Enworld Saved my Life!

[Mercule]

It is my considered opinion that a great many people get into accidents in poor weather specifically because they expect the technological gizmos (like antilock brakes, or four-wheel drive) to save their bacon. Instead, they should be driving as if the gizmos weren't going to save them. The gizmos should be your last line of defense, not your first.

Agreed. Tech can be a nice plus, but it doesn't mean you get to disengage your brain.

I drove a 4x4 truck from the time I learned to drive until graduating college (yeah, it looked odd by the end). The best advice my dad ever gave me about it was, "You use two-wheel drive as long as you can. When that doesn't work, you use four-wheel drive long enough to get out of trouble. Then, don't do that again." I don't think I ever got into a position of being really screwed, and I turned into a much better driver.

The thing that floored me was when I had to drive through some really, really nasty winter weather. I locked in my 4x4 and ended up in a convoy of 4x4 pickups travelling at about 40mph on the Interstate. You'd think that'd be a clue to the other drivers, but there were a huge number of compact cars that would blow right past us. Almost every one of them would get a quarter mile ahead of us and start spinning. Some regained control but many ended up off the road (on the shoulder, I'd have stopped if I thought they were hurt).

To this day, I cannot fathom what would make a driver think that's a good idea when there are a half-dozen obvious off-road-types that are practically inching along and clustered together.

 

[Psion]

We have these things called allweather tires.

Not the nifty studded tires that you find in some hardcore icy regions, but those tend to annoy the locals when you delay changing them when the ice melts...

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

... I would have gone straight through the light into traffic...yay enworld!

Awesome! ( he said showing his age... - Gag me with spoon! )

 

[IronWolf]

Agreed. Tech can be a nice plus, but it doesn't mean you get to disengage your brain.

I drove a 4x4 truck from the time I learned to drive until graduating college (yeah, it looked odd by the end). The best advice my dad ever gave me about it was, "You use two-wheel drive as long as you can. When that doesn't work, you use four-wheel drive long enough to get out of trouble. Then, don't do that again." I don't think I ever got into a position of being really screwed, and I turned into a much better driver.

Sounds like good advice! Having grown up in a rural area ages ago where 4x4 farm trucks were king, I made my way around in a Pontiac T1000 (think Chevette). The people with 4 wheel drive were always saying they had 4 wheel drive so the ice made no difference to them. They just didn't fathom that 4 wheel drive or not ice is slippery and you need to drive with some common sense, the 4 wheel drive will really only help you out once you go off the road and need to get out of the ditch.

So one late night (2am-ish) I was headed home on a back country road covered in a sheet of ice. I am crawling along around 20 to 25mph when I see some headlights off in what looks like the field. I slow down and sure enough, 4x4 farm truck way off in the field after having mis-negotiated a turn. So here I am in my rear wheel drive car giving this guy a ride home since his truck is stuck out in the field.... LOL

 

[Desdichado]

It would have been a lot more embarrasing if you were in my little front wheel drive compact doing it. But I've never had a problem with road conditions, and we get some real bad ones here in Detroit. I mean, like totally (just for you, BFG...)

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Don't you have winter tyres over in the US? Here in Sweden, you have to get a second set of tyres to use in winter (technically, you don't have to use them unless it's snowy and stuff), that's adapted for use on icy roads.

I know we do. My sister lived in Boston, MA for about two and a half years. My mom told me that she [my sister] had tobuy them in order to stay alive.

 

[Stone Angel]

Yeah we have snow problems here in Indiana too. Glad to hear that you were ok. Driving in snow is an aquired taste. I hate going out in the first snow of the year. Everyone has forgotten how to drive in it. And in my experience it matters not if you have Anti lock brakes, air brakes, disc brakes, pneumatic brakes, front wheel, rear wheel, all wheel, four wheel drive if you hit ice you are fubared.


The Seraph of Earth and Stone

 

[Algolei]

Well, this thread is a coincidence! ENWorld cost me $500 last week. I was laughing at something so hard that I spasmed, doubled over, and smacked my face against my keyboard, chipping my right front tooth!

So please, if everyone who saved money from reading something on ENWorld would just send me 10% of the approximated value of what they saved....





(This joke was sponsored by the Algolei Scab Joke Writers Guild: Writing bad jokes while good writers strike since 1989!)

 

[Mystery Man]

Sounds like good advice! Having grown up in a rural area ages ago where 4x4 farm trucks were king, I made my way around in a Pontiac T1000 (think Chevette). The people with 4 wheel drive were always saying they had 4 wheel drive so the ice made no difference to them. They just didn't fathom that 4 wheel drive or not ice is slippery and you need to drive with some common sense, the 4 wheel drive will really only help you out once you go off the road and need to get out of the ditch.

So one late night (2am-ish) I was headed home on a back country road covered in a sheet of ice. I am crawling along around 20 to 25mph when I see some headlights off in what looks like the field. I slow down and sure enough, 4x4 farm truck way off in the field after having mis-negotiated a turn. So here I am in my rear wheel drive car giving this guy a ride home since his truck is stuck out in the field.... LOL

I grew up in the boonies. My dad taught me how to drive his 1979? Dodge power wagon when I was the age of 10. I had a learners permit at 14 years old and drove a Gran Torino back and forth to school. At the first snow he put chains on the tires and didn't take them off until spring. Soooo embarrasing.

 

[Jonny Nexus]

I grew up in the boonies. My dad taught me how to drive his 1979? Dodge power wagon when I was the age of 10. I had a learners permit at 14 years old and drove a Gran Torino back and forth to school. At the first snow he put chains on the tires and didn't take them off until spring. Soooo embarrasing.

Complete aside, but it always seems really weird to me (I'm in the UK) that you guys* can drive at 14 but have to wait until you're 21 to have a drink. Over here, you can drive at 17 and drink at 18.

I'm not making an argument about which is better, note, just saying how it's weird when you're used to it being one way round and then find someplace else where they've done it completely differently.

*I am aware that this isn't the same in all States.