Submitted by Bradiator34 t3_zvntai in LifeProTips
If there’s traffic building up on the highway during a snow storm you’re GPS could automatically update to taking a backroad. This could get you stuck in a random spot off the highway and help may not be able to get to you for some time. Stay on the Highway during snow storms, since the plows treat those roads first.
Any time I ignore Waze I end up stuck on a closed highway for hours.
I send you luck! 🍀🍀🙏🏼
I am requisitioning this luck 🍀🍀 for my personal, official use. Good day.
I'll consider it commandeered.
I had the opposite problem with Waze. I would run into multiple situations where it would run me in circles because it's maps were sometimes out of date...
It literally uses the exact same maps Google maps uses
It did back when I used to use it as well, and yet I was able to navigate correctly with Google Maps, but Waze still forced me to navigate in circles because one street changed from 2-way to 1-way.
I originally used waze mostly for the crowdsourced traffic info, but I ended up giving up on that from being burned too many times by the navigation logic
They're different and theiy're edited differently. Waze is 100% community driven. The more local editors you have the more likely the roads are correct. (You could become an editor as well).
GMaps has recently added more ways for ordinary people to edit, but it isn't anywhere near Waze's level.
Not really... I've encountered multiple instances where Google maps and waze don't agree whether a road exists or not.
If they were the same then they would have merged the products.
Waze knows traffic and self-reported accidents. Waze also regularly routes me to uncontrolled intersections with no break in traffic as a “short cut”.
Not disagreeing with your conclusion. But in general "If they were the same then they would have merged the products." can be false for (1) the purpose of brand recognition, (2) the facade of competition, and (3) as an experimental incubator for features that they could incorporate in their "main" product. You see 3 in Google maps with their reports feature.
They're combining the maps and waze teams at Google. Which sucks, because waze is great for driving and the maps team have never really cracked that one to the same degree, but I think they'll be the lead team so goodbye good navigation app.
⬆️ FACTS ⬆️
I found that neither of them works very well once you got out of the city, or highways. Last summer I went my partner to do some rural tourism and felt like playing Russian roulette if I didn't checked the route before. It's still an improvement from first commercial GPS that toke me to some real weird places.
Give me a sprint car fitted with level tires and I'll give it a shot.
Just switch the tires from one side to the other and only make right turns
Relevant: https://v.redd.it/yejg9x1z4bn91
I was driving to Vermont and Waze took me to a ferry to cross Lake Champlain instead of driving south of the lake. It didn't really end up being an issue, but a heads up would've been nice.
Which ferry? Driving south of the lake from Plattsburg can take three hours.
This is so accurate! My Waze is generally great but it'll take me on the windiest backroads on the sharpest hills to spare a minute.
I’d like to add to this. If you’re not experienced in icy/snowing driving here is my quick guide to how to do it (source- Lifelong Minnesnowtan)
-Keep your wheels straight as possible. When you need to maneuver do so as gently as possible. No quick moments. Pretend you’re driving a boat.
-Keep your wheels moving. If you’re doing it right you should almost NEVER hit the breaks. Find a speed you have traction at, and keep that speed without touching the brakes. Brakes are what cause you to slide.
-Leave plenty of space for the car ahead of you.
-No cruise control
-If you feel yourself losing control DO NOT HIT THE BRAKES OR TRY TO STEER. The car wants to go straight. The more you fuck with the dynamics the more silly things happens. If you are well practiced and experienced you can be proficient at “steering into” a slide, but if you’re already comfortable doing this then my advice is moot.
Great advice, but on the last one, definitely learning to steer into a slide will help you more than doing nothing. If you want the experience, go to an empty snowy parking lot (devoid of light poles too) and try to force a skid. Learn the feel, and get used to getting the steering wheel turned the appropriate amount.
I don’t disagree. Definitely a skill worth learning. It certainly takes a level of feel to be proficient at it.
However, if you haven’t practiced this you’re better off not attempting it.
That’s why he’s saying you should practice in an empty lot, no?
Yes
Yeah definitely understanding understeer and oversteer and how to counter it is super important. And knowing what your car typically does.
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Just have to leave a note
Especially since most cars now have anti lock brakes which means you can both brake and steer your way to a safe stop.
Look out for medians and the like, seen a few too many accidents this way
One of the best things I did in high school was learn how to fishtail. There was a steep hill I had to turn on to get into my neighborhood. It was a wide street and gave a clear view of whether or not someone else was on it. If there was no one else, I'd punch it and make a sharp turn.
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Remember! 4 wheel drive helps you go, it does fuck all to help you stop.
Also it’s much safer to be going slow, and not being able to go faster than going fast and not being able to slow down.
Kinda. There’s an optimal speed. Theoretically the faster you go the more you tend to go straight, which is what you want. In practice you want to operate as close to the speed that your traction allows.
Also, going overly slow can be dangerous for interacting with other cars.
Going overly slow can get you and others stuck in deep snow. I had a bad snowstorm before I could get my winters on and I live at the top of a steep hill. The guy infront of me went up it at 15km/h. I swore at him the whole way up because we did almost get stuck. The worst part was he was going 60 before the hill (way way too fast) so I went from having plenty of space to follow to none very quickly. He made it to the top and went 60 again (it was a 50) and he nearly slid out on ice into a bunch of people by a plaza. Pick a reasonable speed and keep it.
Yes, you want to avoid a scenario with a lot of cars going in and out of lanes.
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Also, as someone who lives in a snowy and hilly place, don’t be afraid to downshift while going downhill. It slows you down without braking and risking a spin out in icy conditions. If you drive an automatic, look up how to manually downshift in your car.
You forgot. When needing the hit the brakes you tap them. You never slam on the brakes. Tapping the brakes will keep your car straight where as normal braking will cause you to slide
If you have ABS, aren't you supposed to hold the brakes down? That's what I've heard, and my vehicle has ABS, but I've never been put into a position where I've had to rapidly decelerate on ice.
In the vast majority of cases you’re right including on ice. ABS will stop your car faster while allowing you to have control of your steering. I think in heavy heavy snow, you could decelerate faster if you lock up as the snow piles under the front of your tire.
Wow, incredibly informative video, thanks! I sincerely hope I never have to fully jam out my brakes, but I feel a bit better knowing it's the most effective option when necessary.
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Agree agree agree. Son drove MN to NY and describes it as "not even the worst blizzard he's been in"
He knows the route and agrees with me. I was watching the tracker and trying to keep them off closed roads. Girlfriend doesn't believe me and ended up taking 2 hours because her gps said to head north right by the lake onto a pennisula and bridge.
Put weight in your car over the powered tires. Kitty litter, dog food.
Leave extra space. More space.
New Englander native here - yeah all good advice. Gotta learn how to operate vehicle with limited traction. But once you get good at it bring on the Scandinavian flick!
Also… BUY SNOW TIRES!!
Yeah absolutely- the difference between all seasons and winter tires is drastic. Regardless of all wheel drive. Braking and turning is so much better. Winter tires just bite into snow while all other tires just make you glide over snow
> Pretend you’re driving a boat.
As a Canadian, I concur. On a boat, you have to plan ahead; same thing driving in the snow.
Although, with the new traction control and ABS, you can't have any fun any more. One of the rites of passage for young men in Canada was taking the car to the empty shopping mall parking lot after a snowfall, and learning how to do doughnuts.
This is true. I had this happen once in Germany - the Autobahn slowed down due to heavy snow and I got diverted to local roads … bad idea.
We’ve been diverted to backroads in the US with no Wi-Fi or cell service. Now when we do take the diversion, I screen shot the next steps so we’re not completely in the dark.
Same. Got stuck between some corn fields full of snow and had to put on the snow chains in -12c.
I think sometimes it thinks there local road is good because there's no traffic on it -- but that's because it's inaccessible.
Californian here: Substitute fire for snow and this is also good advice.
I hate how long it takes the fireplow to clear my road of fire. It always comes down to some random guy who lives here with his gas-powered fireblower to clear the area instead because they took too long.
It's better than throwing your back out with a fireshovel
Or having a heart attack. The number of men that die each year shovelling fire.. I don't wanna think about it.
I used to live in the bay. Save 5 mins had me praying for my life in the back roads that last almost 30 mins. On a dirt mountain road with only room for one car to pass through at a time, if both cars went, me going the opposite way would have fell off the mountain. So I never ever save “5 mins” anymore.
My partner tried this also and ended up at the car line to hop onto the ferry. Which would have been a 2 hour wait to get on.
I believe this tip once saved our lives or at least prevented us from getting into a serious accident.
Back in 2019, I was stuck going from Albany to NYC in a massive snowstorm that was getting worse by the minute. The safest thing would have been to just wait it out at a hotel but I decided to drive down. Waze/Google maps all suggested to take the Taconic State Parkway instead of the interstate. For those who are not familiar with TSP, it is a winding road with no shoulders and is a difficult drive under normal conditions. The interstate had a lot of traffic and there were a couple of close calls too but was a lot safer than the alternative.
The navigation apps do not take into account changing weather conditions. Also it is important for the driver to be familiar with the routes offered under bad driving conditions.
A crowded highway during heavy snowfall and especially low visibility is much more dangerous, particularly because of the increased speeds. I always take city streets unless the roads I'm driving on are very narrow and are known to have tons of vehicles parked on sides of the roads.
Source: I've experienced some shit lol
Yes, you may be better of in urban areas doing this. But outside of that there have been numerous incidents of people straying from the highway onto roads that are rarely travelled in winter & not surviving after getting stuck.
This is yet another LPT that's a case of "get to know your situation so you can make the best decision and not rely on simple rules"
There’s a wee bit of difference between city streets and what OP is talking about
Same. I’ve also experienced some shit. I commuted 50 miles one way for over 15 years. There were 2 routes - one a major highway, the other back roads. I learned quickly to stay off the highway. At least on the back roads there were many houses I could easily get to in an emergency. On the highway I faced too many drivers driving too fast and following too closely. Plus, there was the possibility of getting stuck on the highway for hours if there was an accident.
It happened to CNET reporter James Kim in 2006. Navigation took him to closed logging roads, only the gates that were supposed to be locked were wide open.
Interesting, just read it. However, the article states they used an old fashioned paper road map and not a GPS/navigation :)
[quote]Because of Mr. Kim's background as a technology analyst, observers speculated that the family had used online mapping to find their route.[18] However, Mrs. Kim told state police that they had used a paper road map,[19] an account supported by the Oregon State Police, which reported that the Kims had used an official State of Oregon highway map.[20] Mrs. Kim later recounted that, after they had been stuck for four days and were studying the map for help, both she and Mr. Kim noticed that a box in the corner of the map bore the message: "Not all Roads Advisable, Check Weather Conditions".[21][/quote]
I live on Vancouver Island in BC and we only have one road connecting the southern (most populated) part of the island to 95% of the rest of the island. Yes it's a terrible situation and yes we've been complaining about it for decades.
Anyway, every time there's an accident or any other issue on that road, it obviously slows things down, and since the advent of smart phones, people have been searching for alternate routes. Quite famously (although obviously not famous for everyone), Google does recognize one detour. But it's a choppy logging road, and as soon as one car gets stuck on it, all the cars behind it do too
That or "take the mill bay ferry" yes that ferry that fits like 10 cars ...sure
And there's only one road connecting the eastern side with the western side. We were there a few years ago, and a huge mudslide took out half of Highway 4. People were told they had to stay in Tofino for two days because there was no other way out.
Googlemaps did this to me in Oregon in 2017 and instead of a relatively easy drive down a mostly clear highway, it took me over a peak and around twisting farm roads, some of which were untouched since it snowed and then rained and thrn snowed again. This was in my '01 Accord with cheap tires and no chains. Easily the most terrifying driving experience of my life.
Wait, did you think Google maps was a road safety app at the time? Or that mountains with winding roads are somehow easier to navigate in winter conditions than highways?
I thought Google Maps gathered data and picked the best available route, and by the time I realized what I was getting into, I wasn't in a situation where I could realistically turn around or stop without getting stuck.
I freely admit I was an idiot, but the LPT may save someone else from that experience.
Especially in mountainous areas like the western United States. People have gotten stuck in remote areas and died doing exactly this.
Does google take weather conditions into account? I only know that it considers a metric fuckton of factors
Not from what I've seen.
Same, google took me down a flooded backroad in between two fields in the middle of a gargantuan rain storm while I was a couple hours away from any meaningful sign of civilization a few years ago. Water was topping the roadway itself as I hustle-limped to safer ground, and it was like 2-3am so I wasn't getting help anytime soon.
TBH, google can fuck right off with that "better route available" shit in the first place. I accept that my own user error is a factor in it being a problem, but often when I start a trip I select the route I'm interested in for reasons that lie outside google's algorithm. It isn't cool to settle into a drive only to be interrupted by "BETTER ROUTE AVAILABLE; USE THE INSIDE LANE TO EXIT NOW.(as I'm already passing it) DO YOU ACCEPT."
Yup, I always ignore and cancel that shit as fast as possible
Flip side, I just made a break yesterday out of town during a lull in the storm. If I went the way the GPS wanted id be stranded on an unplowed highway. If in a dangerous situation use your own brain and eyes not a computer miles away.
I mean, how is Google supposed to know that a road is dangerous in certain weather? All it really can do is say "there is a road there and we think there may be this much traffic on it, and it might take you this long to travel it given the speed limit".
The rest is up to the driver and this whole thread is kind of surprising me. I didn't know so many people assumed Google maps was a road safety app.
Google maps is already at its core a convenience device of "I don't want to have to plan this / think about it, please do it for me." Which is totally fine most of the time and I'm not looking to call people lazy for using it - I use it myself.
But what I mean is the core instinct of why people use it translates very easily into the extended "I don't want to think about it, please do this for me" that can result in what you're seeing here. And when the app works for people in good weather, and is taking traffic into account? It's not that shocking that people might just assume the thing takes weather into account too. It seems to do everything else right? Why not?
Not always the case. The highway could have a massive pile up and you could be trapped for hours. The backroads tend to be slower but at leastoving and with fewer accidents. If you know how to drive in bad weather (slow down, maintain traction, etc.), The backroads will be safer than the highway full of fools on summer tires going at or over the speed limit in poor conditions...
The highway absolutely has the risk of accidents and pileups, but someone is also going to find you on that highway in that case. Nobody's going to find you for days out on a back road if something goes wrong.
Obviously the real LPT is not to be out driving in these conditions if you can help it.
Ours suggested a back road that ended up a minimum maintenance road. We turned around and noped back to the highway.
This advice is wrong as often as it’s right.
Some gps apps are tracking traffic movements in real time and use the rate of travel along various routes to calculate and recalculate best and safest paths. Others will steer you into the rhubarb if you’re not careful.
Giving up interstate or state highways for country backroads is generally a bad idea, but getting off beltways and intercity highways for secondary roads is often the safer and quicker path.
The point here was that in heavy snow it is generally better to stick to roads that are being cleared, salted, or sanded. Since navigation only knows traffic and not road conditions, it may try to direct you onto (rural) roads that are impassible by your vehicle.
I just don't understand how so many people don't understand these very basic concepts. It's a little concerning people don't understand that clear roads are better to drive on than dangerous snowy/icy roads in the mountains or country side. Shouldn't this be immediately obvious to everyone?
Exactly. LPT: if your GPS suggests saving time by driving your car across open water, don’t do it! Most cars cannot drive on water.
> Shouldn't this be immediately obvious to everyone?
Why would it be? You yourself say that the advice is wrong as often as it is right and:
Most people have never experienced worst case road conditions and most of those think they have.
Some people have never NOT used GPS for a long drive.
Some people have AWD or FWD and figure it'll get them through anything (see 1).
Also weather is forecasted so its not a surprise. Make the right call for your safety and don't drive.
Also don't tailgate, give yourself a chance to stop
Or the highway is a huge massive car accident that isn't moving and now you're part of it because you thought you're smarter than the app designed for exactly this.
Waze regular re-routes you off the highway on a 2 hour drive I make frequently. The detour has train tracks, lots of stop lights, bumpy sections, a small town speedtrap and requires a higher level of concentration...all to save 1 or 2 minutes.
This isn't a blanket rule. Upstate NY with 4' of lake effect? Sure.
In the Rockies where the interstates are a death trap of semi trucks, and lost Texans/Californians? Side roads all the time. Flip it to 4x4 and drive in the snow. Better than crosswinds, ground blizzards, and sheet ice whilst dodging idiots on the interstates (which themselves close regularly 6 months a year)
This is not a good tip. If you get stuck in traffic on a highway you could be there for hours. On a back road you could inch your way home. This has happened to me multiple times.
Google maps. Do NOT trust the directions to or from West Jefferson, NC. HOURS on tiny mountain roads, some 1 lane beside a cliff. I knew I was in trouble when I reached BEAR CLAW HOLLER
Lpt. Suggested reading for the new year: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
There are many things you should do before you drive anywhere. Check your oil. Check your tire pressure. Know the most common tools specific to your vehicle to address known issues. Extra socks and gloves. A wool blanket. Water. Snacks. Have you checked the condition of your spare tire? Can you easily access your car jack? Have you changed a tire on a slope? Do you have an ice scraper?
It's totally fine to admit that you have no experience driving in snow. It can be dangerous and too many people drive as they always would. I'd much rather be on an unplowed rural road with nobody on it than an interstate with drivers unable to adapt to bad weather. Gps is handy for getting around. Shouldn't have any bearing on choices you make during a snowstorm.
I suspect you're a sophist.
I like back roads because there's no people on them. It's the other drivers who fuck everything up- stopping in the middle of the road, thinking because they can't drive nobody else should, getting stuck, being a danger to everyone else, etc.
The real LPT is “don’t use Waze in a snowstorm”
If however it is foggy, do the opposite. Drivers as a collective often take the speed limit as a suggestion at the best of times and are really bad at slowing down to appropriate speeds for the visibility.
I'd rather be crawling through a tiny village at 5MPH knowing that there are only a couple of cars around than at 50MPH without being able to see my stopping distance because I'm near guaranteed to be rear-ended otherwise.
And yes there was snow on the ground, but not a massive amount, and in the bit of the UK I was in, there isn't much distance between villages, so very very little risk of getting into serious trouble not in reach of other humans.
Then there’s my road, directly off a Main Street downtown and still last to be plowed, if it even gets plowed at all.
We had a blizzard a few years ago in Nebraska and when they closed the highway the gps rerouted to gravel roads. There were absolute idiots piling up on the gravel roads and then calling 911 to come get them when they were getting stuck. The snowplows also couldn’t do their job because of all the stuck vehicles. If the roads are getting bad stay home.
Depending on location.
In areas where they are used to snow the roads will be constructed in such a way that the wind blows the snow off the road surface.
I’m in MN and the roads outside of town in most areas are better than in town for this reason alone. Now you sometimes get to spots where farms or other terrain create a wind block causing the snow to create drifts in those locations. Those you have to watch out for.
Yes! Even Google Maps kept giving me shortcuts but they were all secondary roads that were up/ down hill that hadn't seen a plow. Stick to main roads because a 3 minute shortcut isnt worth it.
Solid protip. Learned this years ago when Waze fucked me off onto unplowed side streets.
Although the downside of traveling on a highway during snow is that if there’s an accident you can be stuck there for hours or days.
And people tend to actually drive more cautious on backroads in my experience because they have an inflated sense of security on the highway.
An actual LPT. Nice
There are exceptions to this--such as when the interstate is completely shut down and the back roads have not been closed. I have had a few times when back road travel was the ONLY option and staying stuck where I was wasn't a good option either.
Last time was Dec. 2012. Storm hit Indiana. Shut down I65 completely. We had started in Illinois and had been heading to WV for Christmas. Made it to somewhere in, Dayton perhaps, by traveling backroads for hours. Every time something became impassible, had someone looking up which way was best to turn. Don't want to be in that situation again--but there are times that back roads are your only option.
You learn this living around the Great Lakes
"Shortest Route" is the worst possible option. It had me zig-zagging on a two-lane road for 30 miles, when there was an interstate three miles away.
Also don’t take logging roads
Or it's not a road at all. I did this once ended up on an ATV trail. Had to get dragged out by a side-by-side (I had a small car). I let google know and it looks like they've removed the "short cut".
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I live by yolo rules
if you are using gps in a snowstorm most likely you have no business driving in snow
If you're in but not familiar with Colorado and your GPS tries to detour you off the highway, take a few minutes to review the route. Odds are the detour may involve primitive roads only meant for high clearance 4x4s.
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Well, generally yeah. But there was this one time i followed that rule... On Thanksgiving Eve... For 2 hours until i found that there was a bad accident that completely closed the highway and they were rerouting everyone to side roads.
I think what was a normal 3 hour drive took 9. If i had listened when Waze first told me to get off i would have been home hours earlier.
Yes!!!! I can say from experience GPS, in my case Google, does not know best in snowstorms. Last winter I stupidly went off the highway and onto back country roads. I assumed I'd be taken back to the highway but realized too late I was being taken further away and into car size drifted roads. I ended up stuck on a drifted road for an hour or so waiting for help with another car with some teens who'd gotten stuck too. A cop, family of the kids, and the biggest savior a couple with a snow plow came and unburied us. Scariest experience waiting and hoping someone can get to you in a storm like that.
I always get off. Nothing like being stuck on an expressway with 200 other cars and trucks because some cars and trucks couldn't play nice 3 miles ahead of you. Get off the highway. Slower speeds maybe but if you get stopped you can turn around and head back. You might be able to find fuel if you need it. There may be a secondary highway paralleling the expressway that was built 50 years ago. If you are on the expressway you have only two choices when things go wrong. Sit with a whole bunch of people going nowhere or 2nd. Sit with a bunch of people going nowhere. And when was the last time you heard of a 45 car/truck pileup with multiple fatalities on a secondary highway.
So true, reminds me of the man and wife traveling back from upstate Cali and took an old mining road because of GPS and when they found them he was barely alive and his wife had frozen to death…people will still do this unfortunately.
It certainly depends on where you are, how heavy the snow is, if it's currently snowing or snowed recently, etc.
That being said, I tend to try to stick to highways in the snow in rural SW Pennsylvania. I was driving two hours home from taking my son somewhere a few weeks ago. Waze sent me on back roads, but it started to snow. The roads were windy, hilly, narrow, and covered in snow. It was quite stressful. As soon as I had a chance to jump on the turnpike, I did. And it was MUCH safer.
If the interstate is closed, just get to a hotel. Don’t try to detour around.
This just happened to a relative last wk, driving through S Dakota, shortcut through the Rez, front wheel drive through a blizzard, car in a ditch, hauled out by good Samaritan, taken to local home, vehicle accidently backed into by drunk resident, threatened with life, taken to local pastors home, stayed for 4 days until house size drifts on hwy were cleared. Very close call she wasn't sex trafficked.
I live on a back road. I can confirm during last year's storm there was no plowing happening here.
My mom's friend said his cousin, the cousins wife, and their daughter got stuck in a snowstorm going on backroads and the parents lost their toes from frostbite as a result.
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Thought that would be a smart idea because the snowstorm had already been gone for a few days.
Gotta say, wasnt a nice experience having to turn in 10 strokes on a road near a cliff because we couldn't keep going.
This was in Portland, we were so surprised by this because we're used to backroads being cleared of ice within the first day.
Portland, Oregon? The problem there is it barely snows at all. Most years maybe an inch once or twice. Not enough snow for locals to practice driving before a big snow/ice storm hits. Very poor road clearing because of minimal $$ devoted to something that may not even be used once a year. Edit to add: And people don’t buy snow tires they probably won’t use.
My small town is usually down to pavement before the state roads are even touched, so you never know….
My town is on the ball that way. It’s impressive.
I feel like you have no faith in the faster route option.
I once took a old US postal wagon trail route because the freeway shutdown due to a chemical spill. It was Google's route for saving me 10 hours. It absolutely saved me time. The dirt path with huge ruts and traveling 5mph was certainly faster than sitting still parked on the freeway.
Google won't recalculate your route without telling you why, and it gives you an option. Generally speaking, if it routes you off the highway, there's probably a damn good reason (big accident). I've done plenty of long road trips and always regret ignoring Google. This lpt is 10 years out of date
Adding to this - regardless of the vehicle you drive- if you live in area that gets cold in the winter get winter tires. All seasons are terrible in the cold /snow, even with all wheel drive. Winter tires are a softer compound specifically designed for colder temps and ice and snow
I saved 3 hours because of a 1 minute detour around a 10 car pile up. It's not always so black and white
Honestly this could go either way, I'd rather go 30 on a back road that's snowy but under-used than 50 on an icy highway that doesn't feel safe at any speeds...
As I learned during the last Buffalo blizzard it will also direct you back onto a closed highway, and it’s not like the DOT really does that good of a job letting you know when a highway is open or closed now that toll booths aren’t a thing anymore.
Edit: Just checked despite the roads still being closed, Google Maps has me drive right into the thick of things.
The real LPT here is that people are idiots.
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To add to this:
If the main roads are closed, the back roads will be worse. Find somewhere to hunker down and wait out the storm.
Anyone who needs this advice hasn't seen the movie "Waxhouse"
Definitely stay on the highway. If you're in the US, your state DOT covers state highways and interstate, and maybe the connection points to highways.
Bold of you to assume my GPS even registers back roads.
If it's Google maps, don't even take it during GOOD weather. There is likely a dead end or other problems.
Can confirm. NY lake effect for this one. It is not Highway traffic google maps.
Also highways have breakdown lanes and extra space in general. Can save yourself from hitting someone or getting hit
My suggestion is to avoid driving in a snowstorm as much as possible.
But if you must or get caught up in one, this is the right tip. Stay on the main roads. The main roads always get plowed the most often and are priority in a storm.
Secondary roads are not always plowed and not as often. If you are in the country you also risk snow drifts being on the road (and they are very hard to see in a snowstorm). Even in a big vehicle with 4x4 you can still get stuck in a snowdrift. And if you are in the country there isn't help nearby unless you luck out and get stuck in front of someone's house (if they are capable of helping you).
My advice is if bad weather hits, always have a route that keeps on main roads and don't be afraid to stop in the next town. Head to a local coffee shop, you will often find other stranded motorists there as well and information usually finds its way there.
If it gets bad, hopefully most communities have some form of warming center. But don't always expect that to be the case. You may have to stay with kind strangers.
This is dumb tip. When you get caught in 50 car pile up on the highway in a snowstorm you’re going to wish you just weren’t driving at all. Don’t drive in snowstorms, period
I found this advice also holds in developing countries. Twice now I've had Google maps direct me off a congested major road into some really sketchy areas.
A Subaru outback has entered the chat
I did that last year and got some funny looks driving down a steep sidestreet while other cars were sliding backwards down the hill. I was trying to pick up my wife who got stranded due to her wiper blade flying off during a snow storm in an unusual area. In hindsight I shouldn't have risked the Google Maps suggested route but I didn't have any problems getting around.
I made this mistake once. I wasn't even trying to beat traffic. I legitimately didn't know how to get home from my location. It was a terrifying drive back on roads that had not been driven on, much less plowed.
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And watch out for onramps and offramps!
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Would it be better to tip to not drive in a snowstorm unless incredibly important?
I don't know for sure as it never snows here. We have locals drive through flood waters and get caught and drift away. Some have died as a result unfortunately.
Google will inherently distribute the traffic equally on all roads. So the most you will save by going to a less busy area is a couple of minutes before it becomes crowded with other drivers.
If you don't know the roads that form the detour then just stay on the highway always and ignore detours. Unless you can see with your eyes or heat on the radio that there is an actual crash that has just happened and haven't been cleared
Also everyone else is probably trying to go the same way to get away from traffic
I remember almost getting stuck in Tahoe in the winter because of snow & mudslides -- one of the roads I did not even attempt to use was clearly marked "not open during winter" on the map but because it connected two of the larger open roads, people were attempting to use it & getting stuck. Media & law enforcement actually had to make repeated announcements for people to stop trying to use the road.
LPT: learn how to drive!
Also, if the shortest direct route is over a mountain and across a large lake, don't do it. Mountains are steep and rocky and may be covered in snow in the winter, normal cars are not made to drive in mountains. Lakes may not be frozen and cars are really bad boats.
Nah, get off the highway so I can keep moving please.
I did listen to my GPS last weekend and it potentially saved me a massive headache. I live in Wisconsin and left Thursday around 6pm to head 4.5 hours away to family who live in a very rural part of Indiana. Once we hit Chicago it was a nightmare. Very few plows, no salt, no lines. Everyone was just kinda doing their own thing. The skybridge was terrifyingly slippery.
After that there's a 117 mile stretch of straight highway that we usually take, but my GPS offered to take us another way and save a few minutes. We did. The roads weren't plowed well, but I managed a steady pace of 40mph and we arrived around 2am.
On our way back, we did take that stretch of highway since it was clear at that point. We counted no less than 36 cars (and a handful of semis) all in the ditch and covered in snow, clearly left at least overnight. That could have been us if we'd stayed the course.
LPT. stay off the highway in bad weather. I'd rather be on backroads than highways with other drivers around me.
Maybe just don't use apple maps?
Google maps monitors the users along the alternate route, so it could tell when traffic is slower than usual.
Come to Lake Tahoe/Truckee. That shit gets comical with 2wd and tractor trailers doing stupid shit to avoid chain control and wind up blocking plowed roads in town and neighborhoods. Shovels and tow strap in the truck are for me and my people, not the Google map tard masses and their incompetence.
Environmental-Sock52 t1_j1q1i1z wrote
Ya. Waze will have you paragliding off a cliff in a bomb cyclone to save 90 seconds.