Not really on topic

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IN but not really relevant.

A couple of days ago we got a light dusting of snow...I mean really light, not even an inch...maybe even 1/2 of an inch. My daughter needed the car so she was driving me to work. My workplace is on a VERY busy 4 lane road...where people driving at 50 mph is normal. We take a funky little shortcut to get there that goes down a residential street and lets us miss about 5 lights. So, we are going down the shortcut and suddenly we both realize that the car is NOT going to stop...we actually both said "I love you" because we thought we were going to die. We shoot out into the 4 lane road and NOBODY was there...literally nobody at a time of day when there should have been lots of somebodies. I am talking that nobody even had to hit their brakes to miss us or even had to slow down once we got repositioned to continue on.

I am still reeling over the whole thing...

 

[Silverplum]

Glad you're both unscathed, and the car, too!

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

I sympathize. Part of the PTSD I suffer is related the vehicle computer taking over control of a semi I was driving after a brake failure which resulting in my being crushed into a concrete wall by the 28 ton trailer. For the past few days I have been dealing with ABS slides warnings and traction control lights in a vehicle I can no longer use the brake, steering and gear range to direct to a specific location in a slide.

 

[Ohiogal]

The only post I REALLY like on this thread is Silver's. But I sympathize with L and O. I am glad you and your daughter are okay L and I am sorry you are not O.

 

[Zigner]

I'm glad nothing bad happened - very scary!

 

[HighwayMan]

I had a similar experience years ago in the light snow. I didn't realize just how bad my tires were and was entering an expressway from a very curved entrance ramp. I was traveling slowly, maybe 20 mph, when I started to fishtail back and forth. I tried all the usual stuff to no avail and now I was on the three lane expressway. I started to head nose first into the guard rail and I figured "what the heck I can't make it worse" so I slammed on the brakes (no ABS) and I skidded sideways into the railing, bounced off, and ended up stopped perpendicular to traffic across all three lanes.

I was in shock for about a second then woke up and looked around expecting to get creamed but I saw NO other vehicles. I then slowly stepped on the gas and got the hell out of there.

To this day I can't believe no other vehicles were around to hit me and am grateful for that. Glad your story has a similar happy ending.

 

[Bali Hai]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IN but not really relevant.

A couple of days ago we got a light dusting of snow...I mean really light, not even an inch...maybe even 1/2 of an inch. My daughter needed the car so she was driving me to work. My workplace is on a VERY busy 4 lane road...where people driving at 50 mph is normal. We take a funky little shortcut to get there that goes down a residential street and lets us miss about 5 lights. So, we are going down the shortcut and suddenly we both realize that the car is NOT going to stop...we actually both said "I love you" because we thought we were going to die. We shoot out into the 4 lane road and NOBODY was there...literally nobody at a time of day when there should have been lots of somebodies. I am talking that nobody even had to hit their brakes to miss us or even had to slow down once we got repositioned to continue on.

I am still reeling over the whole thing...

We have a had mild winter so far. I'm guessing that you have seen much more hazardous driving winters in your life. What advice do you give to other drivers who believe that a slightly snow covered road in fact has black ice under the .5 inches of snow? Hint: go slow and test stopping the vehicle frequently.

 

[LdiJ]

We have a had mild winter so far. I'm guessing that you have seen much more hazardous driving winters in your life. What advice do you give to other drivers who believe that a slightly snow covered road in fact has black ice under the .5 inches of snow? Hint: go slow and test stopping the vehicle frequently.

That is the thing though Bali...we DID that. This is Indiana, we know how to drive on snow and ice and how to check the roads while driving. This was a total fluke. Heck we know to check east/west roads vs north/south roads, because there is variation there. There was no ice under the snow except right there at that intersection. We even checked the side street twice while going down it.

The car did not end up entirely unscathed either...we clearly need to take it in for an alignment. My daughter was turning into the slide when we hit the 4 lane road and that road was so dry that it flipped us around a bit and it clearly has impacted the alignment.

I am one of the most conservative drivers in the world when there is snow and ice, and I have never had an accident in snow or ice, but I wouldn't have done anything differently than my daughter did, except maybe to have deliberately ditched the car if I could have prior to hitting the intersection, but I don't think she could have...there just wasn't time.

 

[Bali Hai]

That is the thing though Bali...we DID that. This is Indiana, we know how to drive on snow and ice and how to check the roads while driving. This was a total fluke. Heck we know to check east/west roads vs north/south roads, because there is variation there. There was no ice under the snow except right there at that intersection. We even checked the side street twice while going down it.

The car did not end up entirely unscathed either...we clearly need to take it in for an alignment. My daughter was turning into the slide when we hit the 4 lane road and that road was so dry that it flipped us around a bit and it clearly has impacted the alignment.

I am one of the most conservative drivers in the world when there is snow and ice, and I have never had an accident in snow or ice, but I wouldn't have done anything differently than my daughter did, except maybe to have deliberately ditched the car if I could have prior to hitting the intersection, but I don't think she could have...there just wasn't time.

I'm glad that you and your daughter are ok. You are one of my favorites here, and it wouldn't be the same without you. Take care.