Alright, this was a bad idea:

When the snow started coming down around 10PM on Friday, I started getting the urge to go out.... So, I waited 'till twelve when I could see people's tires were no longer pressing down to the pavement. So I fired up the ol' girl and headed out. Through my neighborhood, things were pretty okay. However, I live on one of the hilliest parts of MD-144. I make a right off of MD-808 onto 144 and start down the hill.
I go to the Foodlion's parkinglot just as the last couple of cars are leaving and start doing all the donuts I can, I tried 2HI, 4HI, 4LO, everything I could think, turn hard, slam on the brakes, everything. Then I start getting bored...
I start down the treacherous road back to 144 from the parking lot in first, all goes well. I get on 144 going down hill toward Twin Ridge, I think I'll go visit my friend's house. There is a snow plow in front of me slowing down for the new traffic light. I hit the breaks and the antilocks come on. I keep on goin' BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZ
I passed the snow plow with my brakes on as I slid into the little offramp like thing for Twin Ridge and almost strike a pedestrian when my Blazer finally comes to a halt. All is still okay... I'm a little worried as my antilocks were just on for a full 45 seconds...
I decide not to go any further and turn around in the Twin Ridge industrial park. So I head back to the light, in front of me are two 6-ton snow plows. The light turns green and the first goes through without chains or posi. He slides a little up the hill as the light turns red. Green light, the second plow goes, gets goin alright, then the first plow stops and the second one has to as well, then a Hyundai gets half way around those two and stops. Now everyone is sliding. I kick it into 4LO and idle down the hill instead of home...
At the bottom of the hill, I go into the back of the Twin Ridge development, guess I'll go to my friend's house anyway. Then I get lost in a sea of snow, big houses and stuck volvos. Luckily, the Blazer is awesome in the snow and I am buzzing by in 4HI going about 20. Everything is alright, I got about three cars behind me trying to find the way out as well. We finally get out of there and start heading up Main Street MD-808.
I turn off Main Street to go the back way to the Walmart parking lot, a few more donuts and I decide it's time to go home.
I head up to Ridgeville Boulevard and see where a car hit the divider and spun sideways, there are two plow drivers helping the driver out of the vehicle. I turn back on to 808 and am almost home. I see a car stopped with hazards just beyond my development, so I slow way down, but am still moving and roll down the window because I see a couple of pedestrians... They aren't the driver, they are a bunch of kids... NO JOKE... ROLLERSKATING where there are NO streetlights, in a near white out!!!! One skates right in front of the Blazer and almost gets hit. So I just took my left and went home!

All of the above is 100% true! Here's a google map of the area: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...:actbar-saveto

Was it smart? No. Would I do it again? Heck yeah!

Regards,

Thomas

 

Always a smart idea to go out in the middle of a snow storm and drive around aimlessly getting in the way of plows and driving like a 16 year old who just got their parents car for the first time by themselves. All good until you cause a major accident or wreck your truck...

 

^lol^

 

Antilock brakes won't slow your truck faster from a specific speed in greasy snow conditions, in fact, it may even lengthen your stopping distance a little. All antilock does is allow you to steer (somewhat) the front wheels while braking... that way, you can at least steer around what you would have otherwise hit.

 

I don't know anyone who would do that! But my moms 06 grand prix is fast lol

 

I'm not saying I didn't do it when I was 16. Lol, I think everyone did.

I'm just saying driving around for no reason in the middle of a blizzard just for some fun isn't the smartest idea. You're in the way of those trying to do their job safely and clear the roads. Clearly they weren't driving on the side of caution judging by the story. Beyond that, ABS is not meant to stop quickly. ABS is designed to keep the vehicle going straight when the wheels lock up as opposed to pulling a 180 or swerving into on-coming traffic. As B5 pointed out it can in some cases lenghthen your stopping distance.
Anyway, I'm just saying you're lucky you didn't wreck your truck or even worse cause an accident by driving like it's summer and getting in the way of plows. Fun in the snow is fun (trust me, I have my fair share of it), but only until you hurt someone or wreck something. Just my

 

Believe it or not, my responsibility senses did start tingling when I was coming up on that plow... lol

Yeah, it was pretty stupid to go out, so I kept it under 25 at all times. And c'mon! That was the most fun I had all week!

 

Nothing wrong with going out to play, but think responsibly at ALL times. Stay way the heck away from plows and pedestrians. The plows in my area have signs on the rears that say "Stay 500 feet back". If you hit or get hit by one of them, I guarantee the cops will find YOU at fault.

See any pedestrians? Don't even go down that way.

Never forget that snow conditions can be very unpredictable. Heavy snow can hide stuff you really DON'T want to hit, like fire hydrants, ditches, curbs, and parking lot curb-stops. I've seen entire front suspensions get ripped out from under vehicles that hit that stuff hard enough. In a fight with concrete vs metal... concrete wins every time.

In some conditions, like blizzard or white-out, even 25mph is too fast. Having 4x4, heavy tread tires, antilock brakes helps get you going, but it won't help you stop. There is no more sickening feeling than what you get when you start to brake and your truck keeps going straight, or goes even faster and knowing there is no way to keep from hitting whatever is in front of you. All you can do is hang on and pray.

 

TFisher. I had to drive back through that mess from Texas. 25 hrs on the road. Too bad I didn't make it time. Nothing like a little snow wheelin'. You can still do it in the parking lot of my apartment complex today if you didn't get enough!...LOL. I thinkk they "plowed" the lot with a dustpan!

Even the antilock upgrade that chevy came out with on the newer vehicles isn't so special. That being said all antilock systems may be the same. Chevy's is just the only one I have any experience with.

 

Remember....4x4 doesn't make you invincible in the winter .
I second what B5 said. It's great fun, but think responsibly at all times. It is a great season to have fun in though, and I definitely had some this morning due to the recent snow fall. I had my fun in my office parking lot before heading into work though. It's a large empty parking lot where the only danger was to myself and my truck (which I could live with)