Driving on ice...not snow...

[Nancy]

Another northerner that thinks driving on ice is a whole other ballgame. I don't care how good a driver you are you can not get traction on the ice. Think how slippery it is to walk on...what make someone think a car with rubber tires is going to do much better?

As for snow, sure here in the north we might think it is funny that some places close for a teeny amount of snow...BUT we should remember that we are used to the snow. We have plows, road salt...etc. With all that whenever there is a major snowfall it still causes traffic tie ups, tons of accidents, and roads that get closed.

 

[manning]

I live in the chicago area and all I have to say is anyone who drives on ice is nuts.

I just bought an SUV with AWD and won't do it. A few friends made fun of me until they found out what I said was true. That is four wheel drive start up better but when it comes to ice all vehicles are equal in sliding.

 

[tinatark]

My husband makes me crazy - he can get "anywhere", no matter what the conditions, in his 4wd.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay...flame away! But this is SO worth it if it keeps another wreck from happening...

Flames? Please! I've lived in Massachusetts my entire life, and I'm experienced driving in/on snow - one time, I couldn't determine if work was open, so I drove to work - and realized after I got stuck in the unplowed driveway that maybe we were closed ), and even I don't like to drive on ice! I did a few years ago; it took me over three hours to go twenty miles - and on a VERY slight incline (i.e. I'd never even noticed a slope there before), my car started sliding backwards!!!!

And you can quote me to your FB "friends".

 

[donnajon]

About 15 years ago, I had a coworker go to NY when there was a hurricane warning up there. We get them here every year or so and just kind of deal with them. We take it seriously but don't panic. We're used to it. Anyway, he said eveyone in NY was freaking and panicing about the hurricane. He told them they were in NY and it wasn't going to hit that hard. They all told him "Yeah, but we don't get hurricanes up here." His response was, "Now you know how we feel about snow!"

 

[dmslush]

I agree 100%!!!!! I barely made it home on friday. I have a 1 hour commute and left work just as soon as it started snowing.. keeping in mind that the meteorologists weren't calling for anything more than rain for my county until late evening!! (I left work at 11:30am!). I made it pretty good until I was about 10 mile from home. That was my first big hill. I was sick to my stomach watching everyone in front of me fishtail their way up it. I made it to that one. Second big hill, I made it up pretty easy.

The third big hill, right before getting to my house... It took me two tries in low gear, sliding down the hill backwards, sliding across the road and hitting the curb before I made it up the hill. Then I just sat in the road in front of my house while my husband cleared our slightly uphill driveway enough for me to get in. I swear, I was sick to my stomach and shaking the rest of the day.

 

[Christine]

I live in Northern VA right outside of DC and we constantly are berated by our transplant folks (they are from Pennsylvania, Massachussetts, Michigan, etc) about how we can't drive in the snow. We do get one or two small snowfalls a year.

Now, I did move away from this area and lived in Northern Maine (snowfall around 200 inches per year) and Northern Japan where the weather and snowfall were equal to upstate New York. Let me tell you, it is a WHOLE DIFFERENT BALLGAME than those places. They get true, dry snow there. It is actually VERY driveable. Their temps are so cold that the snow they get is very dry and fluffy and kinda crunchy when you drive on it.

Because of our temps in the mid-Atlantic, and in the south, the snow is much more wet when it comes down and then hits our roads and freezes. Often when you see 2-3 inches of the fluffy stuff on the road, you can be sure that underneath of it is a slick coating of icy/glaze from where it first hit wet, and then froze. The stuff on top is normal. It is VERY treacherous.

 

[mamamary]

I live in northern Maryland and we weren't supposed to get any snow yest. After my DDs gymnastics class there was a coating on the ground that didn't seem bad (it had only been snowing 40 mts). Anyway on the way home my van kept sliding - it was very scary and I was going super slow along with everyone else. Looks like we got at least 6 inches of snow.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I'm a good southern girl living in apparently not quite the north but as far north as I ever want to live

I hear it all the time about making fun of Southern people and their fear of snow and driving. I finally realized living in the South, especially TN, that most of the true Southern people aren't even involved in those accidents. It's the big talk people who can "drive in anything."

I just don't think alot of people realize when you don't have resources like plows and constant salt and snow removal that it can shut a town down. Not mention just how dangerous it can be on back country roads with the hills and curves and one lane bridges. I would never risk my children even in the thought of winter weather in the South.

Also, I think that most Southern people aren't afraid of snow but like you said ice. We get terrible ice storms in the South that can paralyze a town/city for weeks and it's not as prevelant up North.

My last thought is that I married a good Northern boy. He laughed at my fear of driving in the snow. When you don't learn to drive in it, and then the snow happens it's natural to have fear and take forever and two days to get somewhere. Now when he is home we go out and "practice" driving when it snows so I can be more comfortable.

You know what? It snowed yesterday and I didn't leave the house, nor will I leave today. Somethings are just ingrained into you All day long my mama would call telling me I better not be going anywhere. I assured her I wouldn't be and I was making brownies.

 

[Christine]

You know what? It snowed yesterday and I didn't leave the house, nor will I leave today. Somethings are just ingrained into you All day long my mama would call telling me I better not be going anywhere. I assured her I wouldn't be and I was making brownies.

Tina,

I can drive in it to some extent and I didn't even go out yesterday. Oh, how I wanted to though. But, the thought of navigating an icy parking lot in my lovely poofy ankle brace didn't seem like too much fun!

My husband, however, went out several times and he said the roads were a bit slick and were okay if you were careful. He said, of course, that people were NOT being careful, driving way to fast, and he saw several accidents.

I will have to make my way out today though. My street is full of snow but I have no food left in the house and no other chance to get it since I'm at work all week. And I will have to "cheat" with my ankle cast and just wear my sneakers out.

 

[mommyof2princesses]

Right there with you! I am in NC and our roads are awful. We have about 5 inches of snow packed down with about 1 inch of sleet. Did not even bother getting dressed today, stayed in and cleaned house all day. Our street is ice covered and just watched the news showing numerous car accidents on the major highways (77 and 277 - I live near Charlotte).

I work with alot of "northerners" who make fun of us. But they can't drive on this either! Wanted to leave work early to get out of the way of the crazy southern drivers, yeah right!!

I am outside of Charlotte and agree. I HAVe to go to work...work in a resort, but I drive slowly. I have lived in the north, and although I can drive well on roads that have been plowed I can not drive well on roads covered in ice. They can't even scrape the ice off! And yes, the northerners are now finally admitting they can't drive on this!

And 4 wd just means all 4 tires go sliding on ice!

 

[lovemygoofy]

Tina,

I can drive in it to some extent and I didn't even go out yesterday. Oh, how I wanted to though. But, the thought of navigating an icy parking lot in my lovely poofy ankle brace didn't seem like too much fun!

My husband, however, went out several times and he said the roads were a bit slick and were okay if you were careful. He said, of course, that people were NOT being careful, driving way to fast, and he saw several accidents.

I will have to make my way out today though. My street is full of snow but I have no food left in the house and no other chance to get it since I'm at work all week. And I will have to "cheat" with my ankle cast and just wear my sneakers out.

Be careful walking, Christine. Keep your shoelaces tight.

I'll be impressed if there is any food or even toilet paper left. I went on Wednesday to be prepared

 

[jackemail]

In Memphis, all of our side streets are still sheets of ice, though the main streets have a couple of lanes clear. I haven't been out in 2 days, but HAVE to go out today, and am dreading it. Major melting is supposed to start tomorrow!

 

[1stluvispooh]

The only possible way to drive on ice is if you go straight and never ever stop. That being said I remember being in 8th grade and we got hit with a huge ice storm. I mean the power was out for us for 3 days for other parts of the city it was 10. Any way it was Easter and my mom HAD to go to church. We almost died getting there and then the priest said "what are all you people doing her??? You don't get extra points for getting killed on the way to church."

 

[jfoofj]

Massachusetts here...... I will drive in snow anytime, but ice, no way. We have 4WD vehicles and it doesn't make a difference. Ice is dangerous, stay home!

 

[torinsmom]

We got 8 inches of snow plus about an inch of sleet on top in my part of NC. A snowstorm of this size probably happens once every five years. I won't be surprised if schools are closed at least through Tuesday. This snow/ice on the road will melt some, refreeze and the repeat. There are limited plows and limited salt, since we don't have this kind of thing often.

 

[Tinkmom75]

I do not make fun of my Southern Friends. If you do not know how to drive in it that is fine. I have problems driving at night in the rain, but I do it. If I didn't drive on ice then I wouldn't be able to work. Yes, the roads get extremely icy here. I actually like it when they leave a little snow on for traction. When you are driving on roads with farms on both sides the roads get basically polished ice. I just slow down and take it easy. By the way with all our budgets being cut and such I have seen fewer plow trucks out. The first time I saw a truck putting out salt/sand mixture was this week, but it's a new year new budget. I have driven on black ice after it has sleeted and snowed. I grew up here. I don't make fun of or expect someone who is not used to it to drive on it. My motto is "it's Michigan, slow down in the winter".

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I'm not going to say driving on ice is easy, or fun, or in any way safe, but sometimes it just has to be done. The days when you pass salt trucks that have slid off the freeway are the worst. Of course, that's assuming the trucks even go out, which they don't much anymore because of budget cuts.

It's not that we in the North don't recognize the problem, it's just not news. It took me 3.5 hours to get into work a few weeks back. No one said, "My goodness, what took you so long?!" or "I can't believe how bad the driving is!" They said, "Yeah, I know, it took me 2 hours myself." Just as if it had been a slightly annoying traffic issue.

So we're not making fun of anyone who has trouble driving in these conditions so much as we are saying "Welcome to Our World".

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I'm in CT and whenever we get an ice storm, it never fails that you'll hear someone boasting, "Oh, we'll be fine, we've got four-wheel drive."

Yeah...good luck with that...

 

[busyshrew]

Ok.... guilty as charged, DH and I laugh our a**es off whenever we hear about the southern states getting panicked over a couple inches of snow.

BUT that being said, I agree, ice is a completely different matter. Up here, a heavy snowfall doesn't necessarily close schools, but ice storms do. Black ice is deadly. Anyone who poo-poos about ice hasn't done the "donut" yet.

And while we northerners may drive through winter conditions, the PPs are right. We prepare for it. DH gets the winter tires on the car every year by the first week of December. We have a shovel in the trunk of the car and a bag of kitty litter too. We give ourselves a lot longer to get where we're going.

And even with all that, we STILL have dozens of accidents at the beginning of every winter until people get adjusted to the changes in the road conditions! (And don't get me started on those idiots who won't put on snow tires... that's a whole 'nother rant....).