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From: dan@msdc.UUCP (Dan Forsyth)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Frozen-Weather Driving Questions
Message-ID: <120@msdc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Jan-85 17:00:57 EST
Article-I.D.: msdc.120
Posted: Tue Jan 29 17:00:57 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Feb-85 23:34:57 EST
Organization: Medical Systems Development Corp., Atlanta
Lines: 45

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, GA