# How to handle winter...like a Utahn



## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

With the first big snow storm of the year upon us, I thought I might take a minute to share with you how winter should be handled here. 

First, don't panic. We have seen this before, and we will see it again. Freaking out will only make things tougher. 

Second, pull down your pants. Don't ask questions. Just do it. 

Third, bend down as far as you can until the top of your head touches the ground, and you can see your terminal orifice. Keep your eye on it. 

Fourth, cram your tiny head as far into that hole as you can get it. Don't stop until your sphincter has a firm grasp on your scrawny neck. 

Now you're ready to get behind the wheel of your big a$$ SUV, and drive as fast as you can, causing as much pandemonium as you can along the way. 

Ok, for real now. What the hell is wrong with people??? They act like they have no idea what they are doing every time it snows. It's not new to us, and the laws of physics gave not changed, so people need to quit driving like they are invincible, and pay at least an ounce of attention to what they are doing. Everyone would get home that much more quickly and safely. It took me 3 hours to accomplish what normally takes me 45 minutes tonight. I'm sure many of you are in the same boat. The snow is not to blame. That rests squarely on the lower backs of those with their heads in their asses.


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

:shock:
Rough day?
In all seriousness I've been the recipient of the consequence of someone getting in a hurry for the conditions and barely lived to talk about it and have permanent reminders of the event. It's not worth the few minutes you might save or the phone call you might miss. The anniversary of my accident is coming up this Friday and I'd just like to remind everyone that somebody cares about you and they'd like you to come home safe.


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## avidhntr3 (Sep 26, 2007)

Saw a girl driving today up by the U today who thought texting would definitely help her drive better in these conditions. :?


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## Fishrmn (Sep 14, 2007)

I don't have a problem with the guy who is going fast. I hate the dimwits who have a foot of snow on the hood, roof, and trunk of their car, windows frosted, flashers on, white knuckles clamped on the wheel, going 20 mph in the center lane of the freeway, while cars are going 45 mph on both sides of him.

I spent nearly 6 hours on the road yesterday. Didn't see any wrecks. Saw a few slide-offs. And lots of the aforementioned white knucklers.

ʕ°ᴥ°ʔ

⫸<{{{{⦅°>


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

IMO the more dangerous people are the stupidly slow ones not understanding where the lanes are, crossing back and forth, or straddling two lanes in the middle. 

Get yur as$$ over and lemme by!


-DallanC


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

I think this may back up the OP's original post
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=27884648&ni...ross-wasatch-front&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-8


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## Fishrmn (Sep 14, 2007)

LostLouisianian said:


> I think this may back up the OP's original post
> http://www.ksl.com/?sid=27884648&ni...ross-wasatch-front&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-8


If you assume that all or most of those accidents were caused by speed. But how many were caused by driving with inadequate tires? Obscured vision because of poor wiper blades, or ineffective cleaning of the vehicle? Or just plain driver panic?

I've been listening to my radio in my truck on three occasions when it was announced that the point of the mountain was closed. And that was with the point of the mountain in my rear view mirror. Each time the roads were in fair shape, and I had made it over without any problems, and without using 4 wheel drive. I'm convinced that it is much more about skill and attitude than speed. I've had lots of times when I've lost a little bit of traction. But I don't stomp on the brakes and panic when it happens.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

I worked yesterday, first storm since getting hit last year, what a bunch of morons there are driving. Fishrmn- Speed is the biggest contributing factor to 95% of the crashes on snow days. Tires are a contributing factor as is everything else you mentioned, the biggest though is always speed. People drive faster than what they can respond to in the conditions. If they were to slow down they could have the time to see and react to the conditions on the road. Unfortunately, every tom dick and harry thinks they can go 65 mph on a solid sheet of ice/snow. Tires will help you get up to speed and stay going the right direction, but they wont do hardly **** for you when you have to stop/slow down for something in front of you. If people would slow the hell down there would be a lot less accidents. Take this scenario for example, I am driving southbound on I-15 in a fully marked UHP Durango ****Heading to an injury accident (Dallan pointed out I left out an important part of the story). I am traveling at 35 mph on a solid sheet of ice covered by 1-2 inches of slush with 1-2 inches of snow on top of it. Visibility is maybe an eighth of a mile, being generous. I am running my rear radar so that I can hear people coming at me before I see them. I have a vehicle approaching from behind at 73 mph. As they approach I turn on my rear lights and they slow down and stay on my side for a mile or so then get brave and speed up. Not 3/4 of mile further down the road he crashes in a curve, I have him on radar doing 43 mph and accelerating just before the crash. Nearly new tires. What would you think the issue is?

My old man was one of the 3 troopers that got hit last night, 2 different cars at the same scene, guess what the cause was? Yup, speed. Fortunately, he was in his car and only got bumps bruises and small cuts. 

Remember your 4x4 and great tires can get you up to speed, they can't get you stopped on icy/snowy roads, which is when the crash occurs.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

USMARINEhuntinfool said:


> I am traveling at 35 mph on a solid sheet of ice covered by 1-2 inches of slush with 1-2 inches of snow on top of it. Visibility is maybe an eighth of a mile, being generous. I am running my rear radar so that I can hear people coming at me before I see them. I have a vehicle approaching from behind at 73 mph.


Why on earth didn't you pull him over and give him a ticket for being too fast for conditions?

-DallanC


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

I was headed to another crash, unfortunately on snow days we don't have time to do hardly any enforcement. I was headed to an injury accident which left my only option was to flash my lights at him and hope he got the picture, then he crashed and got the full focus of my attention. Which ended up delaying the response to the other accident.

This is what a snow day consists of for a trooper: Check on duty hoping you dressed warm enough and check all your gear to make sure everything is refilled and ready to go, head out on the road, before you hit the interstate you have been dispatched to an accident 5-10 miles away. With in a mile of getting on the interstate you are on scene of an accident. You call out the accident you are on and begin handling it (i.e. getting cars out of travel lanes and pointed in the right direction on the shoulder and begin typing it all up.) You get the basic information that you have to have and save the report for later, issue citations etc. and get those cars going. Before you clear the accident you get dispatched to another accident further down the road. As you clear you arrive on scene of a different accident and begin taking care of it (see above) this cycle continues for 10-16 hours with barely even a break to keep from peeing your pants. Cars are passing you at ungodly speeds and you have no time to do anything about it until they pile up and you either arrive on the scene of their crash or get dispatched to them. Even with calling out every Trooper that is available in the county, including Troopers that don't work in the area, this is a continual cycle until you are finally relieved by Troopers coming out to replace you or the storm breaks enough for you to make it to your house and check off before you break the federal 16 hour rule. Snow days suck.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I applaud and salute your efforts Sir, thank you.


-DallanC


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