Clean ALL the damn snow off your car!

[DaveP043]

I'm going to rant for a bit. Here in Virginia we've had a little bit of snow overnight, hopefully our last of the spring. Driving to work today, I noticed what I always notice, drivers who are too damn lazy to clear all the snow from their cars. I went to college at the snowiest university in the US, and one thing I learned was to clean the entire car. We had snow typically between 4 and 7 days a week, and we always cleaned ALL the snow. That's the right thing to do.

Here's the thing. First you need to see, just like every other day. So clean the ENTIRE window in front, on the sides, in the back. Not just where the wipers go, clean the whole damn thing. While you're at it, clean the headlights and taillights, so we can see YOU. Clean your hood, so the snow doesn't blow off and blind you while you're driving. Clean your roof, so the snow doesn't slide forward and cover your windshield as you come to a stop. Is there anything left? Nope, that's it, the entire car.

Here's the reason I care. If you can't see out properly, and I can't see you, it puts ME in danger. Yet another way you might put me in danger is a few days after the snow. That snow you left on your roof, it might thaw a bit and refreeze, and become a big flat chunk of ice. Now you're going 60 mph down the highway, the wind gets under the ice, and flips it in the air. If that lands on MY windshield, I can't see. It can even break my windshield. We had over a dozen windshields broken in this area in a single day.

OK, rant over. I've avoided calling anyone names, or labeling them as stupid or lazy. I don't really need to make it any clearer, do I?

[Patch]

We are lucky out here. Except for a (very)  few frosty mornings, all we have to deal with is "dust". A leaf blower is all we need. 

[Wally Fairway]

16 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm going to rant for a bit. Here in Virginia we've had a little bit of snow overnight, hopefully our last of the spring. Driving to work today, I noticed what I always notice, drivers who are too damn lazy to clear all the snow from their cars. I went to college at the snowiest university in the US, and one thing I learned was to clean the entire car. We had snow typically between 4 and 7 days a week, and we always cleaned ALL the snow. That's the right thing to do.

Here's the thing. First you need to see, just like every other day. So clean the ENTIRE window in front, on the sides, in the back. Not just where the wipers go, clean the whole damn thing. While you're at it, clean the headlights and taillights, so we can see YOU. Clean your hood, so the snow doesn't blow off and blind you while you're driving. Clean your roof, so the snow doesn't slide forward and cover your windshield as you come to a stop. Is there anything left? Nope, that's it, the entire car.

Here's the reason I care. If you can't see out properly, and I can't see you, it puts ME in danger. Yet another way you might put me in danger is a few days after the snow. That snow you left on your roof, it might thaw a bit and refreeze, and become a big flat chunk of ice. Now you're going 60 mph down the highway, the wind gets under the ice, and flips it in the air. If that lands on MY windshield, I can't see. It can even break my windshield. We had over a dozen windshields broken in this area in a single day.

OK, rant over. I've avoided calling anyone names, or labeling them as stupid or lazy. I don't really need to make it any clearer, do I?

Michigan Tech or Lake State?
I think they typically rank first and second most years, changing places when the winds change.

[DaveP043]

Tech, I didn't realize it til weather.com published this:

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/the-10-snowiest-colleges-acros/22129751

I just missed the record-setter, 78-79 I think there was 375 inches or so.

 

[Dave2512]

In CO you will get a ticket for peep hole driving if you don't clear most of it from windshield/windows. 

[Wally Fairway]

7 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Tech, I didn't realize it til weather.com published this:

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/the-10-snowiest-colleges-acros/22129751

I just missed the record-setter, 78-79 I think there was 375 inches or so.

 

I had some friends from HS go to Tech & my daughters went one to Lake State and the other to Northern; and they both claim to hate winter. Go figure?

So I'm familiar with checking the weather at the bridge and beyond.

[DaveP043]

I went on from Tech to grad school at NC State, and have lived in Virginia ever since I got my Masters.  I only went back to Houghton this past summer, the first time there since 1978.  I'ts a lovely area, with a very interesting industrial history, but I don't need to be anyplace where snow is routinely measured in FEET.

[boogielicious]

37 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm going to rant for a bit. Here in Virginia we've had a little bit of snow overnight, hopefully our last of the spring. Driving to work today, I noticed what I always notice, drivers who are too damn lazy to clear all the snow from their cars. I went to college at the snowiest university in the US, and one thing I learned was to clean the entire car. We had snow typically between 4 and 7 days a week, and we always cleaned ALL the snow. That's the right thing to do.

Here's the thing. First you need to see, just like every other day. So clean the ENTIRE window in front, on the sides, in the back. Not just where the wipers go, clean the whole damn thing. While you're at it, clean the headlights and taillights, so we can see YOU. Clean your hood, so the snow doesn't blow off and blind you while you're driving. Clean your roof, so the snow doesn't slide forward and cover your windshield as you come to a stop. Is there anything left? Nope, that's it, the entire car.

Here's the reason I care. If you can't see out properly, and I can't see you, it puts ME in danger. Yet another way you might put me in danger is a few days after the snow. That snow you left on your roof, it might thaw a bit and refreeze, and become a big flat chunk of ice. Now you're going 60 mph down the highway, the wind gets under the ice, and flips it in the air. If that lands on MY windshield, I can't see. It can even break my windshield. We had over a dozen windshields broken in this area in a single day.

OK, rant over. I've avoided calling anyone names, or labeling them as stupid or lazy. I don't really need to make it any clearer, do I?

Completely agree. It is very dangerous. In MA now, it is law that all commercial vehicles do it. The melt/freeze cycle you described happen to my wife and I. It didn't break the windshield, but could have. It hit our hood. I stayed in my lane too which saved an accident from happening.

[DaveP043]

Its nice to get some validation for my rant, thanks guys.  I was going to go on to talk about the 4WD macho warriors who barrel along at 60mph on snow-covered roads, weaving in and out as they pass the sane drivers (and the few timid turtles).  They haven't learned yet that 4WD is great for going forward, but doesn't help a damn bit when they hit the brakes.  I'll save that rant for another time.

[Wally Fairway]

41 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Its nice to get some validation for my rant, thanks guys.  I was going to go on to talk about the 4WD macho warriors who barrel along at 60mph on snow-covered roads, weaving in and out as they pass the sane drivers (and the few timid turtles).  They haven't learned yet that 4WD is great for going forward, but doesn't help a damn bit when they hit the brakes.  I'll save that rant for another time.

I owe you a +rep for this post, but apparently the Grill Room is a rep free zone.

Agree with all of that, I used to have a 65 mile commute (each way) and the amount of stupidity on the roads is astounding, particularly in the winter.

[Gator Hazard]

Having spent ten years in Chicago, I completely agree.  It can be crazy to watch the cars driving on the expressway with snow on the hood or roof and it's blowing everywhere.  I do not miss those winters.  Good luck and be safe.

[pganapathy]

Luckily for me I never lived anywhere with snow when I had a car.  The one year in the Netherlands was still in university and I had a bicycle.  I truly understand the risk but have been fortunate never to suffer from it, barring slippery ice.  Hope people have the sense to not be a hazard to themselves and others

[billchao]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

Driving to work today, I noticed what I always notice, drivers who are too damn lazy to clear all the snow from their cars.

Ditto. When it snows, I have to climb on top of my van to clean it off the top of it. It's dangerous, but still safer than possibly causing an accident or something.

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

While you're at it, clean the headlights and taillights, so we can see YOU.

You'd be surprised at the number of people who don't realize the point of turning on a vehicle's lights during inclement weather is so that other motorists can see them, not so they can see better out of their car.

[krupa]

I agree 100% with what you're saying, but I call shenanigans on that list.  Oswego NY gets -- on average -- twice as much snow as Ithaca.   I guess Cornell just sounds better than SUNY Oswego.

[DaveP043]

I don't know about any of the other places on the list, I was just amazed at the gap between the #2, with 120 inches on average, and Michigan Tech, with about 200 inches.  

[Ernest Jones]

On 3/4/2016 at 0:06 PM, billchao said:

Ditto. When it snows, I have to climb on top of my van to clean it off the top of it. It's dangerous, but still safer than possibly causing an accident or something.

You'd be surprised at the number of people who don't realize the point of turning on a vehicle's lights during inclement weather is so that other motorists can see them, not so they can see better out of their car.

1

YES! I can't believe how many morons drive around in poor visibility without turning their lights on. I've even seen people driving at NIGHT without the lights on. I think part of the problem is the running lights on the front of modern cars that turn on when the ignition is on. People don't understand that this doesn't turn on any lights on the back of your car. Might be safer to just eliminate those running lights so people have to turn all their lights on to see, or wire the tail lights to the running light circuit so they come on automatically too.

[freshmanUTA]

On March 4, 2016 at 9:29 AM, Dave2512 said:

In CO you will get a ticket for peep hole driving if you don't clear most of it from windshield/windows. 

I've seen that so many times since I've come to Chicago. I loved in Arizona so I've never dealt with it but out of fear I always cleaned it all off. Of all the worst ways to die I think car crash is on the top 5.

[Zeph]

I always remove snow from all windows and what I can from roof, hood etc.

Here's a photo from a couple of weeks ago. The driver was also under the influence.