Winter has not yet arrived in the northern hemisphere; yet some areas have already experienced ice, snow, and bitter cold air — which likely means vehicular accidents and incidents as a result of the potentially dangerous conditions for driving in treacherous conditions.
Photographs of Why Being Careful Driving in Ice and Snow is Important
Even a mere inch of snow can wreak havoc. You can have a 4×4 vehicle equipped with the best tires and anti-lock brakes — and while that would be better than driving a typical car in icy or snowy conditions, it is still not completely impervious to losing control on frozen pavement or asphalt.
For example, the driver of this Honda Accord definitely was not having a good day near the Shafer Canyon Viewpoint Trail in Canyonlands National Park in Utah.
The driver apparently skidded off of the icy road when attempting to turn left onto a road towards an area for cars to park and wound up off of the road, with the front wheels entrenched in the loamy soil — and that car was not there earlier in the morning. The orange pylon was likely placed in the road by a ranger or some other official of the national park to alert other drivers of the incident — and the conditions which caused it — and to slow down.
Damage to the exterior of the car is obvious; but the extent of what may have happened to the undercarriage of the car may not be completely known until it has been inspected by a reputable mechanic.
Summary
Driving safely and cautiously is paramount in winter weather — especially as the coefficient of friction is lowered on ice or snow, which renders it to become more slippery as more traffic travels over it.
Whether you rent a car or use your own personal vehicle, please be careful when driving during the winter season so that you do not wind up in a ditch or on rocks.
All photographs ©2020 by Brian Cohen.
