By Julia Purdy
posted
Dec 27, 2012
Vermont's rugged topography demands road savvy driving at all
times of year, but winter requires extra diligence: corkscrew
two-lane roads, abrupt grades, blind hills and curves, narrow
mountain passes create an extra dimension of hazard. Add
quirky weather, patchy cell-phone coverage, and the occasional
moose, and you'll find you may need to adjust your usual driving
style.
What follows is a set of driving practices that Vermonters have
developed, which can be summed up in four words: patience, balance,
harmony, and common sense.
Be Patient
Many people complain that "people drive too fast." But what is
"too fast?" Posted speeds represent the top speed under ideal
conditions. But drivers on Vermont roads are also expected to
"drive to conditions." Winter conditions can call for reducing
driving speed by at least one third. "Too fast for
conditions" always involves driver error, in the eyes of the
law.
Speed works in tandem with following distance. The old
"one-car-length-for-every-ten-m.p.h." must be revised for
conditions too. Even the so-called "4-second rule" (4 seconds
between cars at any speed) needs to be doubled for winter
conditions, especially in a line of cars. It all adds up to
giving yourself a generous cushion of space for braking. In
extreme conditions, turn on your warning flashers. Keep in
mind also that a vehicle that's following you too close for comfort
they may be looking for the next (rare) opportunity to pass
legally. Don't spar with them and allow their risky decisions
involve you. Instead pull over at the earliest safe opportunity and
let them go by.
Stay Centered
Drive as you would walk while balancing a glass of water on your
head: Maintain an even, speed using a lower gear to minimize the
need for braking and avoid sudden moves.
Turn off cruise control. Especially on hills, the transmission
can surge as it tries to maintain speed. Take your foot off the
accelerator and let the car "coast" (in gear) over icy patches and
drifted snow.
Avoid taking curves on the inside. Don't play the
odds-always assume someone is coming toward you from the other
side. Head-on collisions are rarely survivable. Just slow
down and tiptoe around the curve in the middle of the lane or on
the outside.
Seek harmony, don't fight
Vermont drivers use road conditions to help control the
vehicle:
· Vermont hills tend to be abrupt and steep. If
you see sky up ahead where the road used to be, back off on the
accelerator and let the hill slow the car down
naturally. Downshift at the crest in a lower gear. Most
automatic transmissions allow you to downshift while in
motion.
· Lightly brake when entering, and accelerate gently
when leaving, a well-banked curve.
· Coast (in gear) and steer gently around unbanked
curves.
· A strip of leftover snow or crust can provide better
traction than a glazed surface. Look for the "rough" along the
shoulder or between slick tire tracks in the lane and shift over
slightly to position your side wheels in the rough, if
slippery.
Trouble Spots to Watch For
Bridges, intersections, and shaded areas hold ice longer than the
open road surface does. "Cold spots" linger in shaded curves,
alongside streams, under overhanging evergreens, and where ledge
extends beneath the roadbed. And while asphalt absorbs the
sun's heat even on overcast days, "black ice" can form quickly when
temperatures drop freezing moisture (drizzle, mist, or even
tailpipe exhaust.)
Bridges and culverts are especially treacherous, since the road
is chilled by the air flowing above and beneath it.
SLIDING DISTANCE
4WD and AWD tend to create the illusion of control at higher
speeds. But as Sgt. Himmelsbach of the Middlebury State Police
says, they are "great for traction but they have nothing to do with
your handling or stopping ability." Driver trainer Tim Garrow says
that at 50 m.p.h., you travel about 73 feet per second and your
stopping distance is about 75 feet-under ideal conditions. It
takes the average person 1 ½ seconds to perceive and react to a
developing situation up front. In that interval you've
already traveled 110 feet. Stopping distance increases
exponentially with faster speeds. Add slippery conditions and
the distances a car could travel before stopping exponentially
increase.
Braking and ABS
Unlike 4WD, anti-lock brakes (ABS) are a true safety
feature. ABS permits normal braking, but in a crunch, ABS
prevents locking and the risk of skidding. Nevertheless, ABS
takes some getting used to. As you brake you'll feel a
sickening, crunching sensation underfoot, warning that you are on
an unstable surface. This is a normal feature of ABS.
With ABS, pumping the brakes is obsolete, along with drum-brake
systems. With ABS you should literally stand on that brake
pedal, and the vehicle will come to a surprisingly fast complete
stop. ABS also allows you to steer while braking to avoid an
obstacle. (But be weary, a sharp turn can cause your car to
flip.)
"Safe Roads at Safe Speeds"
The VTrans Snow and Ice Control Plan does not call for bare roads
at all times in winter. It states that "roads during a storm
are plowed, sanded and salted to allow safe travel at safe speeds,
but that drivers should expect to see snow on the roadway during a
storm." Plows work between 4 a.m. and 10 p.m., with skeleton crews
overnight as needed, but not normally during the height of a major
storm.
The plan prioritizes state and federal roads for treatment as
follows, as well as stipulating maximum speeds during a
storm:
· Heavily-traveled corridors such as Routes 4, 7, and
the interstates receive priority. While crews are not required
to keep them completely free of snow at all times, they must
provide "full width bare pavement as soon as practical" following a
storm. Max. storm speed is 45 m.p.h.
· Medium-traffic highways such as 107 and 100 are to
be cleared to full-width bare pavement as soon as possible on "the
next regular working day" after the storm. Max. storm speed
is 40 m.p.h.
· Low-traffic roads such as Route 12 should be cleared
to bare pavement down the centerline only on the next regular
workday, to be followed by full-width bare pavement as soon as
possible. Max. storm speed is 35 m.p.h.
Even when the plows are fully deployed, they cannot deal with
everything that Nature throws at us. Drivers need to do their
part to stay safe. Reduce speed as conditions require.
Plow Truck Etiquette
A rig with its side wing lowered occupies one full driving lane,
with close clearance along the shoulder. Plows travel at
20-30 m.p.h. Be respectful and don't crowd the plow. Modern
plows employ complicated systems that demand maximum attention and
skill of the operator. When the operator loses sight of you in
his mirrors, that's when he begins to worry.
It is illegal to pass a working plow. So settle back and
appreciate the fact that the plow is preparing a safe roadway for
you!
Use GPS with caution
Apple is not alone when it comes to mapping glitches. Local
stories abound about cars and even semis ending up in the woods
while following GPS or Google. A false promise of these devices is
they offer to get you there by the shortest route. Crows may
be able to do it, but you could possibly end up on a lonely road
that is closed for the winter, on a freezing night, without cell
service. Road marked "Dead End" probably is, no matter what
Google tells you! Believe official signage-turns for state routes
are well marked.
Nature Rules
The most effective winter driving precaution is applied even
before you leave the house. "Do you really need to go
somewhere?" asks Sgt. Himmelsbach. Thanks to NEXRAD, online weather
forecasts are quite accurate, almost down to the hour. In
addition, you can call VTrans at 5-1-1 and get specific road
information from a live person, 24/7.
Your best choice may be simply to relax and enjoy the storm from
a warm, safe room with a crackling fire. Here in Vermont, no
one will think the worse of you because you chose to play it safe
and stay cozy.
