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Driving in the snow, I mean. I have to drive from Bloomington to Indianapolis to pick my sister up from the airport. All you northern hatrackers--if you have snow-driving tips for someone who is nervous as heck when driving in the snow, I would really, really appreciate it.
I'll be driving a vehicle that, theoretically, should be able to handle it (a jeep grand cherokee)...but I'm not sure that the driver of that vehicle will be able to handle it. Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Do not drive faster than you are comfortable or able. Don't feel pressured to drive faster just cuz other drivers on the road are going faster than you.
Do the drive during daylight hours if at all possible. Check road conditions before you go.
I have no idea what you're facing, how long of a drive it is, or anything else like that, so I could be off-base on some things. But I learned how to drive in northern Alberta, so I'm a bit of an expert at winter driving.
Make sure you have emergency stuff with you. Winter boots, winter coat, gloves, hat, scarf, blanket, candles, flares, tire chains, ice/snow scraper, food, water, all that other good stuff.
Check your vehicle before you leave. Make sure all the fluids are fine - oil, anti-freeze, power steering, brake. Check tire pressure - make sure they're neither over nor under inflated. Make sure the tires have good tread on them. Make sure they're either winter or all-season if you're going through snow and ice. If the conditions are treacherous, either forgo the trip, or put tire chains on.
Drive while alert. If you're tired, pull over. Better than having an accident.
While driving, it's better to slow down slowly than to slam on the brakes when you're in icy conditions. Slamming on brakes usually means loss of control, but a slower deceleration means you can keep control. No sudden moves. Don't turn suddenly, accelerate suddenly, brake suddenly. Again, loss of control.
Make sure you have sunglasses - cut glare from snow and ice. You won't have as much of a headache at the end.
Take a break periodically. Every couple of hours is good.
Um. Yeah, that's all I can think of at the moment.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Thank you very much! It's 55ish miles or so, and compared to Northern Alberta, I would imagine it's pretty tame (6-10 inches is the current prediction). I have some friends from the Northwest Territories who laugh at me when I freak out in the snow. However, despite having lived in Indiana for 5 years, I have yet to manage to develop any good snow-driving skills (usually, my husband, who is from parts farther north than me, is the one who drives). Her flight lands at 11, so I'm gonna have to get driving soon. *sigh*
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Thanks, Sara! Yes--though I don't have one of my own, I stole Jim's (my hubby's) for the day. I have his car and his phone, and he's stuck at work (muahahaha!). Watching the news, though, it looks as though it's not so bad in Indy...so all I have to do is make it out of town. Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Most important – Don’t panic! If your tires start to slide, don’t slam on the brake or jerk the steering wheel around.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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"I have to drive from Bloomington to Indianapolis to pick my sister up from the airport."
It's under an hour, and both 37 and 465 are major highways that are generally kept clear. Just take it slow, keep your lights on, and don't try to match traffic if you don't feel comfortable. You should be able to feel how your tires are responding to the road; if it feels slippery, slow it down.
It's also a good idea to rotate your tires if you haven't done so recently.
Your vehicle is large enough that it shouldn't have too much trouble -- but this can make you overconfident. Unless the road is dry, don't try to go normal speeds.
Brake early, and brake SLOWLY. Even if you start to spin or slide -- especially if you start to spin or slide -- avoid slamming on the brakes for any reason. It's also helpful to anticipate your turns, and ease into them gradually (as if you were a student driver).
If you ever DO slide or spin, don't panic. Take your foot off the accelerator and turn in the direction of the skid -- NOT against it. You may wind up facing the other way in traffic, but you'll most likely regain control of the car. Being able to turn back around when you're facing the wrong way on a highway is, unfortunately, more a matter of self-composure than driving talent -- but it helps if you've got a shoulder to play with, which is why driving in the right lane in heavy snow is rarely a bad idea. Note that this is also an EXCELLENT reason to leave a wide berth between your car and the other cars; you never know when the car in front of you might suddenly wind up pointed at you following a spin.
The most common skid in large cars is a bit of a wobble coming to a stop or trying to make a quick turn at an intersection. These cases are generally preventable (again, brake early and turn slowly), but it's important to NOT over-react and start twisting the wheel frantically. In fact, in my small car, I often find it helpful in this situation to take my hands almost completely off the wheel so that it turns beneath my fingertips; the tires will seek traction, and you'll be able to feel the instant when they grip again.
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It's a pretty good idea to have bags of sand, salt, or kitty litter in the trunk (or trunk equivalent). They add weight, and can be handy in providing traction if you find yourself stuck.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Thanks for the advice! Tom, I don't think overconfidence will be a problem with me, since I am deeply underconfident when it comes to driving the jeep (my usual car is a tercel!). I'll bear all this in mind, though. And with that, it's time for me to leave. Wish me luck, you guys!
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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If you can, and if it's not too late, Noemon's advice about carrying a few bags of sand or other heavy crap in the trunk is excellent.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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I like toting around extra kitty litter during the winter, as we always know we'll eventually use it. Sand is cheap. Balance it over the tires as close as possible, IIRC.
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Ahhhh ... Tom's aforereferenced "crap." Not mine. *relieved
I was certain that quidscribis was envisioning me toting around garbage bags of used kitty litter in my trunk -- in the belief that I'd "use" them eventually -- and I was completely flummoxed.
[Just to be clear: I save no bodily wastes, nor do I use them for anything productive.
Er, hmmm. It strikes me that feeling compelled to post this puts me in a potentially awkward protesteth too much position. But really, I don't. Not even manure for fertilizer, as I don't garden.]
[ December 22, 2004, 10:15 AM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Um, Sara, that was why I clarified. I figured your whole comment arose from my lack of clarity. Otherwise, where the heck would it come from? Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Make sure your windshield wipers work really well. In the inevitable case of larger cars or trucks passing you and spraying water or slush on your windshield, you need to be able to keep your windshield clear. Bad wiper blades can limit your visibility dangerously.
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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good luck megan! Because of our driveway, dad has to snow blow it, so we're stuck here an extra hour or two. I had so much to do today.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Megan, if you can, go find a cleared parking lot to practice in. Deliberately hit the brakes too hard, turn the wheel too far, and go just a little too fast for your comfort zone. The more comfortable you feel with being just a little out of control, the less likely you are to panic when you truly *are* a little out of control.
I grew up in Alaska, learned to drive in the winter, and love driving on snow, but it does take practice. All the other suggestions are excellent too.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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Now Megan, if your that uncomfortable, you should have called me, I would have been more than happy to drive my surbuban up to Indy to meet your sister.
Posts: 1094 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Be careful, Megan! I'm sure you'll be fine.
That being said, everyone else please stay off the roads unless you absolutely have to be out. Running a last minute holiday errand is not worth the price of an accident. Don't mean to sound like a bummer here, but my husband and I came within 6 inches of being killed last year while driving on the interstate in bad weather. (we hit ice on a bridge, spun, and then were hit by a semi)
quote: Just to be clear: I save no bodily wastes, nor do I use them for anything productive.
Sara, aren't you a pediatrician? Doesn't that mean that the occasional, ah, testing of samples is part of the job?
*narrowed eyes* Or do you leave that to someone else? I never pegged you for someone who'd leave the dirty work for others. *sorrowful head-shake*
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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One more word, if it's not too late: try to leave plenty of room between you and the car ahead of you. It's not *your* driving I'm so worried about, it's *theirs*. You sure have gotten some good advice here.
Also, could other snow-driving people correct me if I am wrong with the next tip: try to drive on the snowy parts, not in the 'ruts'. I find that the 'ruts' tend to get icy (unless the road is well-salted). Snow gives better traction when I am walking, I know, so I thought it might do better with car tires.
Posts: 1545 | Registered: May 2002
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quote:Sara, aren't you a pediatrician? Doesn't that mean that the occasional, ah, testing of samples is part of the job?
*narrowed eyes* Or do you leave that to someone else? I never pegged you for someone who'd leave the dirty work for others. *sorrowful head-shake*
Well, yes, I do send stuff for tests sometimes. I was speaking personally, not professionally.
*Big Grin
I think the reason I might be so sensitive about this is that I was known in the ER as "the one who would do the manual disimpactions." Constipation + 6 weeks on pain meds + frightened scared adolescent screaming in pain = bad times ahead.
3 times I did the necessary task, and all 3 times I had a child crying in relief afterwards. These cases had gone past constipation to obstipation, and there was no getting around it (pardon the pun). But it was a chance to do a difficult thing and do it well, do it right -- carefully, talking about it first, and as a team.
It's a very frightening and humiliating time for them. But the pain is so bad, they find a way. Frankness, some humor, and distraction help.
But, uh, yeah, I was known for being willing to do it and do it well. The nurses all thought I was Da Bomb.
(Actually, I always think of my mother in such situations. She did this as a nurse, and we talked about it when I was in medical school -- how to handle it, what to say. And I cared for her as she was dying, and there is always so much initimacy in such a space. She had taught me how to take care of her, actually. )
[ December 22, 2004, 06:46 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Ummm. Sara, you've got a little...dirt (yeah, we'll call it dirt) under your nails there.
quote:It's a very frightening and humiliating time for them. But the pain is so bad, they find a way. Frankness, some humor, and distraction help.
So what kind of distraction do you use? Do you take a "what in the world could that be?!" approach, or do you just get them talking?
By the way, you taught me a new word! I'd never heard "obstipation" before. If you look it up on m-w.com, by the way, it refuses to tell you unless you sign up for a paid subscription to their unabridged site!
Dictionary.com has it though.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Thanks for all the advice! I made it there and back just fine, even though it took me somewhat longer than normal. My sister is here for Christmas, and then we're going to England together for a friend's wedding. Whee!
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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This is a great and useful thread. I'm about to drive in snow for the first time in five years.
Wish me luck. I have my brother with me, but he's been in Mexico for the past two years. Not helpful. This should be interesting.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Kat, the link I gave has a bunch of tips, if you only looked at the one item it went directly too. Be careful!
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Next time have her take the Bloomington Shuttle. It's $22 one way, and there's no need to reserve if one is coming back from the airport (that's really just for going to the airport).
Just go into the ground transportation center (there's a little kiosk you can buy a ticket at) and sit there until you see the shuttle pull up (it pulls up right next to the windows).
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Shuttles are always a good idea these times of the year, especially when you factor in high gas prices and the cost of getting stranded.
Noemon, I start by sitting lower than the child. I was taught this approach very explicitly by a wonderful child psychiatrist. It can be very intimidating to be loomed over by someone who is bigger, stronger, and about to do something painful to you.
If the child is up on the exam table, I sit in the chair. If the child is in a chair, I sit on a footstool or kneel on the floor. Similarly, although I make direct eye contact, I also make it a point to duck my head, modulate my voice and pitch it a little higher, and use self-deprecating humor. Flat, deep, monotones delivered from above are scary. Someone looking up at you and talking like a friend would do isn't so scary, at least not so much.
Sometimes I tell my patients about my mother or father, if I think they will understand and it seems okay with the parents (who are always there with the children). Or I talk about my cats, or something like that. I tell them that doctors and nurses are different from other people -- that this sort of thing is our job, and that it doesn't bother us. Except that it won't feel good and may hurt quite a lot -- that part makes me really sad. But it will help make the pain that's happening right now better.
I draw pictures, depending on the age. Obstipation is an intestinal obstruction, and the obstruction occurs because the object is bigger in diameter than the passage further down can stretch. We can give all sorts of things to increase pressure upstream, even give diarrhea, but the diarrhea can leak around it and the cramps that triggers can be agonizing.
We talk about what "we" are going to do together, and what "he" or "she" can do or say to make me stop right away if he or she needs a break. We take it slow and steady. Sometimes I make godawful puns in between, or tell funny stories, or ask for good movie recommendations. Anything to get their minds off it until they are ready to try again. And again and again and again, until it works.
Same as for any painful thing for kids, really. For the most part, I don't say what "I" will "do to them," but what we can do together to fix things. I'm frank about what will happen. I give up power in all the little ways, verbal and non-verbal, that I know. Sometimes this doesn't work. Usually it does.
Great job.
[ December 23, 2004, 03:09 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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JT, I am not introducing my sister to you...sorry
I considered the shuttle, but I have this weird thing about meeting people at airports when they come in if at all possible. Also, my sister is relatively inexperienced when it comes to traveling. Anyway, it worked out alright, though I have used the shuttle in the past (although, fyi, if you're going somewhere, it's actually cheaper to park in the long-term lot than to take the shuttle both ways).
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Sara, you reminded me of what my sister's OB did to break the ice. When sis went into labor she was terribly constipated, which she was too embarassed to admit to anyone at the hospital. As she was being checked for dilation (and as myself, my other sister, and a birth coach were standing there in the room) the dr. called out, "Oh wow! You've got a big old turd in there we'll have to get rid of!"
We were all so shocked we immediately burst into laughter - including my sister. Laughter seemed to be the best medicine, as she finally agreed to let the nurse help her out.
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I'm back and I'm safe. Utah has excellent road crews, and there was hardly any snow on the road.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Sorry...we didn't have a lot of time, and now we're leaving tomorrow for the land of the Beatles. And the fact that you'd even feel the need to mention sneaking her into local bars...well,...let's just say that doesn't inspire tons of confidence. Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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