Why do so many people NOT know how to drive in the snow?

[88keys]

I swear people must lose half of their IQ at the sight of snow, and it seems like it's getting worse. A month ago, I left for work and it had just started snowing, but NOTHING was on the roads yet. Less than a mile into my commute home and I see a gridlock. It took me over 2 hours to drive 15 miles. I saw 3 accidents on the way and nearly got caught in one myself because some idiot was coming down a hill too fast.

For 7 years I drove a real wheel drive Chevy S10 though some real nasty shit and I've never wrecked, and I've never been stuck to the point that I needed to pushed or pulled out.

The car I drive now has traction and stability control as most cars do now, and you know that stuff really seems to help. You can just drive normal in most situations, but you still have to watch your braking distance, and how you take your turns.

Sometimes I wonder if people are just becoming too dependent on this technology, and just expect it to be able to recover any loss of control.

Either way. From now on, I plan to stay home when the weather is bad. Too many idiots, and it's not worth the risk anymore.

 

[SandEagle]

if you can't deal with it, stay home.

 

[Markbnj]

Most people can't drive on dry roads. You didn't expect the number to go down during a storm, did you?

 

[rudeguy]

Let me help where your dad failed:

Rule #1 in life: People are stupid
Rule #2 in life: People are assholes

The sooner you accept those two things, the easier your life will be.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah it's pretty sad. I think the people who cause grid locks should be held liable. If they can't drive then they should not have a license.

 

[DrPizza]

Yeah it's pretty sad. I think the people who cause grid locks should be held liable. If they can't drive then they should not have a license.

To be honest about it though, even up here where we get a lot of snow, I see a lot of people who make blunders the first time or two when it's snowing. It takes them a little while to get used to it again.

It's almost a natural reaction to jam on the brakes in a car when you start spinning or feel the tires slipping on the road surface. Of course, the only worse reaction would be unbuckling your seat belt at that point. Just a couple weeks ago, I watched someone guilty of the brake thing for about 10 miles. There was a semi in the right lane, and this idiot kept trying to pass the semi. He couldn't successfully pass in the left lane because every time he felt his tires slip a little bit, he was instantly on the brakes (at least I assume that's the reason for it.) 10-15 minutes later, he finally accepted his lot in life and moved back in behind the semi, giving me my turn. Sure, the tires slipped occasionally, or the slush would occasionally pull the car slightly left or right in the lane, but it was simply a matter of letting off on the gas & then easing back onto the gas, and I was quickly around the semi and putting a safe distance (more than usual) between us before changing lanes - which due to the slush also took a lot longer than normal.

 

[Soundmanred]

A related thread by the Queen Of Complaining:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2366949

 

[Newell Steamer]

I love the people who gun the gas when they get stuck in the snow. Yes, thats it, turn the soft snow into a patted down patch of ice,... you'll get of there by Spring time.

 

[Pardus]

My neighbor was trying to get out his spot with his 4 x 2 truck, he kept gunning it over and over, after about 20 mins, he finally got out of his truck, spent 3 mins cleaning the path in front of him and was on his way.

FYI: Atlanta was shut down with 2 inches of snow.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/video/south-parked-20140131

 

[NoCreativity]

To be honest about it though, even up here where we get a lot of snow, I see a lot of people who make blunders the first time or two when it's snowing. It takes them a little while to get used to it again.

It's almost a natural reaction to jam on the brakes in a car when you start spinning or feel the tires slipping on the road surface. Of course, the only worse reaction would be unbuckling your seat belt at that point. Just a couple weeks ago, I watched someone guilty of the brake thing for about 10 miles. There was a semi in the right lane, and this idiot kept trying to pass the semi. He couldn't successfully pass in the left lane because every time he felt his tires slip a little bit, he was instantly on the brakes (at least I assume that's the reason for it.) 10-15 minutes later, he finally accepted his lot in life and moved back in behind the semi, giving me my turn. Sure, the tires slipped occasionally, or the slush would occasionally pull the car slightly left or right in the lane, but it was simply a matter of letting off on the gas & then easing back onto the gas, and I was quickly around the semi and putting a safe distance (more than usual) between us before changing lanes - which due to the slush also took a lot longer than normal.

The amount of unnecessary braking I see on a daily basis astounds me. It's like they teach people that they must be pushing one of the pedals at all times.

 

[Phoenix86]

Southern ice, it's migratory.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Most people can't drive on dry roads. You didn't expect the number to go down during a storm, did you?

Couple that with the fact that they're not trained to and the general idiotic machismo of modern man. "What, blizzard? Fuck, I'll still drive 90, I've got AWD!"

 

[rudeguy]

Couple that with the fact that they're not trained to and the general idiotic machismo of modern man. "What, blizzard? Fuck, I'll still drive 90, I've got AWD!"

That is the main problem. People rely so much on their vehicle's technology that they never learn how to handle a situation. Yes AWD/4WD lets you drive in snow, works great. But that doesn't help when you hit ice, especially the dreaded souther ice. ABS works great when its slippery out but its going to take longer to stop and doesn't do shit on ice, especially the dreaded southern ice.

 

[Midwayman]

Better than half the people on the road shouldn't be allowed to drive in good conditions. God help those drivers in bad conditions with cars in poor repair.

 

[Leyawiin]

Some of us are fortunate enough to not have to worry about it.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Ehh, most of what I see is Idiots driving 20mph on long straightaways because they are stupid. This typically causes me delays every day if there's any snow on the ground, even if the roads are generally cleared and it's safe to go 50-60mph.

Otherwise, this is what typically happens and causes wrecks...
Idiots tailgating because they are assholes.
Idiots going much too fast around slippery corners because they are stupid

So, I agree with Rude. The assholes and stupid people fvck it up for anybody else. (I say anybody else, because I'm not sure there's very many people left.)

 

[Oyeve]

TBH, penn drivers are some of the worst drivers I have ever seen. Used to be NJ drivers but lots of NYers moves to NJ and all the shitty NJ drivers have moved to Penn. Really, as a NY driver I avoid NJ and PA divers when i am on the road.

 

[EliteRetard]

Most people are so stupid they don't even take the snow off their car before driving. Then the shit flies off in a huge chunk and slams the guy tailgating causing them to go wild usually resulting in an accident. I avoid driving in the snow as much as possible, not because I can't do it...but because of the insanity and stupidity of other drivers.

 

[DrPizza]

Most people are so stupid they don't even take the snow off their car before driving. Then the shit flies off in a huge chunk and slams the guy tailgating causing them to go wild usually resulting in an accident. I avoid driving in the snow as much as possible, not because I can't do it...but because of the insanity and stupidity of other drivers.

My wife was driving the other day & I was in the passenger seat. I came sooooo close to shooting a video of a car ahead of us that was shedding snow in big chunks, to show that the vast majority of chunks of that snow was hitting the ground well in front of where another driver should be. That doesn't mean that the guy following isn't going to panic and slam on the brakes when he sees snow though.

 

[Scarpozzi]

What makes matters worse is the average number of years most people drive their vehicles. When you look at those numbers, there are TONS of people who don't know how to control the new car they just bought....not to mention its limitations.

 

[88keys]

I always recommend taking a new car into a parking lot when it snows just to see how it will handle. That being said, it is actually difficult to lose control of my car with ECS/TCS, but it can be done .

Driving a RWD pickup in the snow is lots of fun that I really do miss sometimes. I got so good at it I would turn with the back end everywhere I went in the snow.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I have absolutely no idea how to drive in the snow.

Born and raised in California lol. Our drivers here freak out when it rains.

 

[zerocool84]

I've never driven in snow and I like it that way.

 

[PastTense]

So should you slow down to a speed you feel comfortable driving--and have zillions of cars pass you; or should you drive at the speed of the general traffic flow?

 

[Markbnj]

So should you slow down to a speed you feel comfortable driving--and have zillions of cars pass you; or should you drive at the speed of the general traffic flow?

In the snow? Let the idiots pass you.