It's 32 degrees and you're driving on the highway...

[twangking]

75 mph. No reason to rush.

 

[teletail]

Has the temp been in the 40’s or 20’s and for how long? What vehicle are you driving? What tires? How much traffic? How long have you been driving? How much experience in these conditions? Are you a good driver? Do you know your limitations?

Unless you’re actually behind the wheel experiencing the conditions, there’s no way to really know.

 

[jfgesquire]

We tend to get a little bit of snow in Buffalo, NY, so I got me some Firestone Firehawk PVS (Pursuit Vehicle Snow) tires on my AWD Twinster differentialed wagon.

The roads here are well salted, so it's got to be below 10° before ice is an issue, except the occasional overpass.

Snow is never a problem; in fact, white packed snow is pretty easy to drive on at 35-40 mph, and it's quite common.

 

[getbent]

" roads are clear but damp, and have a little salt on them"

There's only one correct answer to this and it's the speed limit. It does not matter the car since we really don't have roads over 70 or 75 mph and the vast majority of cars out there will handle that just fine. Why would temp have anything to do with anything? If the roads are clear but damp with salt, then speed limit it is maybe 5-10 over depending on the scene. Of course we'll always take precautions around sharp turns etc..

Another pet peeve I have about rain is why on earth would every state not have a 'Headlights on" law when it's raining? It's so simple and actually one of the good laws. Some states have it and some don't. What all states don't have though is someone otelling cigarette smokers to stop throwing out their butts out the car window. It's as if they think they are so small that they're really not trash or littering. I assume they would not throw their McDonald's bag out the window so why the cigarette?

In Canada, they smartly have all the cars have their lights on by default (pretty sure of that) which is great. You can see people's lights regardless of rain or snow or dark of night.

As to the thought that people don't throw mcdonalds (and other) refuse out of their vehicles only cig butts, that is sadly mistaken. If you have ever volunteered to clean up a highway, it is full of all manner of wrappers and coffee cups with names like Rhonda and Griselda on them and the remnants of caramel lattes, burger king crowns and wendy's fries boxes, popeyes chicken (somebody didn't want their red beans and rice.) yeah... people are about the 'here and now' and here they dump their garbage out of their cars because they want a clean front seat now.

 

[Peegoo]

What all states don't have though is someone telling cigarette smokers to stop throwing out their butts out the car window. It's as if they think they are so small that they're really not trash or littering. I assume they would not throw their McDonald's bag out the window so why the cigarette?

Twimas (The World Is My Ashtray) are everywhere.

And don't be too sure about that McDonald's bag either. Some people are so stupid they leave dirty diapers in the Wal Mart parking lot. I do not visit Wal Mart unless I lose a bet, and yeah, it's a thing.

 

[Greggorios]

Depends on what the car is telling me. Feedback through the steering wheel, seat of the pants, that sort of thing.

+1, This is the correct answer. If one is unable to "read" the road conditions they probably shouldn't be driving in bad weather. These days the other big variable is how many other cars/vehicles are on the road. Most don't have a clue as to how to drive in bad weather.

 

[rcole_sooner]

..or good weather.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

In Canada, they smartly have all the cars have their lights on by default (pretty sure of that) which is great. You can see people's lights regardless of rain or snow or dark of night.

So DRLs (daytime running lights) are not mandated in the US? Wow. (googles...) since 1989 in Canuckistan.

 

[darkwaters]

I’d need to translate that to kph and Celsius, but I’m too lazy.

 

[getbent]

So DRLs (daytime running lights) are not mandated in the US? Wow. (googles...) since 1989 in Canuckistan.

when I compliment your country, it probably isn't expected or nice to respond with a kick to the pelotas.

 

[fjblair]

It depends, but definitely over 40mph.

 

[telemnemonics]

Here in GA where there's probably not going to be salt on the roads, you stay home after making a desperate run to Kroger for milk and bread.

Right, areas that aren't geared up for the freeze or snow are no go.
In NYC when it snowed more than IDK 6-8", everything shut down because they really can't plow with no shoulder. One storm in maybe 1991 my street was not cleared for a week and there were footprints on top of car humps, we just got buried and stayed buried.
I guess that freak snow & freezein Texas was the same thing where it was just not a normal situation.

But even in Maine, the first snow or ice has more accidents because we all gotta get the slip & slide feel back.

 

[David Barnett]

So DRLs (daytime running lights) are not mandated in the US? Wow. (googles...) since 1989 in Canuckistan.

They are not mandated, but some manufacturers include them by default, like GM, VW.

 

[Killing Floor]

What are the conditions? Need to know more than air temperature. Is it damp, raining, sleeting? Is it arid?

 

[telemnemonics]

Did not go this year, but my wife is from Rochester, NY ( we live in VA) and we often drive up for a Christmas family (her) visit to NY, for a few days...

It's kind of scary ( just when I think about what I'm doing) but often on the trip back home,
we are driving back on the NY Thruway ( Interstate 390) in 15°- 20° temp, road is damp/clear with chemicals or salt.
There is previous snow on the shoulders- and we are going up and down epic mountain hills ( a few miles long, but straight) and EVERYONE is going 65-70 MPH. Often when going UP, you will run into white-out, snowy ' mini- blizzards- they just pop up at higher elevations

I'm white-knuckled, on steering wheel doing this, but when everyone around is going this speed, you just do it.
But it can be intense! ( a few hours of this) in my head, I'm thinking:
" What is keeping all of us from just flying off of this roller coaster?!'

Temps warm up 1/2 way thru PA> MD

I drove all the way across NY State on I-90 and about half way we got a nice blizzard (or several).
Three of us in my '67 Buick Riviera, hard to see far, deep rutted snow and plows not often coming along.
Hit a drift in the middle of the highway and it just sent us right off into the wide grassy divider, no guard rails to hurt and harm us.
Got pulled out and drove another 200 miles in the blizzard.
New York gets some serious snow inland!

 

[telemnemonics]

They are not mandated, but some manufacturers include them by default, like GM, VW.

I'd have to check if my Volvo lights have an off option but it is a valuable feature to have a switch that allows you to turn off the damn lights!
Kind of strange really to make it illegal to turn off your lights when parked warming up the car or after a jump start trying to charge up the battery?

 

[BigDaddyLH]

when I compliment your country, it probably isn't expected or nice to respond with a kick to the pelotas.

Tough love!

 

[David Barnett]

I'd have to check if my Volvo lights have an off option but it is a valuable feature to have a switch that allows you to turn off the damn lights!
Kind of strange really to make it illegal to turn off your lights when parked warming up the car or after a jump start trying to charge up the battery?

DRLs usually don't come on until you shift into gear.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

I'd have to check if my Volvo lights have an off option but it is a valuable feature to have a switch that allows you to turn off the damn lights!
Kind of strange really to make it illegal to turn off your lights when parked warming up the car or after a jump start trying to charge up the battery?

I leave the twiddler on my light stalk on "auto", so when I start the car, the lights are on. Sometimes I park with the engine running and notice, say, the lights are shining into a store, so I twiddle the lights off. No Mountie is going to tap on your window because you are warming up your car with the lights off. We're a reasonable people.

 

[imwjl]

So DRLs (daytime running lights) are not mandated in the US? Wow. (googles...) since 1989 in Canuckistan.

Being special isn't always a compliment but, lots of freedom is a big deal here.