NEWS FLASH!!!

[Guest092216]

Not "Holy Robin balls?!" Lol

[OldGrump]

Originally Posted by Lust4xxxLife

4WD doesn't matter on ice. If you pulled people out, you weren't on ice.

The false belief that 4WD matters on ice gets a lot of inexperienced southerners killed. Let's try to end that myth and save some lives.

L4L

The refrozen ice is the worst. And 4WD won't do squat. If you can get a bite, it may help a little. What really gets those guys in trouble is 4WD doesn't stop any better than sticking your foot out the door and dragging it. They all slide and only chains or studs (the little things you screw into tires and not what the 4WD owners think they are).

Hold it steady. Give lots of distance when braking ever so lightly. Watch your rear view mirror (so you can gently change lanes if need be).

Or snuggle up with a good book and wait a few days. It won't last long here.

[bored@home]

My only part to add to this is....don't drive with you hazards on just because it is slick. Unless you have side markers or signal mirrors no one behind you can tell if you are turning or other.

Also, for humor, Saturday morning I got to witness the ultimate morons in my book.

Kia rio, hazards, speeding, Driver: eating with one hand, holding the phone in front of his face with the other, driving with a knee I guess. Passenger: window down smoking, Backseat: car seat facing the wrong way.... all framed with the back window covered in anti abortion, Jesus saves, and baby on board stickers.

I wanted so bad to get phone to video it to highlight the worlds safest car "god looks out for children and fools" but decided to keep both hands on the wheel and give them a wide berth.

[Guest092216]

Originally Posted by bored@home

My only part to add to this is....don't drive with you hazards on just because it is slick. Unless you have side markers or signal mirrors no one behind you can tell if you are turning or other.

Also, for humor, Saturday morning I got to witness the ultimate morons in my book.

Kia rio, hazards, speeding, Driver: eating with one hand, holding the phone in front of his face with the other, driving with a knee I guess. Passenger: window down smoking, Backseat: car seat facing the wrong way.... all framed with the back window covered in anti abortion, Jesus saves, and baby on board stickers.

I wanted so bad to get phone to video it to highlight the worlds safest car "god looks out for children and fools" but decided to keep both hands on the wheel and give them a wide berth.

(was it at least an infant/convertable seat? those are meant to face the rear of the vehicle.)

[bored@home]

Originally Posted by thathottnurse

(was it at least an infant/convertable seat? those are meant to face the rear of the vehicle.)

Infant facing forward

[Guest092216]

Oh wow...hmm

[LazurusLong]

Due to growing up where Winter typically started dropping snow as early as September some years and the last snowfall could be in April, one of the best improvements in vehicles has been the anti-lock braking systems.

Sadly, too many folks have never felt that brake pedal pulsing as the anti-lock system kicks in so they sometimes take their foot off the brakes or worse, revert to the old style method of pumping the brakes which in cars with anti-lock systems will defeat that system's attempt to keep you on the road.

Several years back I was up in a northern state and a relative with a temporary training license asked me if they could drive to the store. I said sure and off we went.

Before getting to the destination, I directed the driver to a huge empty parking lot and once inside and off the road I said to floor it and the driver did and learned what it felt like for the rear end of a rear wheel drive vehicle to bust loose.

Once straightened out, and we picked up some speed (again, this was a HUGE parking lot), I said to stand on the brakes. I told the driver this was to mimic a panic stop.

The pulsing brake pedal startled the new driver. A lot.

So once I had the driver stand on the brakes again the vehicle came to a safe stop without sliding at all and it didn't take that long to stop.

We repeated that lesson a few more times to make sure the driver understood the rules about traction and braking on ice/snow covered roads and also knew that if in a vehicle with anti-lock brakes to not let up once the brakes are applied if they really need to stop.

I was told that no one else in their family had ever taught them that information.

Because this was a just turned 16 year old who in many cases is a prime candidate for one of those young fatalities we see on the news all the time all over the country, I hoped that lesson will keep not just that driver but other drivers they knew alive because my relative promised me they would talk to their friends and have them ask their own parents or relatives to do what I did.

The recent ice here in Dallas would have been perfect to teach anyone these same things but especially the very young drivers so they would KNOW what to expect on ice or slippery roads.

More years than I care to count in my past, I had a friend who worked at the General Motors tech Center and before he was allowed to drive any of the test cars, he had to take and pass their advanced driving course and that included all kinds of things like the slick track and cobblestone pavement and the car was rigged so the instructor could disable various brakes on any or all wheels and if the car so much as got too close to a barrier you would fail.

He was a good driver before that course but he was an excellent driver after that.

If you have kids who are just learning to drive, either teach them these things or take them to an advanced driving school to learn.

It could not only save their lives but the lives of many others.

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Now, as to the 4 wheel drive issue. 4 wheel DRIVE does not mean 4 wheel STOP.