Winter Driving Tips

[Sigarms]

Ain't that the truth!

I see a lot of drivers going too fast for conditions on these Vermont roads...most of them have New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts tags

Come on Roy, I have no doubt that are just as many idiot drivers living in Vermont as there are in NC, Connecticut or Massachusetts. Down here, ya'll be considered Yankee drivers anyways as we don't differentiate the states anyways

 

[turnkey4099]

As with most threads it has gotten off subject. We are now discussing the merits of ABS. not winter driving tips.

#1 winter driving tip. You can be sure the roads are bad if the cars upside down in the interstate median tires are still spinning.

The person recommended down shifting. I do not want to be on the road with you under slick conditions. Shifting is one of the most dangerous actions you can do on very slick roads. It creates uneven forces on the wheels that cannot be corrected by ABS. Even slight acceleration or deceleration can cause loss of control. You are better off to shift to neutral and let ABS do its job.

Question? Do you follow tracks or move to one side and drive on fresh snow.

On shifting to neudtral when stopping: Yes! If you apply the brakes and are still sliding a wheel, shifting to nuetrel will stop it sliding. I don't know why but I have proved it several times in 2wd cars.

 

[CobyRupert]

Ain't that the truth!

I see a lot of drivers going too fast for conditions on these Vermont roads...most of them have New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts tags

Funny you say that, cause over on this side of the line when we see some slow poke clogging up traffic: "Look, it's one of them green-platers* again !" :stirthepot:
Ya know, not every state has a 50mph speed limit! ...then again, we're the impatient sort, there's a reason why "a New York minute" means "right now!"

Of course, we LOVE it that's it's not illegal to pass on a double yellow in VT. :cool2:

(*: slang for green license plate, VT)

 

[LD48750]

And after 50 yrs making a living on the roads, I saw more accidents caused by scared drivers going slow and obstructing traffic then ones caused by overconfident 4WD drivers going too fast.

Slow down is the universal answer any LEO will give you but isn't always the right answer.

 

[Sigarms]

And after 50 yrs making a living on the roads, I saw more accidents caused by scared drivers going slow and obstructing traffic then ones caused by overconfident 4WD drivers going too fast.

Slow down is the universal answer any LEO will give you but isn't always the right answer.

I'd be willing to bet that the accidents you've seen were caused by impatient drivers trying to go around the slow ones.

More than 6 times I can distinctly I can remember the state and road where I was driving in my 4WD truck going about 45-50 in 4 wheel drive, only to be passed out in the passing lane by another truck or car doing at least 65, and low and behold, some time later finding those same vehicles in ditches. 3 of those times were driving on I-80 from western Pa to visit my parents on Christmas eve in a snow storm, where a normal 5 hour drive took me about 10 hours. Passed 3 idiots in the ditch, made sure they were alive and kept on driving.

I remember coming back from Greensboro in a snowstorm only to have a Toyota 4x4 pass me out doing about 65. I thought to myself as he passed me out that dang, I'm getting too old. Low and behold, down the ways, there he was stuck in a ditch, even with 4 wheel drive.

 

[JRobyn]

Maybe after over 100 posts on this thread, the ONE thing we can all learn and agree about is:

Brakes - the devices on vehicles intended to slow and/or stop the wheels from turning.

Breaks - Pauses in activity or physical damage to an item.

 

[Sigarms]

Maybe after over 100 posts on this thread, the ONE thing we can all learn and agree about is:

Brakes - the devices on vehicles intended to slow and/or stop the wheels from turning.

Breaks - Pauses in activity or physical damage to an item.

And when driving in bad weather, don't drive fast enough where you have to slam them on to stop

 

[MacLawn]

As already said, step 1, MOVE back south!! Brrrrr, my old bones cannot stand our cold here in Mississippi.

 

[otlski]

Wait for it to snow and go practice driving in an empty parking lot. Be smooth, then be aggressive and pay attention to the differences. Practice with the car you will be driving.

 

[otlski]

Ain't that the truth!

I see a lot of drivers going too fast for conditions on these Vermont roads...most of them have New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts tags

Yeah, I have to agree. I am from CT and couldn't tell you who was worse.