The two forms of winter weather to be on guard against are snow storms and ice storms.
There is a marked difference between snow storms and ice storms. Ice storms are often the result of freezing rain where the ground temperature and ambient air temperature are below freezing. The rain makes contact with the frozen ground and freezes, creating a layer of ice. The air freezes the rain onto power lines, tree limbs, and anything else above ground, causing many to break under the strain of the additional weight, wreaking havoc and creating major hazards. The freezing roadway, still wet from the falling rain, is exceptionally slick, and even going 10mph, and often much slower, can still cause a vehicle to go out of control. There is simply no traction for the tires. Snow tires will not even help on wet ice. There is nothing to grip, and the temperature is too warm for them to work properly anyway. Snow tires require a certain temperature range much lower than your average all-season tires to meet their full potential (they are a softer rubber than normal tires, I believe). It is inadvisable to go anywhere during an ice storm.
Snow storms, or snow events are we call them, on the other hand, come with reduced visibility. Snow can build up quickly in sheltered areas, and snow drifts can become as hard as concrete if the wind and temperature are right. In open areas with enough wind the snow simply blows across the road, which is helpful, but all bets are off in any areas that have an extended row of trees or shrubs too close to the road. It doesn't take much of a snow cover to obliterate the road surface. Also, the deeper the snow, the more power the vehicle needs to exert in order to push its way through the snow. This results in greater torque, which can result in a loss of control even for a front wheel drive. When dealing with reduced traction, torque is your enemy.
In a heavy snow fall night driving is especially dangerous and disorienting because of the severely reduced visibility, and it is more difficult to discern tree lines and such to aide in guessing one's location on the road. It is much easier to drive off the road by accident or to even cross the center line. Also, the larger the snowflake the more disorienting driving is. First, the headlights are reflected back at a higher intensity than with smaller flakes making it extremely difficult to concentrate on anything beyond the immediate front of the vehicle. Second, the larger flakes in the headlights come at the driver in such a way as to be almost hypnotic. To the tired driver, this can be devastating.
The are four primary mistakes people make during adverse weather conditions, and they are as follows:
1). Driving too fast for conditions. SLOW DOWN at night by at least 5mph with good visibility and dry roads. Slow down even more in the rain, even during daylight, but especially at night. During a snow event slow down further, and unless you are used to driving in these adverse conditions, reevaluate your priorities and stay home. Even if you are used to driving in these conditions, reevaluate your priorities and stay home. During ice don't go anywhere, even if it is "just around the corner" Most accidents and fatalities occur within two miles of home. If you need medical attention which cannot wait, call 911. You are better off paying for an ambulance visit than to risk not making it to the hospital.
Slow way down before making your turn, especially if on snow or ice. Drop to below 5mph to make your turn. Anything faster could send you sliding into a curb or into another car.
Another mistake related to driving too fast is using the cruise control. NEVER use the cruise control in conditions other than ideal driving conditions. You, the driver, simply cannot react fast enough to split-second changes in conditions if your cruise is on. Also with your cruise on, you will be more apt to allow your attention to drift a little, and you may be too late in recognizing a hazard.
2). Steering. Many people who lose control do so because they over-correct their steering. If you find yourself drifting across the center line or off the shoulder, DO NOT HIT THE BRAKES -- EVER!!!! And NEVER JERK THE WHEEL!!!! Take your foot off the gas and gently counter-steer. The vehicle will gradually slow down and allow you to return your vehicle to your lane while allowing you to maintain control. I have not experienced this to fail even once.
3). Brake gently. Many other accidents are caused by braking too hard and too quickly. Even with anti-lock brakes, you can still slide. Make sure you start braking WELL in advance of where you normally would to make your turn or stop. Remember that your anti-lock brakes were designed to work primarily on dry pavement to prevent skidding, and in wet conditions to prevent sliding. They do not function very well in snow or ice because there is not enough traction. Do not rely on them. If you do, they will get you into trouble.
A corollary to this is down shifting. If the roads are bad and you know that there is a hill that you need to descend, slow way down before you begin your descent and drop your vehicle into a lower gear. This will allow your engine to help keep you vehicle running at a safer speed, and you will have less risk in causing your car to slide by hitting the brakes. Remember that you will need to drop even lower for an automatic transmission as opposed to a manual. However, if the road is bad enough, it won't matter what you do. You will slide, and most likely you will slide off the road or into the other lane. Before going down the hill, bring your vehicle to a complete stop and get out. If the road doesn't seem too slippery, you may be able to make depending on how steep the road is. If you fall right to ground or can hardly stand, get back into your car and turn it around, then head back to where you.
4). Don't tailgate. Maintain adequate following distance. In ideal conditions you should maintain a minimum of 3 seconds following distance. Double that during rain. Double that during snow and ice. Determine your following distance by picking a fixed object that you can see up ahead, like a side road, a billboard, a sign, and count off mississippis when the vehicle you are following reaches that object. Keep counting until you reach that object. This will give you your following distance. If it is less than 3 seconds in ideal conditions slow down, make more room, and count again. Remember it is always preferable to have too much following distance than not enough.
I consider myself an expert in driving in all manner of adverse road and weather conditions (a veteran driver of extreme snow/ice conditions in northern Japan, six years OTR and local truck driving, and six years in various northern states, along with my training as a commercial truck driver and worker for the highway department). I do not even go out in ice storms unless in the capacity as a state employee to treat the roads, not because I have any doubts as to my ability to handle whatever the road and weather throw at me, but because the majority of others on the road do not drive with safety on their minds. They think only of getting to their destinations as quickly as possible. Even a mere 5 mph slower than what you think is a safe speed can, and often is, the difference between life and death, getting in an accident or avoiding one, or going off the road or maintaining control.
During the winter always keep the following in your car: a snow shovel; a tow rope (preferably longer than 30' or keep two 20' ropes); a flashlight with extra batteries; flares; space blankets for the number of seat belts in your vehicle (they reflect the heat back in - very small and light and available in camping supplies); enough wool blankets to cover all the occupants (military surplus work great); extra pairs of socks for everybody (wet shoes and feet can lead to frostbite, even in the South, and they just make you miserable anyway); extra warm gloves for everyone; stocking caps that cover the ears for everyone; candles; matches or lighters; and bottled water. The heat from one candle in your average sedan is enough to keep the occupants from freezing to death.
If it looks like you are going to be stuck for a long period of time, crack the windows a hair if you are going to use your candle. If you are stuck in a snow storm, DO NOT RUN YOUR CAR. Heavy snow can build around your car quickly, creating a seal which will prevent the exhaust from escaping, which will result in the occupants dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. If you do run your car, make sure to go out and dig out the back of your vehicle, then run the car for no more than 10 minutes in any given hour. The snow fall can be so fast that it can fill in a good sized hole very quickly.
Another good practice during the winter is to add weight to your vehicle. Because the engine of your car is in the front (in the vast majority of cases), that is where the majority of the weight of your vehicle is carried. The rear tires carry a comparatively lighter load. Adding the weight makes the vehicle more stable and reduces the possibility that the back end of your vehicle will slide out away from you. I carry 760lbs of sand in sand bags in the back of my 98 Silverado K1500. Makes a world of difference. But with most sedans no more than four 40 to 60 pound bags should be sufficient, depending on whether you have a sedan or minivan. In an SUV you may want up to 400lbs worth of sand bags in the back. That's what I had in my '03 Envoy. That weight made a huge difference. Besides, the sand in the sandbags will become useful if you do get stuck in some ice and need a little traction.
Some personal advice I have is that you never let your fuel tank run below half. There are two reasons for this practice: First, it will minimize the amount of moisture that can get into your tank, thus minimizing the likelihood of water freezing in your fuel line, which will result in your car failing to operate. Second, this will guarantee that you always have a reserve fuel supply should you become stuck somewhere in the boonies where the likelihood of a quick rescue is slim. You will be able to milk that fuel supply for days by running it in short spurts if the weather conditions allow you to do so safely.
And remember this. This is advice, not gospel truth. I do not claim that everything I said is fool proof. There are a lot of mitigating circumstances that go into whether or not my advice will help you. Ultimately, the person who gets behind the wheel of any vehicle is responsible for the safe operation of that vehicle. I cannot drive your car for you. You will have to use the sense God gave you to decide what is best.
Go with God, and be safe out there.
Excellent advice, Jon! Thanks...may people wisely heed it! One thing I've found most people do ignorantly, is wildly spinning their tires to get out of snow drift, or even to get going on slick roads. The more spinning, the warmer the tire, creating water on ice, a very slippery condition. Keep the tires cool for traction. Slow down, keep cool!
ReplyDeleteI've often said that, in Western New York, people should have winter driving licenses, or not be aloud to drive in snowy conditions. We have enough crazies here in the Buffalo area, who should not be allowed on the road in clement weather, but many don't have any sense in dealing with Winter conditions.
ADDENDUM: I have had to make a factual correction in the two paragraphs dealing with the accident resulting in a fatality. New information came to my attention which I did not have the writing of this entry. I have redacted my blog post accordingly.
ReplyDelete