Winter Driving

Well, it has snowed every day these past two weeks, and we are already running out of places to put the snow. The sad part is that it is only the official second day of winter. We still have four more months of blizzards and clean-up coming at us! Arrrggghhh!

My winter tires on my car have saved me countless times already. Not that I drive fast, but if you happen to drive over those snow ruts at the right angle, they can send your car flying sideways into the next lane narrowly missing another vehicle. The snow tires give you the right amount of traction to pull out of those situations in a hurry. Here in Saskatchewan, we are used to watching for other drivers sliding sideways involuntarily, so are always scanning and leaving room for what I fondly call "ice road dancing".  The same intense scanning you do on your bike when there are patches of "marbles" to avoid so as not to send you sideways doing the "boot scraping boogie".

And just like on your bike, you have to watch your rear-view mirror when you are stopping to make sure the vehicle behind you also stops before they hit you. The auto body shops make lots of money this time of year... 

And what's with drivers who cut you off and then expect you to miss them as you apply your ABS brakes frantically? Have you heard all the grinding noises from the bottom of your floor boards when you do this? By the time I pull into the work parking lot after my half-hour commute, I feel like I've just driven in a Grand Prix with everyone racing to get somewhere and jockeying for pole position!

Yes, winter driving is a test of endurance and skill, but mostly luck. Is it any wonder that most of my co-workers have already booked a trip south to California or Mexico or Florida? Since I cannot take advantage of a trip this winter, I will console myself with hot coffee and reading other people's blogs of traveling on ice-free roads!

Suzu