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Question about the storms down southeast and driving?

R

redtom

Well-known Member
Just a few questions regarding the ice and "snow" storms hitting the southeast. Not to sound rude, but is there a reason everyone stops their cars in the middle of the road, abandons them and walks? The Nat'l news showed the roads and hwys with only maybe an inch or two of snow on them and others with ice. Cars were "frozen" in the streets like a force field hit them. The news never mentions a wreck holding things up. I live in Mich and we get snow all winter, not feet of it, but snow. I drive a regular car with touring tires, not even all season ones, and I go all winter long! Now, I don't go fast but I do go. And we get ice too. and its tough but my car still goes. Not fast, but it goes. I don't throw it in park and walk away. Sometimes we fall off a road or have a bender. Not trying to be rude, just wondering.
 
Panic, inexperience, and mostly ice, down south storms ain't like the ones we are used to. I went on a craigs list raid a coupla weeks ago, and popped over a NE facing hill, goin slow, and I thought I was goin to slide into the Severn river! Pumped the brakes, got stopped, turned around, parked, woman asked me how I was gonna get back up the hill! I calmly pulled out my set of cable radial chains, put 'em on, and spun my way back up the hill!
 
Today has been a good example of our weather. snow, rain, sleet and snow. The weather is always changing. Include hills and roads on the back side of mountains that don't get much sun and you have a lot of black ice.
 
Many people in the south east have never driven on snow or ice and if they have it has been years ago so when they spin out which most will do because of them thinking hit the gas hard and spinning the tires will make it go and it does not so they figure they have no choice but to leave it there and walk. You on the other hand dive it all winter so you know give it a little bit and slowly get up to a safe speed. Oh and people with 4 wheel drive do not think about what happens when they want to stop and well they end up in trouble fast
 
people south of Mason-Dixon line tend to drive with bald tires. Seriously. They don't have salt spreaders and plows either. Why bother with all that when they almost never need them. Plus, they bought the global warming bull and convinced themselves they were saving money for other things like swimming pools and air conditioners.
 
The storms like we have been seeing are relatively rare in the south. Areas that have frequent winter weather are equipped to handle it (obviously). They have salt/sand stock piles, removal equipment and people to plow and sand the roads. It is just not economically reasonable to expect southern states to provide the same level of winter storm preparedness that a northern state would have.

If there is no one to sand / salt / plow the road even an inch of snow on a 1/4 inch of ice will cause people to abandon their vehicles like you see in the pictures

-paul
 
The company I work for has a plant in Maine. Some of those folks moved here when we started up our mill in Va. Got about 8 inches of snow that year and the folks from Maine said "what kind of snow is this _ _ _ _?". They had problems driving on it too. We do get a rare dry snow here but most is heavy and wet. Add hills, hills with banked curves with lots of shade over the roads from pine trees and you got a very slick mess.

Ever seen a tractor trailer parked in a parking lot with a slope, just start sliding across the lot with no one in it?
I saw a friend stopped to help some folks that were stuck,lean against his pickup and it slid all the way across the road stopping in the ditch.

We have snow that a snow blower won't work in it.
The walk behind snow blowers we see local on craigs list are for sale from folks that moved here from the north.

And yes we have folks that don't know how to drive on the stuff. They panic. But when you go sometimes 10 years without snow you don't have the experience like it's an every day thing too.
 
It's different. There is about 3 inches of Ice and Snow on the oil road in front of my house. And you can drive on it with 2 wheel drive if you don't stop on a hill. But sometimes we get a little Ice maybe just 1/4 inch. For a hour or two will literally be so slick you can't stand on it. The only way can drive on it is to drive on the shoulder and crunch along in the gravel and grass! The other day I was hauling hay went over the interstate, just empty tractor. Let off on the hydro and the back wheels just stopped. Had to speed them back up and put in 4 wheel drive to keep from sliding off down a bank and into a pond. Good thing had chains on front wheels. 30 minutes earlier had climbed same slope in 2 wheel drive.
 
bald tires for us folks south of the mason dixon line goes along with; no underwear, no shoes a n d no teeth now excuse me while I go to the little house out back, hopefully there a p a g e or two of the sears catalog left. maybe you and mr. educated can come see us sometimes. possums and sweet taters await.
 
You jes hole on thar. I'm frum south of the Mason Dixon Line, an I don't have a plow or a salt sreader. But I got a 4 wheel tractor, a four wheel truck, an my tars is only half bald........
 
I think one of the biggest things is that they don"t get plain old snow. They normally get rain or freezing rain that freezes and creates a situation that no one in their right mind would drive. Add to that, they"re not use to it, and it"s probably a good thing they walk away from their cars.
You"re a danger to everyone driving without even all season tires. I"ve driven cars with touring tires, all seasons, snows up front, and snows all around. When you drive a car with summer tires, you"re driving a death trap. You have a hard time getting up to speed, then you can"t control it, and you can"t stop it safely. All seasons are leaps and bounds better than touring tires and snow tires are that much better than all seasons. Get proper tires on that car.
 
Northvale, Redtom asked a legitimate question, asking for information. True, we do not have the amounts of snow that northern states have, but we DO have snow. I live in North Carolina and have driven in snow all my life. No, we don't have snow EVERY year, but we do have equipment to handle it. It is those in Georgia and other states in the "deep south" that have a serious problem, because they only experience these conditions once in a blue moon. And, as someone said, there are morons every where that are going to cause problems simply by the way they drive. Now, if you will excuse me,I am going to go enjoy a nice bowl of snow cream.
 

Ya'll got me laughing so hard. We always called those bald tires...May Pops!". ... 'cause they may-pop any minute...lol

It does get crazy here in central Alabama though, when we get snow/ice mix. :shock:
 
Last week i saw many abandoned cars. It seemed to happen when people tryed to stop for the trafic lights...especially when no one was anywhere close. I agree we should stop for the trafic signals, but in icy conditions when other cars aren't present...well...I guess to each his own. I personally rolled thru several to get home.
 
Im in central OK (Moore,OK), it doesnt snow or ice here much but sometimes or usually we get a good storm or a few every winter. I'd say most people around here get by without problems but there are plenty of idiots too.

If you think the traffic is bad around here in a snow/ice storm then you should see all the morons out on the roads when an EF5 tornado is approaching and only minutes away. It amazes me how many people wait until the last minute to to jump in their vehicles to try to get away. The bad part is 90% of them have no idea where to go or how to get there.
 
The main issue I see is the idiots in the metro Charlotte area like to ride every ones back bumper. Personally I won"t mind if they want to buy me a new bumper/tailgate either. I have lived here since 1977 and learned to drive in the snow working my neighbors dairy farm. Feeding cattle and hay and driving miles with a tractor and trailer to go get it. The snow and ice doesn"t bother me, it"s the no driving idiots. That"s my opinion and I"m entitled to it.
 
The phenomenon of drivers abandoning their cars during a blizzard is hardly unique to the south. It's happened more than once in states that normally get a lot of snow. It happened in Denver in 1982. It took a couple of weeks to get all the stuck vehicles towed away. Nobody could get in or out of Stapleton because the streets around the airport were completely packed with abandoned cars.

It's hardly fair to compare blizzard driving conditions in the south with Michigan. Michigan has plenty of snow removal equipment, and uses ridiculous amounts of salt. Take away the salt and you'd have a statewide pileup, since most Michigan drivers have no idea how to drive on ice. Down south, most states have snow removal equipment only in the mountains. They might use a little salt and sand, but they certainly don't have enough stockpiled to handle an actual blizzard. I learned one thing about driving in snow during the eight years I lived in North Carolina: if it snows, STAY HOME!

Now, winter driving in Texas is something you have to experience for yourself. Texans, as a rule, can't drive even in the summer. The northern parts of Texas are at just the right latitude for the temperature to hover right around 32 degrees for weeks. Combine Texas drivers and ice and you have instant bumper cars.
 
I was in Alpena Mich a few times during the Winter and the snow was a breeze to drive in real dry and sort of gritty much like sand,in the South we get wet slushy slick snow and lots of times Ice Storms.No one is going anywhere on an inch of ice and a cold dry road can turn into impossible in a few minutes with some light rain on it.Also I see all the time wrecks and carnage on roads in the North so it ain't like you fellas never have a problem.Heck a few years ago the National Guard had to feed some of you fellas cattle when it looked like only a foot or so of snow I had no problem feeding the same Winter when we had 28 inches of snow at one time.
 
I work on lower eastern shore, MD. Believe me, they have bald tires, few plows and very little salt. They rarely get this kind of stuff and don't have the equipment.

The older houses are poorly insulated, all have crawl spaces and frozen pipes were common 2 weeks ago.

On a more friendly note, there are many older pick ups in that area with no rust on them. The south is the place to buy old vehicles. My PA truck is a rust heap.
 
That situation was more because of timing, when everybody decided to head home at the same time. So you have major gridlock on roads where they have no sanders or plows.

Not a good combination. The few plows and salter/sanders they have couldn't get anywhere through the gridlock.

I know people like to think southern drivers are stupid and don't know how to drive in snow and just panic, but I think that's really way overblown.

I know plenty of northeastern drivers who don't know how to drive on snowy roads that haven't been prepped properly for them.
 
Thank you sir. Counters some of the slurs we "Texicans" get down here from folks up theah! Course gotta ask yourself how did he Texicans get heah and from whereah in the first place? Hmmmmmm!

My lineage came from from Mizzerie three generations ago and initially central Europe.

Mark
 
I think it was JDSeller that said his son ran his truck into the ditch with 4wd and studs on an icy road in Pennsylvania. So, even with the equipment, when it's slick it's a "better stay off of it" situation.

Mark
 
I was driving to work one morning years ago and had to stop at a stop light. That spot in the road had ice on it and the road had a slight crown.

As you said on the 18 wheelers, the front of my Buick just started sliding off toward the ditch. So I just let it slide till I could get some dirt under me and get by the cars in front and just drove down the road and around the corner into a filling station. Just sitting there on a flat road with a slight crown and she just started sliding for the ditch. Ha!

Mark
 
When we get snow or ice on the roads this is what we bring out to prevent accidents.

pic-type3.gif


Here is a picture of our snow and ice removing equipment.

Protection-emerging-as-No.1-sun-care-trend-in-Western-Europe_strict_xxl.jpg


The gridlock that happened last week was more a case of the weather guessers getting wrong what area would get the ice; and quitting time rush hour traffic.
When we are warned in advance that ice is going to form every place just shuts down and we stay home and wait it out.
 
When I was growing up in S. TX. near the Gulf Coast, we had our share of rusted fenders. But that was due to the weather and winds off the Gulf of Mexico, not anyone salting the roads. In 18 years we had snow once and it was just enough to roll up the entire front yard to make one snow man. Never remember ice.

Saying back then was go to N. TX. if you wanted a used car. But since then I think I would go to AZ. or Nevada to get one. However, mfgrs. are doing a much better job of protecting metal and you seldom see rust anymore.

Mark
 
Well my second son ran "maypops" and in a tight "willpops". Not
proud of it but that was the way it was at his choosing. Lost him at
20 in an auto accident back in '84. That was the George Orwell
1984 saga for me. He was 3 months from getting married.
Probably running one or the other on his truck but he went to sleep
at the wheel, wasn't a tire problem.

Mark
 
I live in the Washington DC suburbs. A lot of the people here are very inexperenced with snow and there are also a group that have a lot of experience. We also have people that have developed the attitude that they are so important everyone else as to step aside. And then there are those at the other end that abused by their abusive bosses. Throw all this on the roads with some snow and you get what you have seen Redtom. Drivers get frustrated because everyone doesn't get out of their way or their cars won't go so they just get out, lock up and either go home,. hotel or to a bar.
The year i really remember was either 84 or 85 I had left work at about 11 am, chained up and it took 7 hours to go 20 miles. The last 1/2 mile was down a small hill round a corner going up and I'd be home. A lady sat at the top of the hill afraid to go down--she'd back up, get her nerve go to the top of the hill and stop then repeat. So I went around her, dropped in the ditch cranked the wheel over and kept pushing till the car climbed back out of the ditch and i was good. Often thought 2 of us had a story that day. I just told mine and I'm sure her's went something like this--this idot passed me going down a hill and went in the ditch. Sure glad I didn't try it.
 
They make their asphalt out of sand instead of gravel. It is some of the snotiest stuff I've ever driven on.

Allan
 
Allan;
I have heard that in the past also.
Makes for a smoother surface but just a small amount of ice will glaze it over.

We have more problems with bridges than the road.
Many will be driving along thinking everything is just fine and then they hit a frozen bridge. I have even seen it where the flat part of a long bridge will be fine but the hump where it crosses a open water channel will be iced over.
 
No D.O.T. type 6 down there ? even 7 would be ok, must be like a tennis court then, you would think the tires would last a lot longer.
 
I thought the same thing, would be interesting while flying over the parked cars to see the front of the line(s) and what stopped 'em all. BTW, on Wednesday last week doing my delivery job the roads were terrible, as in not plowed yet. Coming to stop signs meant looking both ways and not stopping (almost no traffic) or getting stuck. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and I was prepared to tell an officer that (none around though). I don't suppose that would pass muster.
 
What! No polk salad, grits or black eyed peas and corn bread? I'm appalled at your total lack of southern hospitality.
 
What you see on tv is just the big city's. Different snow here than your's but there won't be any difference in your big city's when a big snow hits and everyone is trying to get home from work at the same time. Bumper to bumper traffic on normal days doesn't get any better when it snows. My guess is the city folks walk away to keep from wrecking. Do you really think your city folks drive any better than our's? Nuts are nuts whether they are above or below the mason Dixon line.
 
The sand does not make it any more slippery then blacktop made with gravel. The gravel will have small voids in it where the sand is more smooth. What makes it so slippery is all of the cars on the road everyday leaking a little oil here and there and the exhaust from the cars. Now it starts to rain and snow and water is heaver then oil so it floats to the top and with driving it mixes together and makes for a slippery road.

Bob
 
I was always of the understanding that a Texan was a Messcan that never made it to Oklahoma.......
 
(quoted from post at 18:54:23 02/12/14) Just a few questions regarding the ice and "snow" storms hitting the southeast. Not to sound rude, but is there a reason everyone stops their cars in the middle of the road, abandons them and walks? The Nat'l news showed the roads and hwys with only maybe an inch or two of snow on them and others with ice. Cars were "frozen" in the streets like a force field hit them. The news never mentions a wreck holding things up. I live in Mich and we get snow all winter, not feet of it, but snow. I drive a regular car with touring tires, not even all season ones, and I go all winter long! Now, I don't go fast but I do go. And we get ice too. and its tough but my car still goes. Not fast, but it goes. I don't throw it in park and walk away. Sometimes we fall off a road or have a bender. Not trying to be rude, just wondering.
Click to expand...

Red, put yourself in their shoes. Heavy traffic. Something causes it to stop. Because they are not use to it they are still driving bumper to bumper. So there are many accidents that plug the road. It can takes days to clean up the mess. You wanna sit in your cars for days? So you lock it up and walk to shelter.

Rick
 
Saw an ad for Jeep cars on the TV a day ago. The driver was driving on snow covered roads and the voice said get a Jeep and you can go anywhere, anytime. How many wrecks do you think that add will cause.
The Jeep turned into some unplowed snow that looked to be a couple of feet or more. They did not show it being towed out but when snow is that deep the wheels do not touch the ground and you are not going anywhere. And going is one thing, stopping another!
 
I drove from east central Wis to New York this past Sat/Sun in bad winter weather all the way. The first car I saw sitting backward in the median strip on US 41 near Fond du Lac was a Subaru Outback with Wis plates. Go figure. I might add, the worst maintained road I encountered was the Ohio Turnpike. Pennsylvania, on the other hand, a state which I didn't think even owned a snowplow, had PennDot trucks all over the place. Totally the opposite from a few years ago. If I remember correctly, the Ohio Turnpike was sold to some private outfit. Like the Chicago Skyway was sold to foreigners some years back. Ditto with the Indiana Turnpike. They gave up years of steady profits in exchange for a one time infusion of $$$$$. The only snowplows I saw on the Ohio Tpike were 3 in column in the right lane with their plows up. And the road needed plowing. Ohio DOT was doing a good job on US 80 after I got off the Turnpike. Drivers differ from state to state. Michigan drivers go fast. Until they get stopped by the Ohio Patrol. Chicago drivers only have one throttle setting: WIDE OPEN. The cops don't seem to stop very many there. Usually, the cops are passing even the fastest cars in Chicago. Wis State Patrol will stop for going like 1 or 2 miles over the limit. Especially in the evening. That's because the Wis Supreme court struck down DWI checkpoints as "illegal searches". So, they stop you for something else and if you've been drinking, it can then turn into a DWI citation as well as the tail light out or speeding, etc. If you've never driven in lake effect snow on the south end of Lake Michigan in Indiana, then you've never driven in snow. Period. Pennsylvania seems to be getting a lot better in spite of 300+ years of inbreeding. All in all, my 1000 mile trip went very well. 4WD from Fond du Lac on. Roads were covered with snow, snowpack, ice, slush, etc. No dry pavement at all. Visibilities ranged from less than 1/8 mile to maybe 3+ in snow, freezing fog, blowing snow, etc. Very few cars off the road and I did not see one collision, although I heard about a few accidents in the Chicago area. My Michelin 275/55/R20 X-Ice tires along with traction control, ESC, ABS and a 6000 lb truck made the trip interesting. The little yellow "Trac" light didn't even wink. The old adage about 4WD not helping you stop isn't really correct. Downshifting with 4WD definitely helps slow you down in a controlled manner. So, if you have AT with an "S" mode, use it. I'll get to do this all over again probably three more times before decent weather shows up. (;>))
 
I'll correct one thing in my post above. Driving from Syracuse to Watertown on I-81 in a blizzard is worse than Indiana. So, if you've done that, I have, you've really driven in snow.
 
Northvale-PA, I am honestly surprised to hear that. I figured that areas that far north would get considerable ice and snow, especially being in close proximity to the ocean. Our coastal towns seldom receive frozen pecip. so they just enjoy it when it does. I live in central N.C.and most cities nearby have considerable snow removal equipment as well as state maintenance crews. So far this year they have applied brine to the main highways in our area well before any precipitation. Yes, they do use salt and brine here, but not in the amounts elsewhere. A good pressure wash to the underneath of your vehicle two or three times a year helps prevent rust here.
 
There are a few reasons:
1) Nobody knows how to drive on snow/ice in the south.
2) Their vehicles are not equipped to handle it - no snow tires, no chains, and quite a few don't even have a legal amount of tread.
3) No infrastructure to deal with the snow/ice - No (or very few) sand trucks - and no one able to get to them to drive them [stuck in the same traffic jam]... No (or very few) plows - drivers can't get to them either...
4) Inaccurate weather forecast - snow/ice worse than predicted

That's why it sometimes takes days to get over a snow/ice storm... My comments apply mostly to places below Atlanta/Birmingham...
 
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