[Vwdiesel] TDI Passet 4 Motion

[Terry Briggs]

Myself, I would rather they didn't use salt or deicer here in NY. The 
traffic seems to slow down considerably when the white stuff covers the 
road, I've actually observed fewer condition related accidents when 
they don't use the stuff, but after they salt the road and drivers can 
see even a little spot of pavement, they seem to think just because the 
roads salted, they can zip along much fast, when in fact the deicer 
makes driving more dangerous. The slush will pull you off the road 
faster than the hard packed snow will every time. Of course this is 
just my observation as a fireman that has 12 miles of interstate 
highway to cover, but the statistic seems to hold true, at least here.
On Feb 24, 2007, at 11:12 AM, Roger Brown wrote:

> William J Toensing wrote:
>> Some of you from snow country have expressed surprise over Calif. 
>> chain requirements in the
>> mountains, when it snows. I grew up in Minnesota or "Minne-snow-ta" 
>> as I some times call it.
>> I never used chains back there & first considered it an insult to be 
>> required to use chains as I
>> know how to drive in snow. I moved to Calif. when I was 36 years old, 
>> in 1969. However, you don't
>> argue with the CHP, you chain up or don't drive when chains are 
>> required.
>> Often, four or all wheel drive cars are exempt from chain 
>> requirements.
>>
>> The problem here is most Californians don't know how to drive in snow 
>> or bad weather,
>> unless they come from snow country as I do. Also, our snow is usually 
>> a sticky wet type
>> known as "Sierra Cement". This is because the temperature is  usually 
>> around freezing when
>> it snows, whereas it is usually much colder when it snows in Minn. In 
>> addition,
>> you have heavy traffic & steep grades in the mountains, & an accident 
>> can & does cause gridlock.
>
> The full chain control story is on the Cal Trans page:
> 	http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/chcontrl.htm
>
> Rarely ever see the R3 conditions, as they usually close the 
> highway/freeway before things get that
> bad (usually due to blowing snow and poor visibility).  Only the main 
> highways have manned chain
> control check stations, the smaller roads will have signs up.  Usually 
> with R2 conditions, they
> will impose a 25 MPH speed limit as well and 4WD/AWD are required to 
> carry chains, although I have
> never been asked to show them.
>
> Probably a few factors come into play with the chain controls.  One is 
> that since there is only
> snow in the mountains, most folks don't normally run snow tires.  I 
> used to slap on a set of 4
> snows on my VW when heading up skiing, then take them off the day 
> after returning.  The other issue
> is that the snowfall rates can be very high, many inches of snow per 
> hour up at 7000' and higher,
> and long stretches of road up high over the passes, so it is hard to 
> keep the snow clear when it is
> coming down heavy (and salt is not used).  And yes, there are steep 
> grades and sharp turns on the
> mountain passes.  Plus I think there is one other reason for the 
> chains, that is that storms rarely
> last for more than a few days in the Sierra and then the normal sunny 
> weather returns.  With the
> cars running chains, the compact snow and ice on the roadway is broken 
> up faster.  Once dark
> pavement shows through, the sun hits it and it melts away in a few 
> hours.  I guess as an
> alternative to salting the roads, that is OK.
>
> -- 
>     Roger
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Vwdiesel mailing list
> Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
>
>
Third Wheel engineering
Custom Design and Fabrication
2576 King Circle
Corning, New York 14830
Vbriggs at stny.rr.com