Lol.. Good old country folk.. I remember my first car getting pulled out of the rhubarb by a john deere. Thats why I had a good chuckle just now. Nice to know I wasnt the only one.
(1989 Dodge omni btw)
But in all honesty from what some people might know I do snow and ice control for a certain government organisation. Let me pass on a few tips to make both of our lives easier out there.
1.) Avoid the situation in the first place. -If you dont need to go out in adverse conditions, DONT.
2.) Dont tailgate a plow rig. - We have poor visibility to begin with, made worse by the wing rig and dump box behind us. We also tend to use road salt/sand or potassium acetate in the spreaders which is very bad for your car. When the cutting edge of the plow blade passes over the snow, it polishes it and makes it even more slippery. The chemical takes time to bite in and provide more traction. 100m minimum behind us, (Length between 4 telephone poles) please.
3.) Carry road flares. Those little pop up triangles are almost impossible to see. In a white out. If your in the ditch and I cant see you, I cant help you. Road flares burn hot, be careful. When you hear someone approaching, light one up. Buy the good 20 minute burn ones. Most squalls dont last longer then 40m so buy 3. Use two, keep one in case you need to light a fire or build shelter.
4.) Carry an emergency winter kit and build it yourself. Non-perishable food and a way to open it. Lots of warm blankets, water, a small shovel to open your exhaust for heat if your car still runs if you land in the ditch.
5.) IF THE WORST HAPPENS AND YOU GO INTO THE DITCH IN WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS: If there is no injury or threat from fire, REMAIN IN YOUR VEHICLE. If your vehicle starts or still runs after the ditching, put on hazard lights and high-beams on to full. Set the heater to 'fresh air" Exit the vehicle and clear any snow out and away from the exhaust. Grab your flare kit and set it 5 feet away from your vehicle. Do not loose sight of your vehicle. Get back in and wait for help to come to you.
Last edited by Howie; 11-20-2014 at 10:41 AM.
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View my fuel log 2015 Micra S automatic: 7.9 L/100 km ... 35.7 mpg (Imp) ... 12.6 km/L ... 29.7 mpg (US) ...