PunBB

From my 20th floor balcony, I have a great view of the Gardiner Expressway - the main highway that leads into/out of downtown Toronto. The stretch nearest to me is about 5km long, straight, and consists of at least 6 lanes in either direction.

Today in Toronto the temperature stayed below zero all day, and it snowed... a little... this evening.

In the 5km stretch that I can see, there are no less than 5 different accidents right now! WTF!!! Why is it that every year when it snows for the first time people forget how to drive?

Any insight would be appreciated.

Winter tires not on yet maybe? I know 4 seasons aren't an option if you seriously want to spend the winter in Montreal... How about TO? Do most people switch to Winter tires as well?

In my opinion, snow tires are just as necessary in Toronto as SUVs.

At least Torontonians in general know how to drive in the winter (once that first snow is out of the way, I guess). We got about three inches of snow (and some ice) last week and the entire city shut down for two days. Not to mention that hundreds of thousands of people are without power because Ameren UE is a joke of an electric company.

Well... not to get technical but.................... try this......

I think at the time of the first snow fall the ground temperature is still much warmer then the air temperature. So when the snow falls and hits the ground it melts, then freezes as the air tempurature is below zero.

Once we are in the middle of winter, then ground is frozen therefor the snow hits the ground without melting and refreezing.

I like to think that I know how to drive, but I was in the city (Calgary)during the 1st snow fall and the roads were much more dangerous than let's say in the middle of January. I spun out even though I was only going 20 km (where you would normally drive 80 km) and at the start of the spin out I was neither decelarating nor accelorating, or turning.

Hence also in Vancouver why .. if it snows they are screwed.

I'm no scientist but I think the tempurature thing has to do with it.

Hey Ken, I totally agree with you about the temperature playing a role in todays accidents, but I'll post again in January when we get a snowfall and the story will be the same - without the temperature answer.

Yes, it baffles my mind to see people in car accidents for no reason.
When I spun out I ended up facing traffic, and the cars about 100 yards behind me (now infront) slowed down, except for one guy who was now weaving in between those 3 cars which had slowed down. Idiots.......

chris
its simply that everone is in too much of a hurry to slow down just because you have 4 wheel drive don't mean shit if you are driving on ice!!!!! Plus you stilll have the blue hairs out there driving right now that can't drive on dry pavement.

we got snow today as well and mind you this is buffalo and everyone was in chaos buying groceries because heaven forbid you can't get your mocha latte for maybe a few hours
Right now i hate customers which is not good in my line of work

ron

There are two types of drivers during the first snowfall of the season:

1) Those who slow down WAY TOO much (ie: 60 km/h on the Gardiner) when it's simply not necessary. I mean, yes it's snow, but unless it's your first canadian winter, you've done this before. Your brakes still work in the snow, just don't try to turn at the same time.

2) Those who do not slow down at all (ie: 120 km/h on the Gardiner) when it's simply necessary. I mean, yes it's snow, so you won't be able to stop/turn on a dime. You can't weave in and out of traffic like you can with a dry track. Furthermore, you're more limited on how fast you can go by the slower people around you.

The person going 120 km/h may not have any problems boogyin' along at 120 in the snow - especially if they have a nice german engineered car. They cannot, however, react and dodge all these cars going half their speed, pulling out in front of them at half their speed, etc.

Like everyone else said, people think if they have snow tires, AWD and "know how to drive" they'll be fine. And they very well may be able to drive quite fast... but not everyone is.

And I don't know how it's possible to spin a car out if you're not changing direction or accelerating/decelerating.

snow, what's that? cratch:

Looks a little something like this...

And a little like this...

It was the same here. We got our first taste of winter last night with a couple of cm of snow, and there were a bunch of accidents, including a transport truck rolling over in Cherry Valley. I was out in it last evening and jeez the driving conditions weren't great, but they weren't that bad.

Chris, what you describe is about the same thing that happens here when it rains. When it snows, it's a nightmare. There are actually fewer accidents in the snow then there are in the rain, but in the snow, the average person drives - I shit you not - about 10 miles per hour (16 kph?). Can't have too many wrecks when you're barely moving.

:roll:

I just think there are many motorists on urban thoroughfares who have very little knowledge of:

• How the elements will (or will not) dictate their vehicle's behavior.
• How to counteract actions caused / limited by slippery conditions.
• The extent or degree of turning / braking / acceleration that will cause the vehicle to lose traction in various conditions.
• How to control loss of traction by pumping the brakes.
• How to use low gears to slow a vehicle without using the brakes at all to avoid losing traction.
• How to prevent loss of traction by using higher gears while accelerating / turning.

ryan93 Wrote:It was the same here. We got our first taste of winter last night with a couple of cm of snow, and there were a bunch of accidents, including a transport truck rolling over in Cherry Valley. I was out in it last evening and jeez the driving conditions weren't great, but they weren't that bad.

My brother was driving home from Charlottetown last night and said the roads were in fact very slippery from slush.