Wet Ice

[Cragar]

Wet ice is one of the slipperiest elements known to man. We just had a fast surprise ice storm today , it caught a lot of people off-guard. Lots and lots of accidents here today .

I had to go out in this today to see some of my customers. I have a 4wd truck with ABS and good rubber. Plus , I am a bit more experienced than your average Joe and know how to control a skid or keep my speed down to avoid the skid to start with before it is a problem. I know the limits of my vehicle and am not afraid to pull over if conditions merit stopping.



46 Injured in 50-Car Pileup in Connecticut

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Joseph M. Martinka, Connecticut Post

Dec. 13: Wrecked cars are seen on a wet road in Shelton, Conn.

SHELTON, Conn. — Police say at least 50 cars crashed in a chain-reaction collision on a wet Connecticut road that was turning icy, and 46 people reported minor injuries.

Shelton police Detective Sgt. Kevin Ahern says six people were taken to hospitals from the wreck that happened shortly after noon Sunday on state route 110. None of the injuries were life-threatening.

WFSB says the southwestern Connecticut road has been closed for more than five hours so authorities can continue investigating the accident. Police expected it to reopen early Sunday evening.

 

[Midnight_Raven]

Wow that's a big pile up thankfully nobody got badly hurt. This morning I step out of my apartment and almost slipped due to black ice. I decided to go a bit slower just because of my slight slip. I don't want to end up in anything like that in my MR2 its my dd.

 

[Wick]

YIKES... that gave me the willies Reminded me of the ice storm of the century we had here in central MA a year ago... lost power for 5 days at my house... some towns were without power for two week!! Trees and telephone/power poles down everywhere... they had to rebuilt the entire power infrastructure in some towns.

Give me a blizzard any day... just no ice please :smile:

Here's a couple shots from last year in my neighborhood:

 

[Cragar]

Wick ,

A friend of mine lives in Becket , MA. I heard all about that storm. She had no power for the longest time plus had major damage to her house.


Bad news for sure.

 

[scorpionsf]

thats the same storm we got around 8:30 am here in central, pa. just as i was getting home in my '89 prelude. drifted the 3 turns in my neighborhood. i was really amazed that no one slid into it the rest of the day as it was parked in the street, and i live on a corner.

i know of at least 15 multi car wrecks around the area. people are just dont, and it doesnt help that it was raining and freezing completely clear

 

[grybrd]

Ah yes...CT ice storms.
I do not recall the year but I was living in New Britain. I drove to my apartment, got out, closed the door on the TR6 and watched it slide 15 feet down the slightly sloping parking lot. Fortunately no one was within range to crunch. They would have kept sliding like dominos falling. :frown: Give me snow anyday.

 

[Cragar]

Ah yes...CT ice storms.
I do not recall the year but I was living in New Britain. I drove to my apartment, got out, closed the door on the TR6 and watched it slide 15 feet down the slightly sloping parking lot. Fortunately no one was within range to crunch. They would have kept sliding like dominos falling. :frown: Give me snow anyday.

I friend of mine had a driveway with a slight downhill pitch to the street. One morning he was awoken very early by the police because his car had slooooowly slid all the way down the driveway and was now blocking the street.

He learned to park with the steering wheel cocked to one side when ever it was icy so if the car slid it would make a right hand turn and stop on the lawn.

 

[steveny]

YIKES... that gave me the willies Reminded me of the ice storm of the century we had here in central MA a year ago... lost power for 5 days at my house... some towns were without power for two week!! Trees and telephone/power poles down everywhere... they had to rebuilt the entire power infrastructure in some towns.

Ever notice how the ____________of the century seems to come more often than ever 100 years.

I am still waiting for the dreaded DRY Ice storm. Yikes. Better pay them carbon credits ASAP!

 

[Midnight_Raven]

In regards to that picture you posted up Wick I actually drove through some back road in Worcester, that run through the woods, the night right after that ice storm.... bad idea lots of trees + ice = dangerous roads. I had to question myself once I got there, if I wanted to go through that road because a lot of branches were pretty low like in your last picture. I saw a civic come out towards me and I was like if he made it I can too. I drove through and slowly but surely those branches were getting closer and closer to my car. At the middle I was pretty much driving through a tunnel of forzen branches it wouldn't be able to open my door if I were to stop that is how tight the path was through this section. There wasn't really a road anymore it was just a curvy path around all the fallen trees and branches to get through. It was scary but beautiful actually.

Either way the point of the story is, the next morning I told my room mates I'm going back and doing the drive one more time but with a camera to show everyone how crazy the roads were back there. Low and behold when I get there a cop had blocked the road and wouldn't allow people through because it was too dangerous... Had I gone later that night it could of resulted with a fallen tree on my car. Thankfully not but I don't regret the drive I enjoyed it.

 

[Wick]

Ever notice how the ____________of the century seems to come more often than ever 100 years.

I am still waiting for the dreaded DRY Ice storm. Yikes. Better pay them carbon credits ASAP!

This century (21st) is only 10 years old....so, it was the ice storm of this century Also, I've lived in New England for 27 years... so, for me it was the ice storm of the past quarter century:smile:

-Wick