Where do you fit in?

Maybe we should let DW do the driving!


Some of us on this forum fit two out of three of these: Men over 45, 4x4 Pickups, Icy and snowy roads.

Quote

Older Men Driving 4x4 Pickups More Likely to Crash In Winter

By Jim Hilkevitch, Chicago Tribune
(as printed in the Salt Lake Tribune)
Dec. 4, 2011

While it may be open to debate whether men or women are generally safer drivers, men over age 45 are much more likely to crash their vehicles on icy and snowy roads, according to a new study.

Those risks, notable as winter approaches, are even greater if the older men are driving four-wheel-drive pickup trucks, Purdue University researcher Fred Mannering found. It could reflect a false sense of safety, he said.

"There may be a sense of invulnerability with four-wheel drive trucks leading the drivers to not slow down as much as they should," Mannering said in an interview. "The reality is that four-wheel drive gets you up to speed faster in snow and ice, but it doesn?t help you stop any quicker."

In addition, men under age 45 are more likely to get into serious accidents on dry roads, perhaps because of overconfidence, the study of single-vehicle accidents involving Indiana drivers indicates.

Female drivers of all ages, meanwhile, lose control and crash on rain-slicked roads most often because of their failure to sense reduced friction on wet pavement, Mannering?s analysis of more than 23,000 police accident reports determined. But the crash rates involving women decline on snow and ice, Mannering said.

Nothing can stop good on ice and snow no matter what vehicle or tires you have. I know I drive a lil faster in my 4x4's in bad weather cause I pass other people goin slower. I watch alot of that smoking guns worlds dumbest and man I see lots of women crash through stores or gas stations cause they "accidentally" hit the accelerator instead of the brakes.

Two out of three here. I'm not over 45

When I had the plow on my truck and a salt spreader in the back, my truck seemed to stop better on snow and ice than it did on dry pavement. I truly think the extra 1,000 lbs hanging off the front of the truck made a huge difference.

Either way, I'm still 15 years away from being a danger.

lone_star_dsl said:

When I had the plow on my truck and a salt spreader in the back, my truck seemed to stop better on snow and ice than it did on dry pavement. I truly think the extra 1,000 lbs hanging off the front of the truck made a huge difference.

Either way, I'm still 15 years away from being a danger.

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I guess.. ' cord'n to the Numbers..I'm already there. Been there, for a numbers of years.

So if you see me come'n.. bedder gimy plentya room. I slow down in bad weather, give others the Right of way, use Situational Awareness.. all those things that can cause others to git in a wreck with me.

Stroked68 said:

Nothing can stop good on ice and snow no matter what vehicle or tires you have.

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..... not true..... a D9 Cat, with off road tracks.... stops pretty dang good.....

My wife does not hesitate to drive in the rain, but refuses to drive if there is snow/ice on the roads. We live in Indiana so for 3-5 months a year, I am the primary driver when roads conditions deteriorate. If I am the only one in the house driving under those conditions, seems to make sense that I am far more likely to have the accident. Right?

As far as better numbers for younger drivers, my 2 sons, (both early 20s) do not typically drive in the ice and snow because school cancels classes under those conditions or if school is not closed, they walk. vice drive, to class.

I think the study is interesting but would like to know more about it. I think there were some basic assumptions made that possibly skewed the outcome. As we know, survey numbers can be made to show whatever the surveyer wants them to.

Another data point. We had an early snow last week here in Indiana. The folks in my office who showed up at the normal time for work that morning were 3 guys, all 45 or older, all 3 drive 4X4 trucks...the woman who arrived at the same time I did was dropped off by her husband who drives a 4X4 SUV, not sure of his age.

Frankenstien said:

..... not true..... a D9 Cat, with off road tracks.... stops pretty dang good.....

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haha ok NON tracked vehicles. That reminds me I need to get a tank track kit for the ole stroker hahaha. That would be awesome!

J. Vallandingha said:

My wife does not hesitate to drive in the rain, but refuses to drive if there is snow/ice on the roads. We live in Indiana so for 3-5 months a year, I am the primary driver when roads conditions deteriorate. If I am the only one in the house driving under those conditions, seems to make sense that I am far more likely to have the accident. Right?

As far as better numbers for younger drivers, my 2 sons, (both early 20s) do not typically drive in the ice and snow because school cancels classes under those conditions or if school is not closed, they walk. vice drive, to class.

I think the study is interesting but would like to know more about it. I think there were some basic assumptions made that possibly skewed the outcome. As we know, survey numbers can be made to show whatever the surveyer wants them to.

Another data point. We had an early snow last week here in Indiana. The folks in my office who showed up at the normal time for work that morning were 3 guys, all 45 or older, all 3 drive 4X4 trucks...the woman who arrived at the same time I did was dropped off by her husband who drives a 4X4 SUV, not sure of his age.

Click to expand...

Yea I agree that alot of guys are the primary drivers when the roads are bad. I guess women are somewhat smart when it comes to that thinking BUT we guys like chances. I will drive when theres a blizzard! I love snow. If its really bad out I will drive my big 4x4 conversion van, has better traction since it has more weight on the rear compared to my f250.

I only hit 2 of 4,
yes I'm a man
nope not over 45
yes to 4X4 though it is not the DD
nope to snow & Ice, if it snows enough to stick on a road in FL we have some serious issues.

That being said light snowing (less than 3") my RWD car does just fine. Ice the car does better due to physics & intertia, that being said when I've lived in areas that get an occasional wintry mix I was fine with driving in the mess until the speed demons came out to play bumper cars.