people who don't get to drive in snowy, slippery weather....
i sort of envy you after that drive home.
shareDon't. Dealing with that successfully definitely makes one a better driver.
shareIt takes a lot of nerves and extreme concentration.
shareYes.
A burst of speed or a sudden slam on the brakes can lead to disaster on Wintry roads.
A steady 15-25 mph should get you home but don’t stop completely, traction is key and even good tires are just slippery donuts in a deep snow.
It’s smart to keep a shovel, an ice scraper, an extra coat, a pair of warm gloves, a plank of wood for traction and a thick hat in the car as well.
Luckily, we rarely get snow in ‘Sunny’ Bournemouth, but when we do I might as well leave my car in the garage because my tyres are basically racing slicks, lol.
shareI can really relate to that. I was driving a big box truck shortly before I retired, making weekly deliveries to surrounding communities. We were experiencing the worst winter storm in 30 years. My boss left it up to me to decide whether or not I wanted to make a particular delivery. I felt confident I could handle it but once I got underway, it became apparent that conditions were becoming progressively worse than I had anticipated and I eventually found myself trying to navigate my way through a complete whiteout. All I could barely see were a couple of the red taillights of a semi in front of me and I relied on that to guide me. And this was during a part of the trip where the terrain was hilly, with lots of twists and turns. I was on extremely high alert, motivated by a combination of adrenaline, fear and the desperate will to survive. I successfully completed the delivery. The recipient was astounded and very grateful. During the return trip, visibility had improved considerably but the highway had become coated with a sheet of ice and was very treacherous. Since my truck was empty, I no longer had all that weight in the back and actually started to fishtail whenever I tried to drive over 20 mph. So, I had to maintain that snail's pace on the highway all the way home. I had maneuvered the vehicle to the right, depending on the rough texture of that shoulder for some traction. When I finally got home that night, man did I reflect and have an intense wind down with some refreshing beer in the warm coziness of my home!😅
shareI’ve experienced the same feeling; it’s like all your senses become heightened and your concentration is razor like.
shareI'm sure you have, as a race car driver. After many years on the road, that was one of my scariest driving experiences.
I've got a friend who's an OTR driver. Shortly after returning to work from the Thanksgiving holiday, he posted on Facebook that he was getting ready to tackle this thing, which is infamous among truckers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNgeu7i6eOk
You know the old cliche when someone says ‘everything felt like slow motion’, well that’s happened to me a couple of times (thankfully not too many because it normally means that you’re going to crash). It’s like God is saying, ‘here you go, here’s a few extra tenths of a second to try and lessen the blow.’
As for trucks, the biggest thing I’ve driven was a 65 tonne military transporter - 15 forward gears and 5 reverse. That was a lot of fun.
Wow, that’s quite a story.
I bet Spielberg would be interested in this ‘based on true events’ script starring Gary Busey as you. You just need a love interest but I assume you have a pillow and and least one hand… that part could be written easily, but certainly not filmed.
You do deserve some ‘fierce independent’ time you kooky weirdo.
I totally agree. I would drive all over the mid-west for my job in all kinds of weather, so I'm not afraid to be out in really bad conditions, (although it's the other drivers who don't know how handle their cars in those conditions that concern me.)
Once I retired I said I would continue to drive when the weather is bad just because I could see myself not being able to have the same level of confidence and competence that I've always had if I avoided it. Too easy to say, I think I'll stay in today because of the weather - not for me.