Article; Winter Car Prep

https://www.wabi.tv/content/news/Ex...redness-for-crash-or-breakdown-566853181.html


Good afternoon all,

Per ...

Some major organizations in Maine have some guidance.

One aspect of all the guidance - not just New England's Maine - are the guidance of relatively young writers will little experience in the subject-matter.

Here, in the Mid-Atlantic, some drivers cannot exit the vehicle to place an emergency triangle or tie some cloth to an antenna. There are many disabled drivers here. They display the license plate with the wheel chair symbol. Two years ago here, during routine summer weather, a citizen banged his car into a State Police vehicle. The citizen was 90 years old.

Note article's AAA picto-chart; Yes: a fire extinguisher !

 

"Speeding driver crashes directly into plow while trying to pass a semi on snowy NY road, wild video shows "

https://nypost.com/2024/01/19/news/...o-plow-after-trying-to-pass-semi-video-shows/

Old Geezer's advice: Don't do that.

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Four wheel drive, front wheel drive, plus great winter tires will NOT save you if you attempt to drive on ice. Under the snow, there can be ice. DUH!!!!

For ice, you gotta use cleated tires or chains. This is outrageously true if you have a rear-wheel drive vehicle. For these use chains AND put weight in the back of the vehicle. I've done this using cinder/concrete blocks. Do not put too much weight such that the vehicle starts to squat. Too much weight back there and you'll fishtail for sure.

If you have a real truck, then that puppy has a real heavy steel frame. Most vehicles have a "unibody" construction. That is NOT a real steel frame. If you attempt to tow a unibody without knowing exactly where the points are to which you can attach your chains, you can easily tear the vehicle apart -- they're just too fragile. Best policy is to refuse to tow them. Towing companies use roll-up flat beds due to these cars and SUVs being to fragile for regular tow trucks (the older kind with hooks).

Now some more videos on how NOT to drive in the snow and ice.









Camping during winter:

 

Oh heavens! Sounds like California.

Speaking of California, due to the totally unpredictable timing of earthquake occurrences out there, those folk had better have spare water, food, and all of the other get-by items in their cars! When earthquakes happen in California, the bridges come down, the roads rip open, and the cars pile up. Add to this, gas lines breaking results in flames shooting up 50 feet from the cracks in the roads. Odds are that they'll have big trouble getting back home.