That time of year: who needs winter tires anyway?

67redcudavert said
Some people in 4wd pickups seem to think they're invincible in any kind of weather and can drive like they please, you usually see them in the ditch or against the guardrail just after they pass you.

Years ago while driving to work a 4wd pickup that was all lettered up about first responder training was passing everybody on the unplowed, inside most lane of the expressway. After getting a little ways ahead of me he lost it, spun out, tagged a couple of cars, forced others to take evasive action and end up off the road.

He came to a halt sideways in the middle of the 4 lane road a little ways in front of me. I could see him say "****" and then turn on his emergency beacons, since there was now an emergency to respond to.

Instead of idiots in 4x4 trucks driving like that around here (there are some but they usually know better), we have idiots driving around in AWD Subarus thinking they couldn't possibly lose traction... And then they do, and they end up in a ditch. I once had a coworker who told me a story about riding with a friend to go snowboarding in the mountains; it was a female friend with a Subaru and she was driving way too fast for the snowy road conditions. My coworker wasn't much of a car guy but he was smart and came from an engineering background and knew that stopping has nothing to do with how the wheels are driven... anyway he told me he had to pretty much force her to slow down because she was convinced her "symmetrical all-wheel-drive would keep them safe". SCREW THAT lol.

When I drive my '93 4x4 Jeep Cherokee with part-time transfer case (manual lever for 2HI, 4HI, N, 4LO and locks the front and rear driveshafts in 4x4) in the snow or ice I pop it into 4HI pulling away from a stop and once I'm moving I throw it back into 2HI and keep it there unless it's so slick the rear end starts swinging. Trying to turn on a slippery surface with true locked 4x4 is scary, front end always ends up plowing straight ahead.