Sunday, December 13, 2009

Dashing through the snow.......right into a ditch

So, this won't be a long post, but certainly one dear to my frozen, truck driving heart.

This past week in Iowa there was quite a bit of snow. Some, including the National Weather Service, would call it a blizzard. I would call it "Look at all the idiots drive" snow.

A foot or so of snow combined with 40 MPH winds make for white knuckle driving at best and deadly driving at worst.

After the storm, Interstate 80 looked like a demolition derby. Semis and cars were everywhere. In Ditches, in the median, in the woods in all sorts of positions. On their sides, tops and some were even still upright.

One type of vehicle I noticed a lot were four wheel drive SUV's and trucks. Why is that? 4 wheel drive is supposed to give you better traction right. I think they may also give a lot of drivers a false sense of security. Just because you have 4WD does not mean you are impervious to accidents.

So remember these tips when driving in snow and ice REGARDLESS of vehicle type.

1) SLOW DOWN!- That about says it. I don't have anything else to add. Don't go out if you don't have too. If you do have to go out, slow down and leave plenty of space between you and the other fella. The "stay home" part may be inconvenient, but it a much better option than the "End up in the hospital" option.

Be safe Ya'll