GEEZ i cant beleive what just happened

[Coaster]

we've been getting somewhat pounded by weather the past 2 weeks and while i got my snow feet on i just slid through a red light through 4 lanes of traffic on my way to work. it's been snowing like a mother all day.

 

its been 90 minutes since this happened and my hands are still shaking, heart still beating fast. its amazing what adrenaline does, seems like times slows down to a crawl. i was about 250' from the intersection (28mph) when the light turned yellow so i put the brakes on (yes that far back. common here cuz its slippery) and i didnt slow down at all. i of course began to pump the brakes and everytime i pumped the brakes the car would go to the left or the right. by the time i was 50' in front of the intersection i had slowed down to about 27mph and the light was red. a geo metro (bronze whith white replcemant panels) was trying to turn left on the red light and thank god he couldnt quite get going because there was no way i was going to stop. he got about halfway into my lane and i decided to go into the 6' ditch instead of hitting other vehicles. it all happened so slowly it seems like it took about ten minutes and i was able to drive (slide) around the geo and get back onto the road. i was sure this was going to be the end of my car as well as someone elses if i didnt make it to the ditch.

 

when i got to the other side of the intersection i was amazed. that was the one possibility i did not see happening.

 

now i'm more worried that someone is going to report me for reckless driving and the cops are going to call me in a day or two (has happened before). i called the police to report the intersection as someone else with less snow feet on will crash in that disaster, but they didnt seem phased at all.

 

man. i was having a not too bad a day so far. after this last bout of snow the roof in my shop 'moved' some supports around on me and tweaked out a beam really bad. that had me pretty scared for a few days while a friend and i jacked up the roof, took out some older beams and put some new treated 6x6's in where the old ones were. with that out of the way my week could only get beter, right?

[RoadRanger]

That sucks - did it once myself with a 53 foot trailer on. Slight downhill to a red light, I came down the hill at 10mph and couldn't slow down at all .

[agedhorse]

Yikes.

[witesol]

wow

[Craig Vecchione]

Holy cow, those really get you to maximum heartrate!

 

 

People are bad drivers in this area, and precip of any form really causes them problems. I simply stay home, as it's not worth the risk dealing with people who think 4wd means they can drive 48mph on ice.

[Jerry007]

Winter driving is tough... The road can take on so many variations of 'slippery' depending on the temp, type/amount of precipitation, etc. It's near impossible to tell by sight what you're in for - you just have to feel it out...

[Coaster]

the roads are in fair condition everywhere but where i slid (well, AFAIK anyway, i'm sure there are other bad spots too), something about that spot made it slicker than ball bearings in hot butter on a teflon pan. it was right in front of the landfill and snow dump, where dumptrucks/garbage trucks/semi trucks turn in and pull out all day/night. i dont know if they pack the snow down and turn it to glare ice or what but on the other side of the intersection was dry road (with blowing snow).

 

i'm going to avoid that intersection in the winter from now on. there are a couple intersections where i have nearly been killed (and others!) that i avoid like the plague. i just hope its over and i dont get a call from the sheriff in a couple days.

[BillESC]

Glad you're ok.

[Bobby1Note]

Glad to hear you're ok Coaster. An experience like that, can put the fear of God into any man.

 

Do the local authorities not put down some sand or salt at those intersections? It seems irresponsable of them if they don't.

 

Here in Quebec, we have to put on bonafide "winter tires", as of Dec. 15th. It's the law. "mud & snow" tire, are not allowed. You need bonafide "winter" tires, with the lil' mountain and snow-flake logo on the sidewalls.

 

Bob

[Coaster]

when i called it in the police said they would send a sand truck down there. and if you beleive they will do anything at all about it well i got a bridge in new york i'll give ya if you pay shipping.

 

a lot of roads have dirt (fargo) and salt (moorhead) but this one section was glare white.

 

i've been in a number of wreckups before and this one was exactly the same - except no one hit anyone. i still had the same feelings/time slowing down/instictive head for the ditch instead of other people but i drove away from it.

 

its been about 3.5 hours since and i am still funny about it.

 

when i was a kid i had a dog in tucson AZ, and one day she decided to run across 4 lanes of BUSY traffic, she ran right across to the other side and right back to my side and the whole time i kept thinking" how the hell did she do that and not get clobbered?" thats how i feel. how the heck did i get through 4 lanes of traffic and a left turner?

 

unless of course, i didnt and this is my purgatory.

[jkm]

The white death is upon us here in cincy thurday morning

 

glad your safe, have a drink or what ever helps

 

im a big fan of a few clicks on the emergency brake and

low gear.

 

if its rear wheel drive locking the brakes and going to reverse

is fun if not a bit scary as you tend to end up going the other

direction but for slow moving it has worked for me to bring

a sliding ride to a stop if its not all ice...

 

now watch i be the one to crash tomorrow hopefully not

 

 

stay safe ladys and gents

[Speedhead]

 

Glad to hear you're ok Coaster. An experience like that, can put the fear of God into any man. Do the local authorities not put down some sand or salt at those intersections? It seems irresponsable of them if they don't. Here in Quebec, we have to put on bonafide "winter tires", as of Dec. 15th. It's the law. "mud & snow" tire, are not allowed. You need bonafide "winter" tires, with the lil' mountain and snow-flake logo on the sidewalls. Bob

 

 

Decided to buy a set of real winter tires last year and notice a very noticeable improvement over the "All Season" tires i used to have on my truck.

 

 

 

 

Havent had a vehicle without anti-lock brakes for quite some time now so pumping the brakes is counterproductive for me! Sounds like a pretty scary moment! My heart would be pumping still too!

[basschaplain]

Glad your ok, other than your nerves.

There's two intersections I have to drive through with similar problems (till the sand trucks can get there).

Thankfully, around here we get so much snow that we can either rub against the bank to slow down or just run into the snow to stop.

[Coaster]

its been my expeience that anti lock brakes cause more accidents than regular brakes in this area. people tend to panic when the buzzing, pedal pushing back at you sensation happens and just press harder and freeze.

 

i've only run into one person in the last 17 years (and one before that) and that was in an antilock brake vehicle. except for today i can usually control the vehicle better with normal brakes. however i have had quite the number of folks run into me, all with antilock brakes.

[RoadRanger]

people tend to panic when the buzzing, pedal pushing back at you sensation happens and just press harder and freeze.

I thought that is what you're supposed to do? My understanding is most folks panic and let off on the brakes when they "buzz" which is the wrong thing to do?

[Hegmatronicon]

 

its been my expeience that anti lock brakes cause more accidents than regular brakes in this area. people tend to panic when the buzzing, pedal pushing back at you sensation happens and just press harder and freeze. i've only run into one person in the last 17 years (and one before that) and that was in an antilock brake vehicle. except for today i can usually control the vehicle better with normal brakes. however i have had quite the number of folks run into me, all with antilock brakes.

 

 

Anti-lock brakes dont make up for ppl being stupid.

 

They just ensure the brakes dont lock up preventing you from steering.

 

I think everyone - EVERYONE should have some form of "out of control" training when they get their license. As in - they get taken to a driving school that specialises in teaching ppl how to handle emergency situations and how to handle an "out of control" car.

[Hegmatronicon]

 

I thought that is what you're supposed to do? My understanding is most folks panic and let off on the brakes when they "buzz" which is the wrong thing to do?

 

 

Yup. Pressing harder doesnt do anything. Taking your foot OFF is the wrong thing to do. The thing to do is brake - AND remember to steer around whatever you are unintentionally aiming for.

The trick is - not mentally "freezing". It's tough to do. Hence my post about "car control" courses above.

[J the D]

As a lifelong Florida boy I don't do cold weather. When I married my wife I told her if she needed to go home to Indiana between October and May I'd pick her up at the airport when she got back and that worked very, very well until her dad died the day after Christmas in 1993.

 

Had the family in the car in the Hoosier state on what I thought were dry roads going to the funeral. We were on a slight downhill slope to a major intersection on a 4 lane road and I tried to brake very early as soon as the light ahead started to change but apparently hit black ice.

 

I tried to get some braking action by pumping the brakes to no avail. Figured we'd be better in the median where I might get some traction in the dirt than blowing through the intersection but there was no reaction to turning the steering wheel in any direction. I had time to tell the kids to make sure their seat belts were tight and to sit back in their seats to prepare for the impact. Thankfully the waiting cars just sat there after their light turned green and watched us blow through the intersection with little if any reduction in speed.

 

That was the first time I went north in the winter during our marriage. The second time was a couple of years later to bury my mother-in-law in February. Other than those two trips I have not been north of Gainesville, FL in cold weather in our 20+ years of marriage but I know the arrivals section of our airport very well.

[gonzobassman]

Hey Coaster! When your hands quit shaking,and your heart gets back to normal,I would suggest buying a lottery ticket! Seems like today is your lucky day!!!

[Craig Vecchione]

 

its been my expeience that anti lock brakes cause more accidents than regular brakes in this area. people tend to panic when the buzzing, pedal pushing back at you sensation happens and just press harder and freeze. i've only run into one person in the last 17 years (and one before that) and that was in an antilock brake vehicle. except for today i can usually control the vehicle better with normal brakes. however i have had quite the number of folks run into me, all with antilock brakes.

 

 

Anti-lock brakes are not causing more accidents. More cars on the road have ABS so the chances of a car in an accident having them is simply more common.

 

If there's near-zero traction, ABS won't help much, as you still won't have enough traction to steer. It's not magic, but people seem to think it is, and then when it doesn't magically save them, they want to blame something other than themselves, so they blame the ABS.

 

In my years in auto service depts. I heard about every excuse, rationalization and accusation imaginable. Few were legit. In many accidents from which I received bodyshop work, failure to maintain safe following distance was a cause or a contributor. Simply backing off is much more effectve than any mechanical system we can design. So is staying home.

[BlueHeaven]

I slide into a busy interection New Years Eve morning, when there was some very slippery snow/slush on the ground on the way to work. If was only about 2 inches, but it was a very slippery mixture and the roads hadn't been touched yet.

 

Same deal, only going about 25 and coming to a yellow light, so I lightly hit the brakes, ABS kicks in right away as soon as I tapped them, and I just kept sliding no matter what I did, right into the middle of the interection. Luckily, the traffic had a delayed green for a turning lane, else it would have been a big mess.

 

Nice way to start off your day.

[srp72ee]

My driveway is 300 ft. long and rises 100 ft in elevation. They are calling for 3 to 8 more inches of snow in the next 24 hours. Welcome to winter in Ohio.

 

Snow isn't too bad, although I have slid my F250 down backwards trying to get home. Ice or freezing rain brings me to a halt!

[Bobby1Note]

ABS on black ice, is basically useless. You can't rely on ABS to "stop" the vehicle in that situation,,, only to allow you to steer around a problem. That's cool, as long as you have a place to steer "to". If you're boxed in on both sides, and there's a vehicle in front of you, you're toast. ABS won't stop you. Quite simply, driving speed has to match the conditions. If you have to crawl, so be it.

 

Another point; tire condition, such as proper type of tires and tread condition/depth, can dramatically affect the performance of an ABS system. You can have the best tires available on the vehicle, but if they're worn beyond a properly functioning depth, they're useless. The best policy , regardless of tire type, is to adjust your speed to the conditions, and think defensively. Prepare for the worst, before it happens. Even on snow (vs ice), you still have to dramatically increase calculated stopping distance.

 

Bob

[Bobby1Note]

 

My driveway is 300 ft. long and rises 100 ft in elevation. They are calling for 3 to 8 more inches of snow in the next 24 hours. Welcome to winter in Ohio. Snow isn't too bad, although I have slid my F250 down backwards trying to get home. Ice or freezing rain brings me to a halt!

 

 

My driveway is fairly steep as well. For me, I get the best results when I take the car "out of gear" before starting down the hill. I crawl down the driveway in neutral, feathering the brakes, advancing just a bit at a time. Helps a LOT. With the vehicle in neutral, the brakes are not fighting the pull of the engine, especially if the vehicle is idling fast because the engine hasn't warmed up yet.

[srp72ee]

 

My driveway is fairly steep as well. For me, I get the best results when I take the car "out of gear" before starting down the hill. I crawl down the driveway in neutral, feathering the brakes, advancing just a bit at a time. Helps a LOT. With the vehicle in neutral, the brakes are not fighting the pull of the engine, especially if the vehicle is idling fast because the engine hasn't warmed up yet.

 

 

Yup. Putting the vehicle in neutral keeps the drive train from "pushing" you down the hill. I've also found that riding the brakes slightly while backing out of the garage to clean off any oxidation from the road salt helps keep braking even on all 4 tires.