And people say southerners don't know how to drive in snow!

You are all southerners to us up here.

On a serious note I do remember going to NYC to visit the wife’s relatives before our wedding and they didn’t seem to know what the defrost button on the hvac is for. Stopped twice on the side of a highway to clear the snow and ice from his wipers and windshield.

In reality large numbers of people anywhere are bad drivers and up here in Toronto we get hundreds of calls to police and tow trucks after the first big dump. There are still lots of people who don’t have winter tires and thinks AWD somehow makes it safe to drive in bad conditions. One time I drove down to Union station after an ice storm and lost count of the number of cars in ditches on the side of the highway. All of them were SUVs. Another time I was going a steady speed towards an off ramp and someone in a 4matic Mercedes thought I was too slow, tried to pass and on acceleration lost the back, couldn’t handle it and went nose into the guard rails. Similar situation another time going over a bridge with an Audi a6 I watch tries to do a pass and ended up doing a 180 spin on the spot.
 
Everyone sucks at driving in the snow. It's just that for some people, the trouble starts at 1/2 inch of snow and for others, it's more like 1/2 foot of snow before the trouble starts.
 
Well this southerner was late to work last month. Doesn’t matter where you’re from, snow and hills don’t mix well.

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I've always tried to abide by the philosophy that "4x4 is never gonna trump physics". So far it's worked pretty well, and we get some pretty nasty road conditions here sometimes in flyover country.
With pretty well every one of these massive pileups, I find myself amazed at how fast the traffic was moving in sometimes really terrible visibility. If you can't stop in the distance that you can see, bad stuff is pretty likely to happen at some point.
 
I lived in an area known for 'horizontal snowstorms' where 40kt winds and heavy lake snow meant the vis was about....oh 24 inches.
People would come to cottage country and end up in the ditch with these awesome "all-weather, all-terrain" vehicles.
Apparently they were thinking blue skies, and 2 feet of snow, "I've got 4WD, I can go through anything"
Um, yeah - if you can actually see the road.
 
Brad Z said:
Where in the article did it say drivers were going 75mph?
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It was someone speculating in the comments; not in the article. But people all over do tend to drive too fast for conditions.
 
Living in Atlanta for a year and having come from the Northeast, my wife and I would grab a six pack and just watch the cars in the rare snow storm for entertainment. One theory is that if you aren't moving forward when you accelerate it's because you didn't accelerate enough. Another theory is that since the other cars are going slowly on the five lane divided highway it's time to pass everyone, so if we stood on the overpass we were nearly assured of seeing a few cars spin off the road.
 
I've been all over the country in all kinds of weather. It seems to me that the worst drivers are in cities where most of the people are from somewhere else.
It's pretty bad here in Florida, where there are way more transplants than native Floridians.
Atlanta was really bad there too, and of the hundreds of people I knew there, only a few were actually from Atlanta, or even from Georgia.

Similarly, but different, they had planned to put in roundabouts down here in Florida a few years ago. But the protest was that you couldn't have 20 Somethings driving 70mph on the same roundabout with 70 somethings driving 20. Different driving styles don't mesh up. They MASH up,
 
Shortly after my uncle moved from NJ to San Antonio there was an ice storm with 1/2” of snow. It paralyzed the city. People were trying to scrape off windshields with credit cards (who in San Antonio would have a scraper?).

By noon it all melted.
 
I think one variable, perhaps small, in this old wives tale is that up north the ground is typically frozen but when it snows in the south you'll get tougher conditions with ice under the snow or whatever.... it can be tougher conditions in the South
add to that the lack of proper salting and plowing
add to that the lack of snow tires
and then you get to the out of practice or just plain unknowing drivers
 
Brad W said:
I think one variable, perhaps small, in this old wives tale is that up north the ground is typically frozen but when it snows in the south you'll get tougher conditions with ice under the snow or whatever.... it can be tougher conditions in the South
add to that the lack of proper salting and plowing
add to that the lack of snow tires
and then you get to the out of practice or just plain unknowing drivers
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From a macro perspective, southern cities are typically much less prepared for snow. They don't have the armies of contract plows, brine and sand depots to treat and tend to the road before and after the storm. Also, south of the mason dixon line, snow events (versus rain events) can be harder to predict so it's difficult to properly plan.
 
Brad Z said:
From a macro perspective, southern cities are typically much less prepared for snow.
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Our county of 370,000 has one plow truck and two salt trucks. Yeah, it will take a while to deal with any significant snowfall.
 
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Brad W said:
I think one variable, perhaps small, in this old wives tale is that up north the ground is typically frozen but when it snows in the south you'll get tougher conditions with ice under the snow or whatever.... it can be tougher conditions in the South
add to that the lack of proper salting and plowing
add to that the lack of snow tires
and then you get to the out of practice or just plain unknowing drivers
Click to expand...
It's not an old wives trail about the freezing rain. It's fairly common for those in the South to get freezing rain/sleet before the temps drop enough to convert the precipitation to snow. Compound that with only getting an few inches of snow and there's not much snow to provide grip. You also can't plow ice, so clearing the roads isn't going to happen. We also often get a warm up the day after a snow so it melts and then re-freezes the next night into a lovely ice skating rink lol.
 
I heard about a particular ice storm in Louisville when I was in college, when my roommates girlfriend came up to visit. She had slid through an intersection and hit a brick entryway structure at a housing development. The first cop to arrive on the scene slid through the intersection and hit her car. The second cop to arrive on the scene slid through the intersection and hit the first police car. The third cop on the scene slid through the intersection and managed to miss the three cars, but also hit the brick entryway structure. No injuries to anyone, fortunately.
 
GaryM said:
I heard about a particular ice storm in Louisville when I was in college, when my roommates girlfriend came up to visit. She had slid through an intersection and hit a brick entryway structure at a housing development. The first cop to arrive on the scene slid through the intersection and hit her car. The second cop to arrive on the scene slid through the intersection and hit the first police car. The third cop on the scene slid through the intersection and managed to miss the three cars, but also hit the brick entryway structure. No injuries to anyone, fortunately.
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Did the police cite the girlfriend for reckless driving?
 
Velocity173 said:
Yeah there was some ice involved as well. My neighborhood was a mini apocalypse.
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This is why, despite growing up and driving in a hilly snowy area, I avoid driving here in the south when it snows. Almost a certainty that some Red Bull drinking four wheel driving redneck is going to take you out.
 
SoonerAviator said:
It's not an old wives trail about the freezing rain. It's fairly common for those in the South to get freezing rain/sleet before the temps drop enough to convert the precipitation to snow. Compound that with only getting an few inches of snow and there's not much snow to provide grip. You also can't plow ice, so clearing the roads isn't going to happen. We also often get a warm up the day after a snow so it melts and then re-freezes the next night into a lovely ice skating rink lol.
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I live near Austin and years ago I worked for three guys from Denver. This was before we really had a way to send out group messages to tell employees to stay home, so I drove in to open the building just in case people showed up. One of the owners showed up, parked his Ford Explorer and got out ranting. He couldn't believe people weren't coming to work. He was complaining about how Texans couldn't handle winter roads, etc. I stopped him and told him we could continue the conversation, but he should probably go get his car first... he turned around to see it sliding away! After that, he understood black ice!

Looks like we're in for an icing event here, maybe through Wednesday. Hopefully everyone stays safe.
 
Lowflynjack said:
I live near Austin and years ago I worked for three guys from Denver. This was before we really had a way to send out group messages to tell employees to stay home, so I drove in to open the building just in case people showed up. One of the owners showed up, parked his Ford Explorer and got out ranting. He couldn't believe people weren't coming to work. He was complaining about how Texans couldn't handle winter roads, etc. I stopped him and told him we could continue the conversation, but he should probably go get his car first... he turned around to see it sliding away! After that, he understood black ice!

Looks like we're in for an icing event here, maybe through Wednesday. Hopefully everyone stays safe.
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We've got a pretty good about of sleet covering the roads in Tulsa at the moment. All schools were cancelled, but my wife decided to venture to the office to take care of all of those women who weren't going to miss their pap smears and annual check-ups, lol. If she wrecks her car on the way home I'm going to be livid.
 
Lowflynjack said:
I live near Austin and years ago I worked for three guys from Denver. This was before we really had a way to send out group messages to tell employees to stay home, so I drove in to open the building just in case people showed up. One of the owners showed up, parked his Ford Explorer and got out ranting. He couldn't believe people weren't coming to work.
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In the 1980's I went to work for a company in Atlanta. That first winter it we had a prediction of snow and the company sent out word that people should not come to work. The next week around mid-day it started to snow lightly and the company sent everyone home. Having just moved back to Atlanta from Philadelphia, I asked my supervisor why they were so cautious about snow. It turned out that a few years ago they had a fairly wicked ice storm, but they required everyone to either come to work, use a personal day or not get paid. Well, a group of younger employees decided to carpool in a 4wd drive vehicle and were killed when a tractor trailer slid into them. The company lost a huge lawsuit and decided it was cheaper to shut down than risk that again.
 
Bill said:
This is why, despite growing up and driving in a hilly snowy area, I avoid driving here in the south when it snows. Almost a certainty that some Red Bull drinking four wheel driving redneck is going to take you out.
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Hey! Who you calling a redneck?
 
Many year's ago I worked for a company whose inclement weather policy was 'The Center Never Closes. Located in a town whose cops were as ticket-happy as you'll ever find.

I'd only been there a couple of years when the state declared a snow emergency, and the town PD--who you'd think might have better things to do in a snow emergency--put two squad cars at our entrance ticketing each and every employee who showed up to work.

We were fortunate in that I didn't hear of anyone getting injured trying to make it in to work, but the employee outcry was enough that the company eventually had to reimburse everyone for their tickets. They softened their inclement weather policy after that.
 
GaryM said:
Many year's ago I worked for a company whose inclement weather policy was 'The Center Never Closes. Located in a town whose cops were as ticket-happy as you'll ever find.

I'd only been there a couple of years when the state declared a snow emergency, and the town PD--who you'd think might have better things to do in a snow emergency--put two squad cars at our entrance ticketing each and every employee who showed up to work.

We were fortunate in that I didn't hear of anyone getting injured trying to make it in to work, but the employee outcry was enough that the company eventually had to reimburse everyone for their tickets. They softened their inclement weather policy after that.
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I have not heard of the police or sheriffs around here writing tickets for being out, even if it's a warning, or emergency. I've made a few rescue runs over the years during the warnings to pick up stranded people. Also keep a heavy duty tow strap in the truck.
 
JOhnH said:
In the 1980's I went to work for a company in Atlanta. That first winter it we had a prediction of snow and the company sent out word that people should not come to work. The next week around mid-day it started to snow lightly and the company sent everyone home. Having just moved back to Atlanta from Philadelphia, I asked my supervisor why they were so cautious about snow. It turned out that a few years ago they had a fairly wicked ice storm, but they required everyone to either come to work, use a personal day or not get paid. Well, a group of younger employees decided to carpool in a 4wd drive vehicle and were killed when a tractor trailer slid into them. The company lost a huge lawsuit and decided it was cheaper to shut down than risk that again.
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To add to my above post, since we had critical operations that needed to be manned (or woman'd) around the clock, the company also built out an area in the top floor of the building to be like an apartment that could feed about 20 people and provide places for them to sleep. Those lucky souls earned tons of overtime since they had to be there in advance of any approaching storm and stay through the storm. But the beds were comfortable and the food was pretty good.
 
Bill said:
This is why, despite growing up and driving in a hilly snowy area, I avoid driving here in the south when it snows. Almost a certainty that some Red Bull drinking four wheel driving redneck is going to take you out.
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That was this guy in the Ford truck. Went past the little white car at the bottom and they told him he wouldn’t make it. I watched him slide right into the other two vehicles. For sale sign on it too.

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Velocity173 said:
That was this guy in the Ford truck. Went past the little white car at the bottom and they told him he wouldn’t make it. I watched him slide right into the other two vehicles. For sale sign on it too.

View attachment 114391
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Did no one attempt to put two tires off the pavement in order to get some traction?
 
Too much playing "Is the deer on the road or am I in the woods"... I'll stick to the regions where people expect that any amount of snow means everyone should stay home.
 
bflynn said:
Too much playing "Is the deer on the road or am I in the woods"... I'll stick to the regions where people expect that any amount of snow means everyone should stay home.
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You wouldn't survive in Ottawa. 6" of snow doesn't faze anyone there (or at least didn't 20 years ago...)
 
Bob Noel said:
You wouldn't survive in Ottawa. 6" of snow doesn't faze anyone there (or at least didn't 20 years ago...)
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School districts have gotten soft around here. They cancelled last Friday and we only got about 1-1/2". I can't remember having a snow day unless we got about 8" overnight. For me, as long as my bumper clears the snow, I'll be out and about. Sometimes it's just fun to have the whole road to yourself.
 
Bob Noel said:
You wouldn't survive in Ottawa. 6" of snow doesn't faze anyone there (or at least didn't 20 years ago...)
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I didn't say I couldn't I just prefer not to. I wintered over in Edmonton once for a work project. Ugh. I've personally experienced the trivia fact that -40F is the same as -40C and plow banks on the side of the street taller than I am.
 
We started to get freezing rain about 5:30 this morning. I left work at normal time, 7:00. Had to stop after two hours to hit the head. Got home just before 10:00. MedStar, the local Fort Worth meat wagon bunch, had already responded to 59 transport calls between 5:30 and 6:30 this morning. Radio said there had been more than 100 accidents already when I hit the road out of the plant. I saw probably 30 vehicles either in ditches, up embankments, upside down or piled together while on the way home. What was scary, is that it hasn't been cold enough over the last few days to make the roads cold enough for the freezing rain and sleet to stick, but it's sticking and in places that I've only seen ice up once or twice in 40+ years living in this area.

Freezing precip now, along with some occasional thunder, and at least an inch of white crap on the ground and streets now in areas. Traffic systems are showing 25 minute travel times between my subdivision entrance and the pizza joint about 3 miles down the road. :eek:

Trying to decide if I'm going to call in now, before bed, or wait til I normally get up.... Not a chance I'm headed to work tonight.
 
All cars are four wheel brake. Some are four wheel accelerate. It is amazing how many people cannot distinguish between the two.

Tim
 
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