Idiots driving on the first snow

Bird · Dec 9, 2007

You know somewhere behind you there's a good chance there's someone going the posted speed limit. And chances are most likely there's someone in front of you doing three miles an hour.

On that miserable night I was driving into Denver in a snowstorm, I encountered another oddity (well, odd to me anyway). I'm sure most folks know that high beam headlights in fog reflect back in your face, so it's best to use low beam. Well, you have the same thing in a heavy snowstorm. Fortunately, that night, there was very little traffic late at night. But much to my surprise, I think there were at least 3 vehicles that passed me with no lights at all on! I didn't see them coming behind me until they passed me, and then they were driving so fast, that I couldn't even follow their tracks but a very short distance before they disappeared. Low beams I understand, but no lights at all; not even park lights?????

MossRoad · Dec 9, 2007

Bird said:
On that miserable night I was driving into Denver in a snowstorm, I encountered another oddity (well, odd to me anyway). I'm sure most folks know that high beam headlights in fog reflect back in your face, so it's best to use low beam. Well, you have the same thing in a heavy snowstorm. Fortunately, that night, there was very little traffic late at night. But much to my surprise, I think there were at least 3 vehicles that passed me with no lights at all on! I didn't see them coming behind me until they passed me, and then they were driving so fast, that I couldn't even follow their tracks but a very short distance before they disappeared. Low beams I understand, but no lights at all; not even park lights?????

You sure you weren't in moonshiner country?

riptides · Dec 10, 2007

Bird said:
Low beams I understand, but no lights at all; not even park lights?????

Sure, maybe they had night vision goggles. I use mine all the time. Don't understand why we need lights at all.

-Mike Z.

smfcpacfp · Dec 12, 2007

Here near Marquette, Michigan, we get 20 to 30 feet of snow each year and our roads are dangerous, off and on, for 4 months. Usually the first snow fall you see a few cars in the ditch, and remember to "put on your winter driving hat". Basically people are much better here after that first day, and much better than people down south (below the Mackinaw Bridge) mainly because we drive in those conditions a lot.

I will admit that one year I was the guy who sounded the warning. I owned a Nissan / Honda car dealership at the time and had brought home a new Nissan Pathfinder automatic on the eve of the first cold, freezing day. The next morning going into town the roads were clear but there was "black ice on the road" unbeknownst to me. So I am passing a car on a long straight stretch when the car downshifts just as I hit the black ice. I am probably going 70. The car fishtails but, I try to correct it, but then I start sliding sideways across the road, and you just know this is going to end badly. Once the tires hit the dirt the car began to flip, many times. Fortunately I had my seat belt on, didn't hurt myself and even more fortunately nobody was in the other lane. Man, was that car with 19 miles a mess. Of course, everyone driving by was gawking, thinking, "time to put on my winter driving hat".

That had a big impact on my winter driving. I haven't had any trouble for the last 15 years.