Ever seen a 2500 LB sideways on the interstate?

[Craig S]

Several years ago -- I -- was at fault, but VERY lucky.
I live just on the South side of Monument Hill in Colorado. I was driving to Denver to work at 4:30 one morning (left early due due to weather). We had some very light precipitation the night before, but the roads were only slightly wet. about 4 miles north I saw some strange lights, started slowing down from the 75 mph (I was doing the speed limit due to roads being damp). Too bad I hadn't tested the brakes when I crested the hill. A car pulled from the slow lane into my lane about the time I noticed all the cars piled up in the ditch and right lane. I hit the brakes and slid on the 1/2" ice (in a straight line, thank the Lord), until I was next to the car that had pulled in front of me. We went past the crash at about 60 mph, sliding side by side in ONE lane (didn't know my truck was so narrow #ad
). The lights were flashlights being swung side to side by the people involved in the crash. Had one of those people not jumped at the last second, I would have been guilt of vehicular manslaughter. #ad

I thought I was experienced, and at least a decent driver, but I forgot that road conditions may change in less than perfect weather. Please, do not get me wrong, I'm not criticizing anyone but myself, but I have since tried to check road conditions frequently while driving in "weather" and adjust my speed accordingly. On ice, I don't drive any faster than I want to drive into the ditch, 'cause that's where many cars wind up in this part of the country when we have ice! I'll leave ice racing to ice buggies. #ad

Listened to an Air Force officer on the radio asking why his '89 Cherokee would rotate clockwise on snowpack/ice when in four wheel, at 30 mph. I had to laugh when the explanation was: he was driving too fast for conditions. All cars are NOT created equal, some may have control at 50, others be out of control at 30 on the same stretch of road. It is the drivers responsibility to know their car and adjust speed accordingly. My . 02 worth, but I don't get mad at people driving slower than myself anymore.

 

[JyRO]

Ol Ron - Maybe you didn't comprehend what I posted, or maybe I didn't say it clear enough (but I think I did). As I stated, 1) there was no snow coming down, 2) the roads were clear of any precipitation (they were clean and dry) except under some bridges, evidently. That's where I lacked experience, as I stated. I had never seen melted snow refreeze like that.

I never said there was blowing snow. I did say it was cold though, probably around 10° F.

Other than having a lack of experience with icing like that, my driving had to have been negligent free or I would've wound up in a snow bank and probably would've taken another driver or two with me.

God forbid you ever spin a tire or slide just a little bit in your school bus. Just because a person temporarily loses control of their vehicle doesn't make them a menace to society. What do you do when your kid falls down? Spank him/her, send them to their room, make them watch a defensive walking video because they could've landed on something or somebody and hurt them too.

Let's just get back to reality. All I wanted to do was share a new experience I had where I slid on some black ice and saw some other victims of the same thing, and give a friendly warning to others to look out for the same conditions.

For everybody else, if you've ever slid out of control, I don't think you should rush out watch defensive driving videos. Just beware of the possibility of ice forming under bridges (in the shade) in sub-freezing temperatures.

 

[David_VT]

It can happen to anyone regardless of skill , experience or how conservative one wishes to be providing you choose to drive in anything but perfect weather. Those who choose to be more conservative and/or have the skill and experience to deal with the situation are often rewarded by avoiding a nasty outcome. Example:Quite often my wife will not even notice when in 2WD the LS rear end slides a bit, as a slight control change usually corrects it.

Just yesterday I stopped to check on an abandoned vehicle. As I slammed the door of my truck (now parked), it started to slide off the snow covered but solid ice road. Blew my mind, as I almost did not get the truck out of the ditch it slid into.

My point? The person who started this thread was lucky and likely learned an important lesson. The lessons have to be learned somewhere. As a young driver I had fun playing in snowy parking lots and at the same time learned alot about how to control an out of control vehicle. I am a strong advocate of taking new drivers to safe areas for just the same reason.

I worked as an EMT in Boston years ago and taught myself how to handle that big overweight overpowered econoline in a big old snowy parking lot. Saved my butt later on when I had a right rear blowout at well over the posted speed limit (w a premature baby and med team onboard) , only problem was the need to change my shorts... #ad


Do I walk on water as a safe driver? Nope #ad
, sometimes guilty of speeding, driving too fast for conditions, I love a NE rotary for a good old fashioned powerslide with the LS rearend, I'll rely too much on the 4x4 when common sense tells me to slow down, etc etc. However, I do make it a point not to be reckless when other vehicles are around or if I have passengers onboard.

Sorry to run off so long on this one... If I do have a problem I will know it was my fault as I do know better... .

Be Safe!

 

[Happy Camper]

David,
I agree with you on the driving on slick surfaces. I like the simulator car which can duplicate the conditions you encounter when loosing control. Unfortunatly a quite a few people have not had the experience some of the country bumpkins have had due to no traffic and can play around on ice. Been there, done that, loved it. BUT now I am retired and know I will break. Drivers Ed should have a simulator (expensive).
I bought a motorcycle for my young son and was riding on back in our plowed up garden area. Being young he liked to get on it. Going around a curve in the path I said "get on it". Needless to say you know what happened! He ended up being a pretty good rider.
Road conditions under certain conditions are difficult to read, but I try to look at the temperature reading and keep reminding my self when it is around 34 degrees that there may be ice.

 

[reoraider00]

Like the bumper sticker says, sh** happens, but I have to agree with Ol Ron, too fast for conditions! Not a big deal unless you put others at risk.

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93 D350 LE CC, Auto, 65,000 miles, All stock except beefed up rear springs, 94 11Z Elkhorn Camper

 

[Believer]

In 1971 my dad and I were on the interstate in Colorado going about 40mph in a major spring snow storm. Only one lane open and about 3" of slushy snow. Dad was driving--pickup with an overhead camper. All of sudden-WHAM-heads snap back and hit cab and in slow motion I can see the whole top of the camper flying out in front of the truck. It slid of the right corner of the hood and then the trucks going sideways, driverside first. That gives me a really good view of the 18 wheeler that just smacked us from the rear. I don't know how, but both drivers managed to keep the tractor from climbing over the pickup. The camper was sheared off its full lentth from the impact. We figured it going 60 to 70 mph when it launched us. Squirted us like a watermelon seed--you could see where its right front tire climbed up on our left rear bumper at impact. Quite a ride. I can remember it like it happened yesterday.

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94 2500, 250/605, BD Exhaust Brake & 60# Springs (not installed), 19. 5 Michelin XZT's, 2" Skyjacker, DT Control Arms & Trackbar, ARB locker front, Reunel & MileMarker Winch, B&W Turnover Ball, Firestone Bags, PrimeLoc.

 

[LSMITH]

I learned about lots of torque, a slick spot in the road and cruise control the other day. I was running about 72 on the freeway and came to a culvert under the road. Actually there are about 4-5 culverts draining a swampy area. The tracks in all the lanes were dry and the rest of the road just damp. The concrete over the culverts was damp too but I had gone about 25 miles already and had not seen a slick spot. The temp was about 6 or 7 so I knew there could be ice. As the truck got onto the concrete it broke loose and started around. The cruise only gained 2 or 3 MPH then came right down to 72 but that was enough to get me sideways. I rolled into the throttle and was nearly straightened out when I hit the dry pavement again. The dry pavement whipped me straight pretty violently. No harm done aside from hot coffee burning me in the knudsons and some sort of deposit in my shorts. I do not use the cruise any more when there is a chance that it could be slick. Both feet flat on the floor and big cup of coffee in one hand is a bad position to be in sideways on the freeway at 70+mph.


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99 2500 QC 4X4 AUTO SB 24V LARAMIE SLT 3. 5 LSD 285-75-16'S

 

[JyRO]

LSMITH - We need to go watch a defensive driver's video. We're a menace to society. We could get together and kill 2 birds with one stone, and talk Rams. Hehehehe. #ad

 

[PRout]

Anyone driving 70 in uncertain conditions IS A FOOL! You are lucky. Hope you learned something.

 

[jmeehan]

Good tip on the cruise control, thanks.
I put my CJ in the ditch the first winter I had it. I'd ben driving here for several years but never experianced black ice before. I was going around a corner in 2wd at about 35 mph on what looked like dry pavement when the rear whipped to the right. There was a big ugly jeep smashing ditch there so I was able to get it to swing the other way and landed in this old lady's yard. Once I saw where I was going to land I just hung on tight and went straight backwards through her fence. This yard ussually collects a vehicle every other year or so. No damage to the jeep, and I fixed the fence in the spring. Now I use 4wd on that corner if I'm not sure of the traction.

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ex Ford tech, now driving '01. 5 2500 4X4 QC LB ETH/DEE SLT 3. 54, Patriot Blue

 

[bigfig]

Justa tip from an old New England driver. If you happen to be driving any vehicle on ice or slick snow with an auto transmiddion and rear wheel drive make sure to pop it into neutral, or when you hit thw brakes you'll slow down the from but not the back wheels and your rear end will come around to your right or left. It's because your braking system is designed to put most of your braking power on your front wheels, which doesn't stop the power from your engine from continuing to power your rear wheels which makes the rear end come around. This is only a prob. on an auto trans vehicle.

 

[Steve Campbell]

Most of these replys are talking about roads that look dry. When I first started driving an 18 wheeler I was told that when you are driving on a white road (read snow covered) and the tread of the tires on the vehicles you meet are coming up white, the traction is "pretty good. " If their tires are coming up black, it is slick. When I get some time , I am going to look into the defensive driving video.

 

[fessup]

I found some black ice about 10 years ago and was in for a fun ride. Driving south on I-71 in Cleveland with a 78 GMC full time 4x4 with a snow plow on the front Crested a hill which is really a bridge getting on to 237 in front of the airport. Well the winds were blowing right across the freeway and it was frozen. As I crested the bridge I saw the whole freeway was covered with cars at every angle and no place to go except concrete barriers. Natural reaction, I hit the brakes, nothing, Now I'm sliding faster straight at the cars in front (about 20 at this point), I see people running and pulling out the people in the cars in front as soon as they hit the pile. Nothing I can do at this point but aim straight for the back of a unlucky car. As I approach at about 60 mph and brace for impact I notice that the last car to hit the pile in the lane next to me left the door open when they went running. Well the plow sheared the door off and it went flying about 30 feet in the air as we slamed into the the now much storter car in front. The we get jerked by people opening the doors and quickly removing us from the truch before the next car cam smashing into the pile. Ended up about 40 of us in this mess. before we got people over the bridge to flag people down before they got to the bridge. We ended up 1 of about 10 people to drive away. We busted a hose on the plow, smashed the plow light and the headlight when the plow was pushed back as we hit, minor dents on all sides of the truck (somehow after we hit we were spun around and ended up with cars all around us taking the major blows and just sliding into us.

One almost tragic item as people were pulled from ther cars on kid ended up standing in the middle of the road crying as a car way flying at him, (parents were already at the side of the road) just happened to be close enough to grab him and get us both out of the way, didn't have time to think just reacted and got real lucky with the road all ice, almost fell with him in my arm.

That was the most unreal experience I watched 10 to 20 accidents happen 10 feet away as I got ready to help the next unlucky person.

Ian

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99 3500 SLT Quad cab, Auto, 8. 5' Western Plow, stainless running boards, stock for now, Work truck with ladder rack and boxes