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Offline Higher Caliber

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Winter driving
« on: February 13, 2018, 10:40:01 PM »
I wrote this after a day of working back to back traffic accidents after a little ice storm this weekend-

Before embarking on a wintry wonderland journey, keep these tips in mind. When it comes to winter driving, preparation and planning are key. Make sure you literally have the baldest tires available to you. The more rubber surface area in contact with the ice and snow, the better traction you will have. Think “racing slicks”.

It is important to wait until the very last minute available before you step outside to get in your vehicle. This way you will not get distracted clearing your windows and lose track of time, potentially causing yourself to be tardy. An area roughly the size of your hand scraped off with a quarter, coat hanger, card board Dairy Queen box, or potentially your finger nails is all you need. (Pro tip-In a pinch you can use a few tablespoons of your coffee to melt a small area.)  A less common option we should mention is to hang your head out your driver’s side window. (Use caution when approaching other drivers exercising the same technique.)

Do not pre-warm your vehicles! It wastes gas and it’s horrible for the environment. While we are talking about gas, make sure you have *just* enough to get to where you need to go. The lighter load of the empty tank will make your vehicle easier to recover from the ditch or a death spin on an exit ramp.

Furthermore, When your vehicle is warm and toasty it encourages a relaxed driving experience. In the winter you need to be on top of your game. Shivering  encourages you to be more alert. Your bodies natural effort to ward off hypothermia will also literally assist in reactivity and mental clarity!

When driving in winter weather conditions, keep your side windows down to increase your peripheral visibility. Instruct your toddlers on how to monitor your blind spots for encroaching vehicles. Winter driving is a team effort.

Aggressively accelerating away from stop signs and stop lights is encouraged. You don’t want to still be in the intersection when the other dumbass in cross traffic slides through the intersection because they tried to use their brakes (more on that later). It is also important to accelerate around blind curves, braking in a curve could put you in the ditch. Curves are not your friend in the winter. Use straight roads when possible. When approaching a curve, quickly GPS a straighter route.

GPS units are required by NASA to only display safe routes during winter. Trust your GPS!! Especially if you are a truck driver... with 80,000 pounds of dynamite! If your GPS offers a route up or down a steep grade in an ice storm, it’s because the other way had a curve and the DOT has cleared the hill! NASA and the DOT are in constant communication during winter. 

On brakes- don’t use them, they don’t work in icy conditions anyway. The only time braking is advised is to check road conditions. If you are unsure whether or not you are traveling on black ice, a quick assertive stomp and release of the brake pedal is your litmus test.

It is important to not be trapped behind slower moving vehicles. You never want to be the middle pancake. Tailgate the forward vehicle while passive aggressively flashing your lights and honking your horn to warn them of the danger you are in. The decreased distance between your vehicle and their vehicle will limit the inertia of impact if you are rear ended. It is of the utmost importance that you pass these slower moving vehicles. Oncoming vehicles are required by winter driving doctrine to yield to drivers in your distressed and compromised position.

If you are ever involved in an accident, no matter the damage, do not move your vehicle. Instruct the other involved drivers you will have them arrested for tampering with evidence if they try to move their car. Take as many photos from as many different angles as possible regardless of other traffic.

Other drivers are required by Good Samaritan laws to stop and render you aid. If they drive around you, document their license plate numbers and provide them to the Traffic CSI unit upon their arrival. If a dispatcher tries to pull the “emergency road conditions” BS on you, immediately remind them who pays their salary and what you plan to bring up the next time you are at coffee with the chief.

In the event of an accident it is always the fault of the other car that came in “flying out of nowhere”! (This, along with testimony incriminating others who may or may not be present, should be your only statement to law enforcement, period.. oh, and reminding them who pays their salary.)

Safe winter driving is everyone’s responsibility, including Jesus Christ. If all else fails in a catastrophic pinch just close your eyes, hug yourself let Jesus take the wheel and hope for the freaking best!


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Offline stlaser

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2018, 11:27:10 PM »
 :popcorn:

Living in the remote north hoping Ken doesn’t bring H up here any time soon…..

Offline Bigdave_185

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2018, 11:44:43 PM »
Now where do I get these tires at?   


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Offline stlaser

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2018, 12:02:36 AM »
Gov surplus auction thread?
Living in the remote north hoping Ken doesn’t bring H up here any time soon…..

Offline TexasRedNeck

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2018, 06:14:40 AM »
LOL. It’s even worse in places that only get winter precip once every 5 years


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Offline Bear9350

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2018, 08:05:48 AM »
Even in WI there are plenty of people that don't know what to do or forget in the first snowfall.  A few years back I watched somebody jump out of the way of a out-of-control car entering a pile-up.  I was already in the middle-of said pile-up and successfully stopped in time to not hit anybody.  I watched in my mirrors, bracing for impact as 2 cars came flying in out of control.  The first one veered into the ditch to my left.  The second impacted the car directly in front of me while barely coming in contact with the corner of my front bumper.  All you could see was the scuff mark in the winter bumper cover I had installed at the time.  Now the two idiots involved in said impact get out of their vehicles to yell and scream words of encouragement to each other.  At this point a second wave of uncontrolled vehicles enter the ditch, colliding with an un-occupied vehicle in the ditch, while nearly missing its owner as he leapt out of the way.

Offline stlaser

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2018, 08:46:09 AM »
Few winters back a good friend who is a police officer in Indiana was working a wreck in icy conditions. For the record he is not the most athletic guy nor in that great of shape so afterwards his lack of normal athletic prowess was questioned quite often. Anyhow his squad car was behind said wrecked vehicles on the shoulder & there was a guard rail next to that. So apparently he looks up to see a semi trying to jack knife as it’s sliding towards him & his squad car. He has enough time to dive over the rail & down said embankment head over heals out of the way. Squad car was totaled & no one got hurt seriously.
Living in the remote north hoping Ken doesn’t bring H up here any time soon…..

Offline Wilbur

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2018, 09:52:50 AM »
Good safety tips there HC....Going to give this to my kids!

 :beercheers: :laugh:

Offline EL TATE

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2018, 11:11:17 AM »
This list of detailed instructions has been sent on to my well deserving sister, who backed her car into mine years ago because the defroster was "taking too long" and I "shouldn't have parked behind her anyway!"
Husband, Father, Gear guy, Patriot.

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2018, 02:07:09 PM »
Yikes!!! ^^^ Sounds like my flying advice, similar, indeed

Things like:
Never preflight the aircraft!! You will likely find something wrong and get less flight time!
If weather conditions are poor and you have lower visibility, get lower to the ground and go faster. That way you will pass all the power lines and towers faster exposing you to less danger overall
Fly into icing conditions! Ice makes stuff slicker, so your aircraft should go faster and save fuel
Do not file flight plans. They are paper. Paper comes from trees. Do not kill trees!
Fuel leaks are not all so bad. When fuel is leaking you can smell it. Should your fuel gage fail in flight, then as long as you continue to smell fuel, continue to fly

Yea, things like that^^^
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Offline cudakidd53

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2018, 03:28:47 PM »
Regardless of where you live or how often it snows:  You can’t fix stupid!
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Offline BobbyB

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #11 on: February 14, 2018, 03:31:50 PM »
Even in WI there are plenty of people that don't know what to do or forget in the first snowfall.  A few years back I watched somebody jump out of the way of a out-of-control car entering a pile-up.  I was already in the middle-of said pile-up and successfully stopped in time to not hit anybody.  I watched in my mirrors, bracing for impact as 2 cars came flying in out of control.  The first one veered into the ditch to my left.  The second impacted the car directly in front of me while barely coming in contact with the corner of my front bumper.  All you could see was the scuff mark in the winter bumper cover I had installed at the time.  Now the two idiots involved in said impact get out of their vehicles to yell and scream words of encouragement to each other.  At this point a second wave of uncontrolled vehicles enter the ditch, colliding with an un-occupied vehicle in the ditch, while nearly missing its owner as he leapt out of the way.

Even more fun is when they don't plow or haven't begun to plow and people abandon their vehicles in snowdrifts on the roads. Makes for a "fun" nighttime slalom course on narrow roads.
So, Bobby...being the calculating trained warrior NCO that you are.  Take the appropriate action, Execute!
your standard grunt level CQB is just putting rounds and rounds on scary stuff till it stops scaring you!

Online Bob Smith

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #12 on: February 14, 2018, 05:48:04 PM »
And when the plows get to the area, fighting all the abandoned cars just slows down their work. Every area has its own requirements for calling in the crews after hours. Just depends on where you are at the time. Plow trucks could be working but just not where you happen to be.

Offline BobbyB

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Re: Winter driving
« Reply #13 on: February 14, 2018, 06:39:27 PM »
And when the plows get to the area, fighting all the abandoned cars just slows down their work. Every area has its own requirements for calling in the crews after hours. Just depends on where you are at the time. Plow trucks could be working but just not where you happen to be.

Oh I know the different hours. I just know from before the county roads and on occasion even the main highways weren't touched. Good thing was I didn't have to deal with crazy prople attempting to drive on the road. Was quiet and peaceful.
So, Bobby...being the calculating trained warrior NCO that you are.  Take the appropriate action, Execute!
your standard grunt level CQB is just putting rounds and rounds on scary stuff till it stops scaring you!

 

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