Weather & Driving

[crdean1]

Dear MRerrers,

I thought I would start this thread to talk about the weather. Since it never ices over here in Texas, everyone freaks out when it does. So this brings us to today.

We had some sleet yesterday, and some of it stuck. Of course, the minute it started sleeting, the schools closed and everyone went home. My employees were calling to see if they had to come in. One did end up coming in but I let her go early because I did not make anyone else come in to work.

This morning, I walk outside, no ice (in my neighborhood), although it is 15 degrees (F). I let both employees stay at home because all of the schools and some businesses are closed. Of course, I thought it would be fine to come in, and had no problems. Most of the overpasses were icy but had been sanded....and the streets were safer because all of the idiot drivers had wrecks last night (estimated 2300 ).

My point (read: pet peeve) is this. Why is it that Texans are such horrible drivers. When I go to Colorado to ski, I mainly see Texas vehicles in the ditches. Most Texans (in my opinion) don't use signals, and can't drive in anything but sunny weather.

Now I know that our state rarely has experience with snowy or icy conditions, so the drivers are not as experienced. I love this state and its people, I was born and raised here, but for goodness sake, isn't it just common sense to drive slow when it is icy!!?!

Fun links:

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=50757&section=automotive
http://www.semyan.com/PostThree/TX.htm (see 2nd part)
http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2005/06/06/daily25.html
The Kicker:
http://www.bizjournals.com/industri...ices/insurance/2005/06/06/dallas_daily14.html

 

[Koodauw]

I think its a lack of practice, and preparation. I live in Wisconsin, so we are used to driving in the snow, as we do it for about 3-4 months out of the year. Although it always seems on the 1st snow fall, everyone has forgot how to do it, after that they're fine.

To be honest, driving in the snow actually is a hard thing to do. We have a lot of snow plows and salt/sand that hit the streets as soon as it starts, which helps a lot. I hear most southern states use garbage trucks with plows on the front, or some other adapted machine. Having dedicated vehicles sure helps.

 

[yellow]

I'm from New England and I'm used to inclement weather.. Now I've lived in North Carolina for 15+ years see the same issue. These people just cannot drive in bad weather, and it's all about lack of practice. Last year there was LESS than an INCH of snowish iciness in Raleigh and kids had to SLEEP AT SCHOOL because their parents couldn't get to them and the bus drivers couldn't drive (safely). Pathetic.

The towns are woefully unprepared for bad weather, but how do you budget for salt and sand and plows? If you spend the cash and don't need it, people get upset at budget time that money is being wasted. If you don't get enough and have a crazy winter.. well, you get the picture.

But when I drive in this kind of weather, it's all about the other guy. Because I'm fairly certain he has no ****ing clue what he's doing and is going to T-Bone me.

 

[stonyc]

I think its a lack of practice, and preparation. I live in Wisconsin, so we are used to driving in the snow, as we do it for about 3-4 months out of the year. Although it always seems on the 1st snow fall, everyone has forgot how to do it, after that they're fine.

I disagree with that... maybe it's just the drivers in my area (SE Michigan) but they are absolutely TERRIBLE when it comes to driving in the snow. Especially those people who spents 10's of thousands of dollars on their 4WD HummerH2 with rotating-howitzer-scope-and-front-motorized-winch-with-locking-claw-and-front-snowplow-attachment-with-strobe-lights.Doesn't matter, first snow, third snow, 18th snow, last snow... I always see one of those driving in front of me at 10mph or stuck in the ditch, while I plug away in my mazad3.

I remember a couple years ago having to pull out this jack*ss and his family in his Hummer H2 from a ditch with my Jeep Cherokee Sport. If that had been me I would have resigned my position as "dad" and voluntarily tied a cinder block to my feet and jumped into the Rouge River (well, the cinder block wouldn't be necessary... the sludge in the river would likely be enough to keep someone down).

 

[aquajet]

I'm not at all surprised to see those statistics about Dallas drivers. I'm in the DFW area and despise driving through Dallas...it's an extremely dangerous situation. It's not at all uncommon to see vehicles traveling at 90 mph on I35 though downtown Dallas.

I once pulled out of a downtown club parking lot late one evening, into slow-moving traffic. This ******* didn't want me to pull out and mashed his gas pedal to prevent me from entering the lane of traffic. Unfortunately, his inconsiderate and immature behavior resulted in a traffic accident, and when he and his hoodlum buddies exited the car, they began screaming, punching and kicking my vehicle, resulting in body damage on both sides. I've also been shot at for cutting-off another vehicle on I35.

I don't know what it is about Dallas...perhaps there's high levels of dioxin or PCP or some other dangerous chemical in the water supply, but many around here are completely out of control, especially the night-party crowd.

 

[atszyman]

Well I live in the Dallas suburbs since I moved from Wisconsin 6 years ago and have a couple of reasons that the drivers are not very intelligent when it comes to inclement weather.

Reason One:
The weather in Texas is a bit different when it comes to winter than it is in the north. When it snows/sleets the ground tends to be warmer which causes it all to melt, as the temp drops in the night the now wet ground tends to freeze over. This is more akin to freezing rain than it is to snow. Most people in the northern climates know not to venture out in freezing rain since no matter how many wheels you have driving your car (2 or 4) when the wheels are on ice they all slide, regardless of if they are driven or not.

Reason Two:
The vehicles that Texans drive in the weather give them a false sense of security. Many in their big SUVs and pickups think that their vehicles are designed to handle this type of weather and don't realize that they are some of the worst vehicles to be driving. Most of the trucks sold down here are not 4 WD and are in fact rear wheel drive. Front wheel drive does much better in the inclement weather due to the weight of the engine, a 2 WD pickup is one of the worst things to drive in any kind of slick road conditions since you have no weight over the driving tires.

All this being said I don't usually have a problem going into work on these types of days, and would be there right now if it weren't for a case of the stomach flu. I either head out early or later to let the idiots take themselves out. I avoid pickups like the plague and let everyone pass me as they try to hurry in conditions that are not good for hurrying. I usually make about the same time in getting to work since there is no traffic.

I haven't had any of aquajets problems but I don't end up downtown very often.

 

[ham_man]

Dang. I love it when it drops to like 25 degrees and all the prison wardens...err..."principals"...freak and cancel school...

 

[CompUser]

My dad has to go to work tomorrow for a meeting. He works 1.5 hours away and we're going to have a blizzard.

He has a 5,000 pound Discovery with full time 4wd. My dad says it does really well in the snow. We'll have test my moms new car in the snow. My sisters grand cherokee does well in the snow with its QuadraTrack but it is not that heavy of a car.

My neighbor has a RWD lincoln LS and a steep driveway. Its so funny to watch him try to get up his driveway in the winter. Usually he ends up parking in our driveway

 

[Counterfit]

I'm from New England and I'm used to inclement weather..

Unfortunately, with as much snow as we get here, people still suck driving in it.
Personally, I love driving in snow. It's so much fun hand operated e-brakes > foot operated.

 

[pseudobrit]

It's all about acclimation. There's a reason why a foot of snow doesn't bother me much but a rainy night causes Los Angeles 27 accidents per square mile.

People who stay inside when it snows never get used to driving in it. I slap on some traction cables if it's too deep, but I'll usually not let snow stop me from going anywhere.

 

[Apple Hobo]

Crappy drivers drive like crap in all conditions. I see people all the time driving like complete asshats during blinding rainstorms. It's also 10x more fun when they drive like asshats without their headlights on.

 

[Abstract]

My point (read: pet peeve) is this. Why is it that Texans are such horrible drivers. When I go to Colorado to ski, I mainly see Texas vehicles in the ditches. Most Texans (in my opinion) don't use signals, and can't drive in anything but sunny weather.

I'm going to have to make an adjustment on who I think are the worst and most dangerous drivers in the world. The most dangerous legal drivers in the world are female chinese Texans from Thailand/Malaysia.

 

[ghostee]

Unfortunately, with as much snow as we get here, people still suck driving in it.

I have the same problem here in the Chicago burbs.

 

[ibook30]

My point (read: pet peeve) is this. Why is it that Texans are such horrible drivers. When I go to Colorado to ski, I mainly see Texas vehicles in the ditches. Most Texans (in my opinion) don't use signals, and can't drive in anything but sunny weather.

Now I know that our state rarely has experience with snowy or icy conditions, so the drivers are not as experienced. I love this state and its people, I was born and raised here, but for goodness sake, isn't it just common sense to drive slow when it is icy!!?!
]

I gotta start by saying- I posted something similiar last night about Texas drivers- but I was wrong. I sobered up and remembered my early realizations about texas (having lived in chicago)- the roads in Texas are made to withstand blistering heat - not cold.

And ice sticks around longer than other places. The tires sold in Texas are not sold with those three days of ice in mind. The driving habits are motivated by heat and the anger created by heat (great to have such an angry population with concealed hand guns made legal...). The entrance and exit ramps and BRIDGES in texas are not designed to deal with ice - the on and offf ramps for the highways are super short. A little ice and you are careening wildly into traffic.

I place the blame squarely on City Planners and Big Business. What I am suggesting is a class action law suit for all Texans who have to put up with such deplorable driving conditions.....

 

[18thTomorrow]

We just got about 10" of snow here in west Michigan, but everyone goes to work, I drove 20 miles to school...

If you live in a place that has a lot of snow, you just learn to deal with it. Driving in the snow is possible if you'll just be sensitive to your car and sensible about your limitations. JUST GO SLOW and lay off the gas pedal already...

 

[yellow]

We just got about 10" of snow here in west Michigan, but everyone goes to work, I drove 20 miles to school...

That's one thing I'll miss about the south.. 3" of snow and I don't have to go to work!

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Growing up in Ohio, I never thought that a foot of snow was a big deal, but boy do southerners have a fit whenever they get a little dusting!

Ohio can in some ways be worse than other places in that we have very icy winters. Other states north and west of us get more snow but we get lake effect snows followed by slight thaws, followed in turn by freezes that turn the roads into rivers of black ice.

Still, my FWD Nissan sedan has no trouble - just buy good tires and be careful!

My pet peeve is people in 4x4s who think that having two more drive wheels gives you better grip. <buzzer sound> WRONG! Your tires determine grip. 4WD just lets you accelerate faster, but you'll still slide into a tree just as easily as any other vehicle.

 

[bousozoku]

...
I thought I would start this thread to talk about the weather. Since it never ices over here in Texas, everyone freaks out when it does. So this brings us to today.
...

It never ices but it does? Hmm.

It's often just a matter of paying attention while you're driving through it the first time. Often people succumb to fear rather than learning technique or better/worse, trying techniques. I learned a lot of things by working through my initial fear, practicing in parking lots.

One of the best days driving in Philadelphia was when we had an ice storm. My car was the only one on any of the 12 lanes of the Roosevelt Boulevard and it was finally, completely comfortable. The ice wasn't terribly difficult but it took a steady hand and my VW Corrado helped a lot too.

On the other hand, there was a snow storm only days before I moved from the area and I was sliding in reverse on I-95. I managed to steer clear (literally!) of an oncoming truck only a couple of minutes early.

If people would just pay attention and learn from their mistakes, driving in hazardous conditions wouldn't be so much of a problem.