Finally Snow

With the mild winter in the Midwest, we have all pretty much forgotten how to drive on snowy/icy roads.  This relearning process usually happens in late November or December but this year we are getting the experience now, near the end of January.  Well, better now than later I suppose.

The snow today was supposed to fall as ‘flurries.’  That is weatherman talk for not really knowing how much we might get but to expect something, not much.  There was a steady light fall of snow for about 5 hours; a nice, light, dry snow.  When it finally ended, it amounted to about 1.5 inches.  That’s not normally enough to cause any problems on the roads but since we haven’t had any practise runs yet, it did in fact cause some incidents. 

The problems occur when one driver is extra cautious, going about 35 miles an hour in a 60 mph zone and one is going 70 and not being cautious at all.  The slow person ultimately moves over into the lane with the fast driver approaching.  Brakes are applied to the floor board, and spin out or side slide occurs.  The slow drive typically keeps going, totally unaware he/she has either caused a wreck or caused some near misses and heavy heart palpitations.  All drivers (except the slow one) move on with thankful hearts (and some swearing), glad to still be alive and healthy.

I am not sure why we forget each year and have to relearn snow/ice driving.  Especially those of us over 40 years old.  I guess it is just one of those things that doesn’t rank in high priority in our memory banks, unlike remembering our first kiss, or first date, or first all A report card.  Priorities.  Hmmmm.