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Re: Sliding on ice



Eric.Lorenzo@Colorado.EDU (Eric Lorenzo) wrote:
        ...edited to satisfy my ISP....
>Coming up to an intersection
>at a speed that was barely registering on my speedometer, I started to
>brake, the ABS kicked in, but I kept sliding forward.  It's such a
>helpless feeling, but at least most people out here are smart enough to
>make sure cross traffic is stopped before going with their green light.
>        I know ABS doesn't do squat on ice, but I'm wondering, short of
>getting studded tires, if there are any thing to do to help stop the car
>from sliding.  Since the ABS is pumping anyway, I wouldn't think releasing
>the brakes and applying it would make a difference.

Anecdote: in northern Illinois a couple of decades ago, a 4-way stop had
the work-bound traffic backed up for quite a distance in one of the four
directions (mine, unfortunately). What had happened was that earlier
traffic apparently polished the ice by doing some wheel-spinning as they
started up. By this time, it was really gruesome. As I got up to the bad
spot, just for the heck of it I stepped out to see just how bad it was.
Well, gang, I couldn't even STAND on the crud. As I grabbed the car roof
I actually pushed the car, a full-size Ford sedan, an inch or so
sideways !

The moral of the story, I guess, is that you'll run into conditions
where ABS, traction control, or anything else you've got (seriously - I
don't think I could have stopped quickly on skis on that stuff) is going
to stop you in any decent time. So you be careful and hope that
everybody around you is also careful, and pray that all your collisions
will be low-speed and that you always get a good bumper match.

BTW: is it true that on good, hard ice, studded tires don't help much
either?

Rule #1: if you can't avoid the crash, pick the softest, cheapest thing
around and hit it as gently as possible. - Anonymous (Stirling Moss?)

--
Dick Yuknavech                               rey@mindspring.com



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