[delisa2850]

Oh honey - you ain't seen nuthin' yet!

I am a dispatcher. I agree that you REALLY need to watch for black ice, but I respectfully disagree that it is mostly on the lesser traveled roads. We have massive black ice issues on the interstates here.

My best advise - (probably more than you want - but remember I get paid to talk, so it is a hard habit to break!! )

1. Go to an empty parking lot that has not been plowed and start playing. Learn how it feels when your car goes into a skid. Force yourself not to hit your brakes when you lose control. Force yourself to steer INTO the skid. I can't even start to tell you how many fatal releases I send out that say "driver lost control on icy roads, went off the left/right side of the road, OVERCORRECTED and rolled." That overcorrecting thing is literally a killer. Practise, practise, practise.

2. Keep a small shovel, some sand, and a couple of old towels in your trunk. If you do get stuck on ice, these can make a HUGE difference. If you have front wheel drive and are stuck to the point of just spinning your tires, lay the towels down as close to under the tires as you can - just a little will help your tires grip onto something so the car can move off of the slick patch you have created while spinning out!

3. Know where you are. I know - that seems like a no-brainer. Again, I can't tell you how many calls we get from people who have gone off of the road and they have absolutely no idea where they are. Know your road (interstate, hiway, etc...), direction of travel, and your milepost or cross streets. Pay attention to what town you last passed. Teach your kids to do the same. I used to give my kids a nickel if they could tell me the correct milepost when we passed them.

4. Cell phone. Keep it charged. In most states 511 will give you road reports. 911 is only for emergencies. If you have an emergency, PLEASE call 911, but if you are in the middle of a massive storm and visibility is next to nothing, and traffic is at a crawl, please don't call 911 to ask what the weather is like. (YES - it does happen - A LOT!)

5. Amanda gave what I think is some of the best advise - it sounds like you have it covered, but it is worth repeating. GOOD TIRES! Heck, good equipment period. Keep everything maintained - don't get caught unprepared!

6. Once you are moving forward, you won't just start sliding backwards down the hill. However, if you have to stop on the hill, you may not be able to get started again. I have been lucky - it has happened to me several times, but never in a dangerous spot - just very embarrassing. (If you are dropping kids off at school, make sure not to just throw a coat on over your pajamas - get dressed - I learned the hard way!) When you have to stop, give the person in front of you a lot of room - if he can't get started, he will need to roll (not slide) backwards to try to get a run, or possibly have to turn himself around to go back to the bottom of the hill. A lot of times right at the stop sign is the slickest spot because people have been spinning out. It is like polishing glass - the more spins, the slicker it gets. If you can safely stop behind the stop sign far enough back to miss the super slick spot and still see to start up and get safely across, that is better than pulling all the way to the stop sign. If you get stuck, try to roll back a little and take a run at it. If that doesn't work, it is your turn to get yourself turned around and head back to the bottom of the hill!

7. Give yourself a lot of extra time no matter where you are going. Take it slow and easy and don't get to close to the guy in front of you.

8. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Only you know your abilities with your vehicle. Just because "everyone else" is doing it, or saying it will be fine, don't second guess your good judgement. Everyone else isn't doing. Everyone else doesn't always get there just fine. You know your vehicle. You know your skill level. You know deep down whether your outing is something you should risk or not.

9. Extra shoes, socks and gloves in the trunk. If yours get wet, you will be one miserable girl. Food and water are always good. One of my officers who is a resident in a remote and really nasty snow area keeps supplies in the back of his patrol truck to last him - and he has had to use them. One time I had him out on a really nasty crash. The transportation department finally closed the roads, and my officer was on the wrong side of the closure to get home. Thankfully he was as prepared as any boyscout could hope to be!

Use the good common sense that God gave you - more often than not that is the biggest key!

I'm sorry this is so long - and this is the version after I cut alot out - there is just so much that you can do to keep yourself safe!

Good luck and stay safe!!!!