Sliding into the silly season

Silly season has started. I'm not talking about the annual parade of race drivers switching teams. I'm talking about the time of year when all sorts of motorists forget that water freezes when the temperature drops. They also seem to overlook the fact that ice offers nowhere near as much friction for tires as asphalt.

This week, I have awoken to star-filled skies and a neighbourhood full of white cars. Beautiful as it may be, it's always my first clue that driving calls for extra care.

You see, frost is not limited to developing on car windows. It can occur on roads and bridges as well as pumpkins.

This past Wednesday was no exception. After scraping frost from my car windows, I gingerly set off on my drive into Toronto.

I could see the sheen of ice on the road as I headed south on Hwy. 48. It was sporadic, but definitely there. I drove with extreme caution. As I turned onto Davis Dr., that black sheen was turning to white frost in areas where tires had not yet gone. Just as deadly as the dreaded black ice, frost also greatly reduces your tire's grip on asphalt. This isn't rocket science, just common sense.

As I came over the top of the first hill, there off to the side was a stopped vehicle with people standing beside the road. The next hint of trouble was the sight of headlights in the ditch – and they were upside down.

There lying on its roof was an SUV, looking quite undignified. I stopped to make sure the occupants were out and safe and that help was on its way. The driver was okay, and he was already talking the "black ice" excuse.

Let's review this scenario. Cold, frosty morning with cars and road covered in ice. The possibility of slippery driving conditions is on the danger side of the odds. The road had white frost on it and ice could be seen from the sheen on the asphalt not covered with frost.

In these conditions, slowing down seems to be a very prudent move. Yet this driver was completely surprised by the lack of grip and blamed black ice.

But the story doesn't end there. While I was checking on the occupants (not the smartest move, due to the danger of being on the side of the road in those conditions), a group of vehicles came over the hill toward us. What occurred next was beyond comprehension. As some of the vehicles slowed, causing one to skid on the ice, another pulled out to pass the whole group!

With one vehicle upside down in the ditch, cars stopped at the side of the road, frost easily visible on the road and one vehicle slithering to a stop, no creature with any semblance of intelligence would pull out to pass – not in any one of those conditions, never mind in such a complex situation.

Luckily, and it was just pure dumb luck, no one else ended up in the ditch. Had the driver who pulled out to pass everyone slid off the road or crashed into someone else, I'm sure they, too, would have blamed black ice.

As I made my way into work, I couldn't help but think that the poor fellow in the ditch probably figured he didn't need winter tires and this incident wasn't his fault. And I'll bet the passing driver, who possibly made it into work this time, complained to co-workers that everyone else on the drive in was going too slowly. How unfortunate for all of us that we have to share the roads with the likes of this bonehead.

 

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