I got my license as soon as it was legal in my state and having scrimped and saved holiday money, paper route money and money from my first real job (which I also got as soon as I was legally able) I also bought my first car within weeks of getting my license. I've been driving for almost 20 years now so I have a few stories. Many of them involve snow.
This time I am getting on a standard cloverleaf ramp connecting two major interstate highways. I think the recommended speed for the ramp is 30 MPH but as most people would realize when it is the beginning of a snowstorm, the snow is sticking to the road and the plows/sand trucks have not even made their first pass yet it might be a good idea to go slower than the recommended speed. Maybe quite a bit slower.
The woman in front of me is not "most people". I can tell she is going too fast and I am certain that she is going to lose control of her car so I start tapping my breaks slowing down and preparing to come to a stop (and keeping an eye on the two cars behind me who are likewise following my lead and slowing down).
As I am slowing the inevitable happens and she loses it. Her car starts to spin in circles as it continues down the thankfully relatively straight section of the cloverleaf. Both my car and her car come to a complete stop at about the same time. Her car is facing the wrong way about one car length in front of me so I have a clear view of her wide eyes that aren't seeing anything at the moment and her white knuckled death grip on the steering wheel.
I tap my horn once getting her attention, smile and wave at her. She does a three point turn and continues on her way at an extremely reduced rate of speed.
The moral of this story kids? Snow IS slippery. If you are driving in the snow...slow down.
This time I am getting on a standard cloverleaf ramp connecting two major interstate highways. I think the recommended speed for the ramp is 30 MPH but as most people would realize when it is the beginning of a snowstorm, the snow is sticking to the road and the plows/sand trucks have not even made their first pass yet it might be a good idea to go slower than the recommended speed. Maybe quite a bit slower.
The woman in front of me is not "most people". I can tell she is going too fast and I am certain that she is going to lose control of her car so I start tapping my breaks slowing down and preparing to come to a stop (and keeping an eye on the two cars behind me who are likewise following my lead and slowing down).
As I am slowing the inevitable happens and she loses it. Her car starts to spin in circles as it continues down the thankfully relatively straight section of the cloverleaf. Both my car and her car come to a complete stop at about the same time. Her car is facing the wrong way about one car length in front of me so I have a clear view of her wide eyes that aren't seeing anything at the moment and her white knuckled death grip on the steering wheel.
I tap my horn once getting her attention, smile and wave at her. She does a three point turn and continues on her way at an extremely reduced rate of speed.
The moral of this story kids? Snow IS slippery. If you are driving in the snow...slow down.
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