dan@msdc.UUCP (Dan Forsyth) (01/30/85)
OK, all you cold-climate experts out there, here's a couple of
frozen-weather driving questions for you:
I was driving an 81 Aries (front-wheel drive) with steel belted radial
tires (~15,000 miles on them) through Knoxville, TN the other day on
the way to a funeral. Although there was a little snow piled up on the
shoulders foz the first 200 miles of the trip, the roads were dry. But
when I got into Knoxville, still on the interstate, I crested a hill
onto a bridge that appeared to be icy. Before I reached it, I slowed
as much as I could (to 30-35mph). It seems that a road crew had just
scraped the sand and slush off the bridge and it was indeed a sheet of
ice. As I reached the bridge, I saw a land yacht in the median on my
side pointing the wrong way (it seems that she had just spun her car).
To my horror, after seeing me, she attempted to U-turn in front of me,
slid, and ended up sideways across most of both lanes.
I pumped the brakes with no response at all, and my attempts to steer
were futile. I might as well have been riding!a skateboard standing on
my head. I plowed in to her side head-first, spun and clobbered the
right rear quarter panel on her front bumper. Fortunately, my sister
and I were both wearing our belts, so the only casualties were my shins
and the poor little Aries.
Our insurance company maintains that since I was in control of the car
until dingbat pulled across the road and would have proceeded without
incident, she is at fault and her insurance should pay for both cars.
Her insurance company is maintaining that since I was not in control of
the car when I hit her, neither of us was in control and each company
should pay for its own client.
Now, since I think that "cold" means 25 degrees F., I'm not an expert
at driving under these conditions. My questions are these: What
should I have done under those circumstances? How do the insurance
companies handle things like this where they have weather like this
more often? Should I fill out and sign an accident report for her
insurance company or make them go through the police and our insurance
company?
(BTW, the Knoxville police, wrecker crew, car dealers, and rental
agencies deserve praise for being courteous and very helpful in getting
the paperwork done, finding us a rental car, and getting us on our way
in time to reach our destination before dark.)
Dan Forsyth ({akgua,gatech,mcnc}!msdc!dan)
Medical Systems Development Corporation, Atlanta, GAheneghan@ihu1m.UUCP (Joe Heneghan) (02/04/85)
> OK, all you cold-climate experts out there, here's a couple of > frozen-weather driving questions for you: > > I was driving an 81 Aries (front-wheel drive) with steel belted radial > tires (~15,000 miles on them) through Knoxville, TN the other day on > the way to a funeral. Although there was a little snow piled up on the > shoulders foz the first 200 miles of the trip, the roads were dry. But > when I got into Knoxville, still on the interstate, I crested a hill > onto a bridge that appeared to be icy. Before I reached it, I slowed > as much as I could (to 30-35mph). It seems that a road crew had just > scraped the sand and slush off the bridge and it was indeed a sheet of > ice. As I reached the bridge, I saw a land yacht in the median on my > side pointing the wrong way (it seems that she had just spun her car). > To my horror, after seeing me, she attempted to U-turn in front of me, > slid, and ended up sideways across most of both lanes. > > I pumped the brakes with no response at all, and my attempts to steer > were futile. I might as well have been riding!a skateboard standing on > my head. I plowed in to her side head-first, spun and clobbered the > right rear quarter panel on her front bumper. Fortunately, my sister > and I were both wearing our belts, so the only casualties were my shins > and the poor little Aries. > ... > at driving under these conditions. My questions are these: What > should I have done under those circumstances? How do the insurance > companies handle things like this where they have weather like this > more often? Should I fill out and sign an accident report for her > insurance company or make them go through the police and our insurance > company? > To begin with, the insurance company of the woman is trying to get away with not giving you just compensation. She was clearly at fault since she pulled out in front of you, ice or no ice. Under those circumstances there was not much for you to do except drive slower on the icy road. Have her insurance company deal through your insurance company, don't sign anything that your company hasn't seen first. Joe Heneghan ihnp4!ihu1m!heneghan
meyer@waltz.UUCP (02/06/85)
Dan,
Sounds to me from your description that you did all the right things and
the lady doing donuts in front of you was totally at fault. Since you were
going up a hill, slowing down to less than the 30-35 mph may have caused you
to not make the hill. On glare ice, there is very little that you can do
to take any evasive actions. If you had a bit of time, you could have
avoided the brakes altogether and just tried to slowly steer away from the
problem. But from your description, she was right in front of you -- and
there was nothing that could be done then.
Definitely, don't let them put the screws to you -- this should be
paid by THEIR insurance. Your insurance company should be backing you
all the way!
Although I am from Dallas now, I have lived in the ice and snow for
most of my life in Michigan.
==============================================================================
Dane Meyer (Texas Instruments, Dallas site)
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