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From: heneghan@ihu1m.UUCP (Joe Heneghan)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Frozen-Weather Driving Questions
Message-ID: <274@ihu1m.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Feb-85 11:19:29 EST
Article-I.D.: ihu1m.274
Posted: Mon Feb  4 11:19:29 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 6-Feb-85 00:16:58 EST
References: <120@msdc.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 41

> 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