Winter Driving techniques in Buffalo, NY
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12-11-2003, 07:55 PM
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Winter Driving techniques in Buffalo, NY
Winter Driving Tips from Me
With the rapid approach of another winter season, I am going to provide some winter driving techniques I see being used here in Buffalo, NY - snow capital of N America. I have not tried most of these techniques but may do so this winter so I fit in better.
1) When leaving for your destination, be sure to leave as late as possible. This will insure you aren't in a cold vehicle any longer than necessary. It also means you now have to drive like a Nascar driver to get where you need to be but hey - you won't suffer from the cold as much.
2) If your vehicle is snow covered, just clear a small circular patch from the windshield. As you drive, the wind will blow away the rest of the snow. Whatever remains is there for a reason - you don't need to see the scenery as it's buried under snow anyhow.
3) Do NOT keep a winter emergency driving kit in your vehicle. To do so means to deprive a local towing company of much needed business. They thrive on non stop calls in sub zero weather as a means of staying warm & paying those huge heating bills for their garages.
4) Signals are unnecessary - nobody can see them under all the snow you did not clear before leaving for home/work. Save the bulbs & forget them completely.
5) Merging into a spot 1/2 as big as your vehicle is a GOOD thing. The exhaust from the vehicle in front of you will help melt snow from your windshield & the guy behind you will benefit from your sudden entrance in front of him/her - when they slam on their brakes, snow will fly off their vehicles.
6) NEVER stop to aid another motorist, even if it's a senior or a Mom w/several shivering kids. They should have known better than to venture out in horrid driving conditions so whatever happens is their fault. This will save you precious time since you should have been at your destination long ago but you followed rule #1 & are now terribly late.
7) If you see an emergency vehicle, tailgate it. This is called drafting & you can make up lots of time following a fire truck/ambulance/police car a mere inch or 2 off their bumper.
8) Tailgate any vehicle you can - they have just plowed a pass thru deep snow so you can get thru. Isn't that nice of them?
9) Wait for the last possible second to change lanes or make a turn - you will save the spot you had been in for the next guy by doing this.
10) Wear layers - LOTS of them so you stay warm & cannot possibly buckle your seat belt up. Who needs a seat belt/air bag when you have on 37 layers? These layers also help soak up any blood in the event you have a fender bender.
11) In the event of a driving ban, go out anyhow. You'll have fun being the only vehicle on the road other than snow plows, salters & emergency vehicles. If stopped, explain to the officer that you're out there scouting out disabled motorists to call in to the police. Tell the officer these people had some nerve to be out in the 1st place & you're performing your civic duty.
12) Be sure, in sub zero weather to use LOTS of windshield fluid. This will coat the windows with a thin coating of ice, making the wipers slide more easily over the window. Of course you need to keep squirting the blue stuff constantly as the ice will be wiped away & needs to be replenished.
13) DO NOT use your rear window defrosters! The heat may crack the windows under the weight of all that snow you never cleared off. Besides, who needs to see where you just came from? You are driving forward - not in reverse.
14) In the event you get stuck, spin your wheels. This will dig you in & guarantee you keep your spot & noody else can take it from you. Until Spring.
15) Go shopping. Never stock up on basic items since you may end up never using them & they you'd waste all the $. Instead, wait for the worst storm of the century & then, go buy stuff you use everyday - milk, bread, toilet paper. This way you always have a fresh supply.
16) Stop short in traffic when turning into a parking lot or your driveway - it will shake excess snow off your vehicle so that you do not deposit it when you park at your destination & you won't need to shovel or walk thru it later on.
17) Be sure to have a cell phone & make sure you are talking on it at all times - call all your friends to tell them about the horrible driving conditions or call every automated weather # to check the current weather conditions - this way, if the weather is better somewhere else you can head there.
18) NEVER remove the snow from the roof of the vehicle! This is a "badge of honor" & you can proudly show others how much snow you have collected before leaving home or work. Don't worry if your Geo is taller than a semi - those big trucks need to see how it feels to be behind a vehicle they can't see over. It also helps them to see you when you change lanes directly in front of them.
There you have it - basic winter driving techniques/tips I have learned over the years from native Buffalonians. Having grown up in NYC where we rarely had snow, I have never followed these tips. I stand out like a sore thumb when I clean every snowflake off my truck, use signals, TRY to leave a good distance between myself & other vehicles, make sure I am stocked up on food & supplies, carry a winter survival kit (including a plastic jar to be used as a port-a-potty!) & by my absence on the road during a driving ban. I may try using these tested techniques this winter though as I am tired of being called an out of towner by those born/raised here.
Good luck - hope these tips help - see you in the Spring - MAYBE!
With the rapid approach of another winter season, I am going to provide some winter driving techniques I see being used here in Buffalo, NY - snow capital of N America. I have not tried most of these techniques but may do so this winter so I fit in better.
1) When leaving for your destination, be sure to leave as late as possible. This will insure you aren't in a cold vehicle any longer than necessary. It also means you now have to drive like a Nascar driver to get where you need to be but hey - you won't suffer from the cold as much.
2) If your vehicle is snow covered, just clear a small circular patch from the windshield. As you drive, the wind will blow away the rest of the snow. Whatever remains is there for a reason - you don't need to see the scenery as it's buried under snow anyhow.
3) Do NOT keep a winter emergency driving kit in your vehicle. To do so means to deprive a local towing company of much needed business. They thrive on non stop calls in sub zero weather as a means of staying warm & paying those huge heating bills for their garages.
4) Signals are unnecessary - nobody can see them under all the snow you did not clear before leaving for home/work. Save the bulbs & forget them completely.
5) Merging into a spot 1/2 as big as your vehicle is a GOOD thing. The exhaust from the vehicle in front of you will help melt snow from your windshield & the guy behind you will benefit from your sudden entrance in front of him/her - when they slam on their brakes, snow will fly off their vehicles.
6) NEVER stop to aid another motorist, even if it's a senior or a Mom w/several shivering kids. They should have known better than to venture out in horrid driving conditions so whatever happens is their fault. This will save you precious time since you should have been at your destination long ago but you followed rule #1 & are now terribly late.
7) If you see an emergency vehicle, tailgate it. This is called drafting & you can make up lots of time following a fire truck/ambulance/police car a mere inch or 2 off their bumper.
8) Tailgate any vehicle you can - they have just plowed a pass thru deep snow so you can get thru. Isn't that nice of them?
9) Wait for the last possible second to change lanes or make a turn - you will save the spot you had been in for the next guy by doing this.
10) Wear layers - LOTS of them so you stay warm & cannot possibly buckle your seat belt up. Who needs a seat belt/air bag when you have on 37 layers? These layers also help soak up any blood in the event you have a fender bender.
11) In the event of a driving ban, go out anyhow. You'll have fun being the only vehicle on the road other than snow plows, salters & emergency vehicles. If stopped, explain to the officer that you're out there scouting out disabled motorists to call in to the police. Tell the officer these people had some nerve to be out in the 1st place & you're performing your civic duty.
12) Be sure, in sub zero weather to use LOTS of windshield fluid. This will coat the windows with a thin coating of ice, making the wipers slide more easily over the window. Of course you need to keep squirting the blue stuff constantly as the ice will be wiped away & needs to be replenished.
13) DO NOT use your rear window defrosters! The heat may crack the windows under the weight of all that snow you never cleared off. Besides, who needs to see where you just came from? You are driving forward - not in reverse.
14) In the event you get stuck, spin your wheels. This will dig you in & guarantee you keep your spot & noody else can take it from you. Until Spring.
15) Go shopping. Never stock up on basic items since you may end up never using them & they you'd waste all the $. Instead, wait for the worst storm of the century & then, go buy stuff you use everyday - milk, bread, toilet paper. This way you always have a fresh supply.
16) Stop short in traffic when turning into a parking lot or your driveway - it will shake excess snow off your vehicle so that you do not deposit it when you park at your destination & you won't need to shovel or walk thru it later on.
17) Be sure to have a cell phone & make sure you are talking on it at all times - call all your friends to tell them about the horrible driving conditions or call every automated weather # to check the current weather conditions - this way, if the weather is better somewhere else you can head there.
18) NEVER remove the snow from the roof of the vehicle! This is a "badge of honor" & you can proudly show others how much snow you have collected before leaving home or work. Don't worry if your Geo is taller than a semi - those big trucks need to see how it feels to be behind a vehicle they can't see over. It also helps them to see you when you change lanes directly in front of them.
There you have it - basic winter driving techniques/tips I have learned over the years from native Buffalonians. Having grown up in NYC where we rarely had snow, I have never followed these tips. I stand out like a sore thumb when I clean every snowflake off my truck, use signals, TRY to leave a good distance between myself & other vehicles, make sure I am stocked up on food & supplies, carry a winter survival kit (including a plastic jar to be used as a port-a-potty!) & by my absence on the road during a driving ban. I may try using these tested techniques this winter though as I am tired of being called an out of towner by those born/raised here.
Good luck - hope these tips help - see you in the Spring - MAYBE!
Last edited by cowlady; 12-11-2003 at 07:59 PM.
#2
12-11-2003, 08:06 PM
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#4
12-11-2003, 09:30 PM
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i feel sorry for the people that do, LOL, i dont think i would want to live somewhere that gets as much snow as you guys, although the snowmobile riding would be great, but theres more than enough snow to do that here. good luck with your winter driving skills, stay far away from those wacko drivers haha.
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