Oak Grove St., Minneapolis, Minnesota
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I will admit that I am a transplanted Northerner.  I grew up in Michigan (and Virginia)… and moved here from Minnesota, 21 years ago.  After 6 winters in MN, I learned a few things about driving in the snow… and after 21 years here in Georgia, I learned a few more things.

First, a Word for Recent Transplanted Northerners

This is NOT the snow you drove in in Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, Denver, St. Louis… whatever.  This is a completely different beast.  To begin with, it is generally wetter, which means that it compacts to something like ice.  The temperatures are often quite conducive to this happening.  The bottom line on that point is that driving the same way here is you might have somewhere colder will likely result in a trip to the ditch.

There is also very little snow removal equipment.  You will NOT see a line of plows running the Interstate highway… in fact, you might not see ANY plows running down the highway.  You will not see plows on neighborhood streets or even secondary roads.  You might see a sand truck on an overpass.  It seems that the primary weapon against frozen roads is the weather… it won’t be cold long.

So, chill out a little…

Next, a Word for My 4 Wheel Drive Friends

Four wheel drive means that you can make your rig go in low traction situations.  That means that you will be going faster when you hit the ditch following the ice covered road.  I am a Jeeper, and I have a full size 4wd truck.  On ice, they don’t do that much better than a Honda…  That isn’t to say that 4wd vehicles aren’t useful.  They absolutely are…  But, they have limitations.  Respect the limitations and you won’t have to dig out your insurance card or suffer the embarrassment of sitting in the ditch while someone drives by in a Buick.

What CAN you do?

  • Honestly, if you don’t really need to get out on the road, don’t.
  • If you are afraid to drive in the snow/ice, don’t.
  • Those prone to panic… don’t drive until things clear up.
  • If you are going to venture out on the roads, dress (or carry clothes) appropriately.  If you are involved in an accident, don’t assume that the Police are going to be able to respond quickly.
  • Make sure that you have a cell phone with a charge on it.
  • Make sure that people know where you are going, your route and when you should arrive.
  • This really isn’t the time to text and drive, talk and drive or rock out on the radio.  As you are driving down the road, the conditions can change and you need to be able to concentrate on driving…  If you hit a patch of glare ice, you won’t have time to tell mom you will call her back.  And you don’t want your girlfriend to hear you scream like a little girl if you spin your car.
  • Keep your fuel tank fairly full.  It is WAY more embarrassing to run out of gas in the snow that to get stuck.
  • Remember that road conditions can be different from spot to spot… patches of ice, patches of clear, slush, etc.

I find that what I like is a consistent surface.  The biggest cause of accidents is trying to change velocity or direction faster than traffic allows.  Right after that would be a change in the road’s traction.

If you are driving on snow that is consistent, you might be sliding a little… but if you are used to that slipping and factor it into your driving, you may have a big problem if you hit a spot of regular pavement.  The same holds true if you you hit a patch of ice when you are driving on mostly snow.

Of course, the biggest problem is changing direction or velocity faster than traction allows.  That means that speeding up, slowing down, turning or changing lanes can all be very dangerous.  Drive smoothly.  Don’t push it.  Try not to accelerate or brake while also turning.

One other little tip for people with rear wheel drive cars or trucks…  Put some weight in the back.  Bags of sand are great for this.  They provide a little weight which helps with traction, and if you get stuck on ice, the sand can put on the ice for traction.

Above all, be safe out there.  Atlanta and Gwinnett  County doesn’t see a lot of winter weather like this… and it usually passes quite fast.  Enjoy the beauty.

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