Walking in a winter wonderland can be as lovely as the classic 1934 Richard Himber song indicates, with majestic imagery of soft snowflakes falling atop knitted caps and children making imprints of angels on white-blanketed hilltops.
Monday’s snowstorm and freezing temperatures, nonetheless, reminded everyone in the Durango area that driving in a winter wonderland might not garner the same holiday sentiment, especially if the roads are icy, steep and filled with inexperienced motorists. Driving with a little caution and a whole lot of common sense will help make traveling and commuting during the winter months a much more pleasant, less anxiety-inducing experience.
A behavior that has baffled many since the invention of the automobile is that one driver speeding on hazardous winter roads, zipping by all other nearby vehicles, in a quest to outrun the ice and/or the abominable snowman. Often, the motorist is in a 4-wheel drive vehicle and possibly under the assumption the 4-wheel drive’s tires are ice-proof.
According to the 4-Wheel Drive Guide website, however, “4-wheel drive does not assist with braking or stopping on ice roads. Decrease your speed and increase your following distance.”
To stay safe and assure the safety of those around you, slow down when driving on icy and snowy roads at least 10 miles under the speed limit, and do not follow other vehicles too closely.
Often, drivers will come across sections of the road where there is no visible snow or ice. They will often speed up, assuming those sections of the asphalt are dry.
Black ice is a thin coating of ice that forms on top of roads and pavement, according to weatherstationadvisor.com.
“It’s called black ice because it’s highly transparent, so the dark color of the road can be seen through it,” the site says. “It can be tough to spot from behind the wheel of a car and often results in an unexpected loss of traction when driving over it, making it very dangerous and potentially deadly.”
According to the National Weather Service, black ice is “most prevalent during the early morning hours, especially after snow melt on the roadways has a chance to refreeze overnight when the temperature drops below freezing. Black ice can also form when roadways are slick from rain and temperatures drop below freezing overnight.”
“In the United States, every year, over 150,000 accidents occur because of ice on the roads, and over 550 people die in these crashes,” Weather Station Advisor’s website says.
When driving on snow and ice-patched roads, assume even the uncovered sections of asphalt still have ice on them.
As anyone living in an area with annual winter conditions will attest, sometimes hitting a patch of ice on a road and losing traction cannot be avoided. A common instinct is to hit the vehicle’s brakes, which is the last thing a motorist should do when spinning out on the ice.
According to icyroadsafety.com, hitting your brakes will trigger the vehicle sliding across the ice and “make existing slides worse.” Instead, ease off the gas pedal and “turn your wheels in the direction the back of the vehicle is sliding.”
Ice Road Safety also instructs motorists not to panic or overcorrect when they do begin to slide on the ice.
“Overcorrecting may send the car into an unrecoverable spin,” says Ice Road Safety’s website.
Sometimes, the inevitable happens, and a vehicle hits an icy patch, slides off the road, and gets stuck in the middle of a snowstorm. The experience can be frightening to many, and the vehicle’s occupants have been known to get out of the car in a panic and try to get help.
Getting out of the car is a bad idea, according to the National Weather Service. Once outside the car, the dangers of becoming disoriented, getting lost and suffering hypothermia become very real.
“Run the motor about 10 minutes each hour for heat,” advises the NWS website. “While running the motor, open the window a little for fresh air to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Clear snow from the exhaust pipe to avoid gas poisoning.”
The NWS also stresses the importance of vehicle visibility to other motorists and rescue crews.
“Turn on the dome light at night when running the engine,” says the NWS website. “Tie a bright colored cloth, preferably red, to your antenna or door. After snow stops falling, raise the hood to indicate you need help.”
Keeping extra warm clothes, candles, matches and snacks in the trunk of one’s vehicle during the winter months is also a good way to prevent further complications in the case of vehicle immobilization, especially while traveling.
Even before risking the drive on snow or ice-packed roads, many people heading off to work or other ventures often discover a sheet of pesky ice covering their car beneath the foot of snow they just removed from its exterior.
A recent video that circulated the internet showed a man who tried to clear the ice from the windows of his car with a pot of hot water.
While many may wonder how this ingenious idea could have resulted in a car window shattering, others are aware of a particular type of science called thermodynamics, which deals with heat and temperature and their relationship to other forms of energy. Pouring hot water onto glass covered in a sheet of ice will cause the glass to crack or shatter because of the extreme temperature change.
Instead of using hot water, experts advise a more proactive measure when it comes vehicles covered in ice. Using a homemade solution on the glass that contains vinegar or alcohol could help dissolve the ice quicker, suggests Protect My Car’s website. Motorists should also add a de-icing solution to windshield wiper fluid and cover the windshield using a blanket or cardboard at night.
Maneuvering hazardous, icy roads and cleaning off a frozen, snow-covered car every morning before work can be bring a lot of frustration and anxiety for motorists during the coldest months, but driving in a winter wonderland can be a much more pleasant experience by following some basic tips and remembering that ice is ice, no matter what kind of a vehicle you are driving.
molsen@durangoherald.com
