early 30's crisis

What happened! I went to the gym, a breeze and a few flakes fluttering around...

I came out to an ice covered car, howling winds and a not so fun ride home... even with winters. 22X in Calgary was a sheet of ice and I was white knuckled for a few minutes.. didnt help with a huge jacked up Ford on my tail!

I even heard the Deerfoot is closed

Hope everyone gets home safely tonight, and to work tomorrow too..!

cloud7

I got home safely, but I don't own a RX-8 yet... I work in the NE and live in the NW. The drive home was fine... slightly slippery on the side streets but the major roads are fine.

Actually a Civic in front of me spun out (180-degree spin) leaving a stop controlled intersection. Can't understand how she got in so much trouble driving a Civic at that speed...

BlueFrenzy

Ehh ... it's funny isn't how everytime it snows ... people become retarded at driving and there are a million accidents! Come on people! It's not like we live in the tropics and haven't seen snow before. Before I left work, I heard on the news that there were something like 7 or 8 accidents already! Heck today's snow was more like a light dusting.

Anyhoo ... good to have you new guys on board. Maybe we'll set up a Calgary meet. Cloud7, hurry up and get the 8!

rotten42

People are idiots.....you would think that when you live in a climate like this you might want to invest in a set of winter tires. I think the marketing machines form tire companies have people brain washed into thinking that all season tires are an adequate replacement for snow tires.


IT took me one hour and 40 minutes do do my normal 40 minute drive to work today.

GT34

I'm a towtruck driver for ama in Edmonton and let me tell you I can't believe how stupid people become in this weather. It's amazing the number of winching and accident calls we get. And it would all be a little calmer if people paid attention when they drive.

I'm out driving around in my 8 with the stock summer tires and no added weight in the back. Although starting is a little slow, the drivability is the same in any other car. I find that anything that stops faster than the towtruck is a good winter car. People just need to pay attention and we can all get home safely.

And I started the 8 at -26 with the windchill no problem.

sg_rx8

Yes, for some reason some people just don't use their heads when driving in weather like this. I had a scary situation yesterday where I was stopped at a set of lights and was watching some guy in an SUV coming up fast in my rear view. I was barely able to move out of the way while this jackass slide right past me and through the intersection. If I had not been watching this guy would have plowed right in to me and he luckily just missed getting T-boned by other traffic going through the green light.

I think with so many people driving SUV's and trucks they get a false confidence that they can drive like they normally do when it you have ice and snow on the roads.

LiTTleRX-8

I left the UoC at like 11am for lunch, went back at 12:30pm when it began snowing lightly. I left school at 4:10pm, and the roads were already pretty bad. I'm glad I beat the work traffic though since it took my dad and brother an extra hour or two to get home in it.

Funny how I left for school at 12pm today, and the snowplows were only just beginning to plow my area -.-"
I was going down a hill at like 5km/h over the speed limit with a black Hummer tailgating me -.-, F'ing guy then cut out from behind me, and then cut me off just to brake in front of me and then proceed to the turn left lane -.-

cloud7

idiot cube truck driver this morning blew through a stop sign right in front of me (he was on the side street while I was on the main). I braked but the slick conditions mean that I wasn't able to stop in time even with snow tires... I ended up barely clipping his rear bumper which scuffed up my bumper... some people.... now I gotta get it repainted

Time for a new car... maybe an RX-8

early 30's crisis

Holy crap! Good thing you got out of his way..!
I'm not sure where the false sense of security comes from.. perhaps because they are bigger and the 4WD thing makes them automatically assume they can brake as well as they can get moving..
I find when I drive my husbands SUV I am as careful as I am in the 8.. and people notice this and seem to panic, they crowd behind me and let me lead as if I know something they dont and I will alert them to all treachery ahead..

Thats alot of pressure!!

BlueFrenzy

Heh ... it's funny but you would think that the marketing guys at the tire companies would want you to buy a separate set of snow tires! Heck if I were a greedy marketing tire guy ... I would say you need 4 separate sets of tires.

But yea, everytime there's a new snowfall, I'm scared of the morons. Today I saw a city truck plowing and spreading gravel on a particularly icy road. It has lights flashing and a GIANT sign saying "Stay back 10m and don't pass". Some moron SUV gets a little impatient, motors pass the gravel truck, goes in front and starts swerving like drunk --> lucky he didn't crash. Uhhhh .... there's a reason why the gravel truck is plowing and spreading gravel.

GT34

We have a call screen set up at work that allows us to watch the calls as they come in. It was amazing watching the screen change as the snow fell. It wasn't even that cold in the morning so we weren't pressed for calls. Then watching the snow fall, you can slowly see the calls start poping up on the screen. Most were winching calls followed by a close number of accident calls. It really is pathetic. I see more 4x4's in winching calls then I do cars that's for sure. And the 4x4's are always in the tricky places.

Don't worry guys, we can almost see the end of winter from here

cloud7

this morning I was following behind someone who was driving unusually slowly on the side street... I couldn't for the life of me figure out why he was so slow (doing 20 in a 50 km/h zone). It all became clear when he tried to slow down for a right turn. He couldn't stop and slid past the intersection. My bet is the car had bald all-season tires. At that speed, you should have no problem slowing down even with all-season tires with full tread. Some people just don't get it. People like him should be given a ticket for having improper equipment on their cars. Accidents waiting to happen.

early 30's crisis

Its got to be law already, it just has to!! I cant believe someone would get a ticket for bulb out, but not for bald tires...!

Hope everyone was okay today as well, I hit the highway southbound and it was a complete gong show today.. black ice all over. I could feel the car swaying a bit and one time, the rear actually swung out to the left.. I think my hair stood on end! But I treated myself to an ice cold beer since I have arrived home and I feel a little bit better now.

early 30's crisis

I hope so, I'm turning into a wimp from road warrior... (other people.. they scare me with their half assed attempt at driving!!)

LiTTleRX-8

Okay...Today's roads are quite bad...and it just started snowing again -.-"

I was literally burning my clutch trying to climb an uphill right curved ramp in bad traffic. At one point I was going backwards. My rear kept slipping outwards trying to go up then stopping for traffic, then trying to get going up again and slipping, and yeah repeated this cycle for about 10 minutes. NOT FUN! -.-"

What's with the random weather lately??

early 30's crisis

I dont know... I havent had much fun out there lately either. I was trying to climb the hill on Deerfoot Northbound just after Hwy 2 forks at Okotoks.. there was a huge Ford on my rear, and a fully loaded fuel hauler behind him. The guy didnt get it that I was having trouble just moving forward without swaying side to side. Finally when I was sure I could control it (leap of faith there) I shifted down and let the rear end slide. He backed off and let me resume my terrifying attempt of climbing the hill.. just pass me already!!

Extremely grateful I have winter tires... and nerves of steel!
I hear its going to be on the + side next week.. then we'll all be b*tching about how dirty they are again...

LiTTleRX-8

indeed, the weather is quite random...it's pretty "warm" today...

I must admit it is fun driving the 8 in haunted areas, can have some fun with it =]

but otherwise, a pain in heavy traffic...

dying_here

holy **** I hate this god damn weather. Im sliding all over the place, ABS kicking in everytime I brake. car start going sideway every time Im on a bridge or under one (where black ice formed). Couldn't stop today from 20km/h and end up sliding right through a 4 way stop. Thank god I was the only car at the intersection. And half way home my engine light came on! By time time I got home mazda service department is already closed for the day. I hope its nothing serious and I hope I dont need to wait 2 weeks for an appointment... frick frick frick

LiTTleRX-8

I know what you mean by the ABS thing...Back in October I slid on ice/snow straight into a stopped car at a red light, I tried to accelerate out into the right side, and nearly dodged the car.

Got flamed by brilliant (*sarcasm*) ppl on this board saying I should have stayed on the brakes and let the ABS stop me, instead of trying to accelerate out and dodge it. Claiming it's better than trying to correct it myself. Like it's set in stone that in every situation ABS will be best option.

So yesterday same thing happened but with no cars around, so I decided to listen to the brilliant (*sarcasm*) ppl who flamed me by staying on the brakes instead of trying to correct it myself, slid like 9 meters with ABS. Really brilliant(*sarcasm*).

Since then I have searched wikis, and found ABS increases your braking distance in snow and ice. So really drive with what's best in your situation and what your instincts tell you.

rotten42

I am constantly working the DSC button. If I am at an intersection I turn it off to accelerate from a light and turn it on once I get going. I also turn it off in heavy show because it is much easier to drive. The DSC has saved me on bridge decks with black ice.

LiTTleRX-8

hmm that's interesting...I should try that when I'm starting uphill, because that's really the only time I have trouble getting going in snow/ice -.-"

in most situations just starting in 2nd I can get moving without dsc/tcs going nuts

dying_here

hmm I should try that too.. I dont have the ***** the turn off DSC in heavy traffic set, it seems soo... wrong. Its like taking off your lifejacket because its "easier to swim". I only start my car in 2nd gear now, and so it works pretty well except for the occasion stall due to lack of skill/concentration. Amazing how much energy/concentration it takes to drive the RX8 in rush hour for 2.5 hours/day

rotten42

^ I think it even talks about turning off the DSC on slippery starts somewhere in the manual. I turn the DSC off most of the time i"m on back roads. The cars balance is so nice you can hang the back end way out with confidence. One of my old cars was an 84 Capri RS. I had the engine done up to 305 hp....now that was an interesting car to drive in the winter. You didn't so much as turn the car with the steering wheel as much as you turned it with the dgas pedal. But with that car, once that back end got out there, it was going all the way around.


The other cool thing about having thast DSC switch is if you are going down Crowchild and some *** is tai gating you, you turn off the DSC, give a bit of gas to get the back end to wiggle around and that person stops tail gating.

rotten42

This is what I'm talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOOI86TzP9A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcFVqFmqRhE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKZW-gmt4S4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol1QuaIernQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSArgH8MfDc

LiTTleRX-8

Haha I HATE CROWCHILD...I take it every morning to UoC. Usually the ramp I use to merge off is full of cars in the morning, so I get stuck trying to climb it since it is an uphill ramp and there are no tire trails to follow in the ramp since cars only seem to use it in the morning. After a few times, I decided to take skip that ramp, and just go the longer route around which is safer.