I wish people would learn to drive in the snow! (Bangor: 2015, YMCA)

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

the timid too slow drivers can cause accidents,,,,ive seen many snails this year....
ive got a suggestion for the retired prius and Subaru drivers that drive wayyy too slow

don't venture out on your morning coffee/paper til after 8 am

before that time, people are going to work, and very impatient

No, everyone needs to slow down. It's not the slow drivers causing the accidents, it's the impatient ones who tailgate or try to pass in bad road conditions. Life isn't a race. Being a bit late to work won't kill anyone but trying to get there quickly on bad roads may. There's too much of a rat race mentality creeping into everyone's lives.

[CoastalMaineiac]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

No, everyone needs to slow down. It's not the slow drivers causing the accidents, it's the impatient ones who tailgate or try to pass in bad road conditions. Life isn't a race. Being a bit late to work won't kill anyone but trying to get there quickly on bad roads may. There's too much of a rat race mentality creeping into everyone's lives.

Too slow on a snow covered hill, and you'll get stuck. There's a happy medium in between driving like like you're on I-95 in July and driving like you're in an old Chevy that's lost every gear but granny low.

[slyfox2]

Originally Posted by slyfox2

Just drove into Bar Harbor from NW MDI. Road was snow covered and 3-4 inches deep in some spots. No issues at all with my Subaru Impreza with General Altimac Arctic Tires.

As an addendum, I got stuck in my own driveway temporarily yesterday. I had dumped off the collected ice junk off the wheel wells. Overnight it froze into a solid lump and obstructed all four wheels. When my wife tried to back up the traction control refused to let her spin the wheels to back up.

If forgot that the traction control works great as long is there is some forward movement. But in a situation where you are on ice and not moving at all, all four wheels need to be able to move not just one or two. As soon as I turned off VDC(traction control), I backed right up without a problem. Traction control can get confused when none of the wheels have any traction. In that case being able to spin all flour wheels at once gives more traction than any single wheel can give.

After I got moving, I turned VDC(traction control back on).

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by slyfox2

As an addendum, I got stuck in my own driveway temporarily yesterday. I had dumped off the collected ice junk off the wheel wells. Overnight it froze into a solid lump and obstructed all four wheels. When my wife tried to back up the traction control refused to let her spin the wheels to back up.

If forgot that the traction control works great as long is there is some forward movement. But in a situation where you are on ice and not moving at all, all four wheels need to be able to move not just one or two. As soon as I turned off VDC(traction control), I backed right up without a problem. Traction control can get confused when none of the wheels have any traction. In that case being able to spin all flour wheels at once gives more traction than any single wheel can give.

After I got moving, I turned VDC(traction control back on).

Both of our sedans have traction control. It is great when it works. We have experienced them both when the system was 'confused'. Thankfully both of our cars have the option of turning traction control off.

[mainebrokerman]

I drove to eastport and back on Friday, over 400 miles

the roads weren't too bad at all, I kept track of the slowest cars on the roads,,,,yes,,, they were the prius's and Subaru's and minivans ..

a Subaru was following a snowplow heading east on rte 9,,the plow was going 30 on the far right,,, the blade was clearing the break down/shoulder lane ..
even on double lanes the Subaru wouldn't pass the snow plow on the left,,,the road was clear- so, after miles and miles, 3 cars took a chance and passed both on a straight-away ...the Subaru FINALLY pulled over and let the 20 cars behind it ,,finally go by and pass the snowplow on a double lane

then most of the cars did 60-65 all the way to woodland/baileyville- passing 3 prius's two minivans, and an old guy in a ford truck,,

on rte one south,,the traffic was very slow -

on the turn to eastport,,,guess was I was stuck behind???? yep another Subaru going 25-28 mph

and the roads weren't bad at all


my biggest complaint is for the slow drivers to pull over!! when there is a line of cars behind you!!

I travel for a living,,, and (knock on wood) haven't hd an accident in decades, so im not a speed demon,,,just saying ,,I get to see what vehicles,,,cause accidents more than others..


one poster on here said a couple years ago,,,he doesn't use the (295) coastal rte out of Portland (north) because of the slow drivers,, mostly the prius's and Subaru's also- well,,, that poster is correct , I use this road 2- 3 times a week and coming out of Portland (north) its not uncommon for both lanes to be going 55-60 mph when the roads are clear,,and the speed limit is 70.. that's when many drivers will dart around them,,,causing accidents ..

someday I may get a prius , but I will not be one of the road turtles... when im older , and my vision isn't the best , or im just slower,,,i will be sure to pull over, and out of the way before cars pile up behind me..

and yeah, I know its the drivers of these cars,,,but there's a definite pattern,,

and yeah, I see the speed demon idiots causing accidents too especially on slippery roads ,,,but one thing about speed demons,,,id rather have them in front on me,,,than a road turtle



eastport has got slammed with snow this year

[slyfox2]

You should drive more on MDI. 1/3 of the cars on the road are Subarus and they definitely do not drive slowly.

[GreenGene]

My experiences in driving in Maine to date (since the beginning of October):

-- we have a Prius and a RAV4. I drive them pretty much the same way: speed limit plus 5-10, conditions permitting (and the crews do a great job on the roads here - unless it's actually snowing, the road conditions are usually good).

-- so it's the same driver, driving a Prius and a RAV4 in the same manner .... and people are much more likely to tailgate the Prius than the RAV4; i.e., some people have an irrational hatred/fear of the Prius. I'm sure there's some fancy psychological explanation for it.

-- if I'm doing the speed limit plus 10, on a road that has places where a person can legally pass, I don't see any reason why I have to pull over to let someone by. I don't expect anyone to pull over when I'm behind them, delaying their trip to accommodate someone who wants to go a bit faster. I simply wait for an opportunity to safely, legally pass them. I was taught that was the way to do it - are people taught differently in Maine? Or do they simply have different expectations of their fellow drivers?

[inthetrees]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

No, everyone needs to slow down. It's not the slow drivers causing the accidents, it's the impatient ones who tailgate or try to pass in bad road conditions. Life isn't a race. Being a bit late to work won't kill anyone but trying to get there quickly on bad roads may. There's too much of a rat race mentality creeping into everyone's lives.

Very well said. A wise person once told me to not drive in the snow/winter conditions faster than you want to crash/slide off the road.

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

...

I travel for a living,,, and (knock on wood) haven't hd an accident in decades, so im not a speed demon,,,just saying ,,I get to see what vehicles,,,cause accidents more than others..
...

Sorry bub but that's not the way statistics and facts work.... You see what vehicles YOU notice causing more accidents, any previous bias or judgement you had about certain cars would skew your "facts" as you would notice and remember these cars on the side of the road more than others.

[slyfox2]

I used to have to drive fast up hills and slow down hills to make sure that I have enough traction. With AWD, anti-lock brakes, traction control and General Altimac Arctic tires, I no longer have to worry about not having enough traction to make it up hills, or to pull away from a stop on a hill.

So I drive as safely as I need for conditions. When the road conditions are slippery, I drive slower. I am more aware of my mortality at age 65 than I was when I was 22, and I am more aware that my reaction time is not as fast.

Its not unusual for idiots to tailgate me in snowy conditions when I know that I have more traction and stopping power than they do. I usually pull off and let them hit a tree on their own rather that rear ending me.

[SportFury59]

In reference to the Subaru comments.....I drive a Subaru Forester in the winter. I just love driving on snowy days. Nobody tailgates me, nobody passes me. They can't keep up. When it's safe I do the passing. That AWD Subaru is the most sure footed vehicle I've driven. (of course, AWD doesn't help stopping and turning so extra caution is used there)

In good dry weather I usually drive 5 over speed limit and I'm being tailgated. passed, and just about run over. Not the case on snowy days. That's when I get my payback with my Subaru (and I got white hair).

And personally, I do not like anti-lock brakes. I was taught to stop on snow by pumping my own brakes, and it worked well.