Archive for September, 2010

With the East Coast currently getting drenched by the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole, we have been seeing reports of flood warnings, flash floods, heavy runoff, and auto accidents.

Periods of heavy rains can lead to extremely dangerous driving conditions. While torrential rain is a trending topic today, we thought now would be a great opportunity to give out some safety tips:

Water On the Roads: When the rain falls and streams begin to overfill, the excess runoff will cross roadways. Fast moving water can wash away roads or bridges entirely. So if you see a lot of water covering a road, do not proceed. You do not know what lies beneath the water. Always keep your eyes open for a sign of hazardous conditions due to moving water, such as road flares or traffic cones.

Hydroplaning: A lot of water on a road surface may also lead to to hydroplaning. Hydroplaning occurs when a car’s tire is unable to safely tread the large amount of water. When this happens, the tire does not have a firm contact with the road surface and can actually start to slide as if it were on ice. The best way to avoid this is to drive slow and to keep your eyes peeled for areas with a lot of water.

Moving Debris: Fast moving water can also move large rocks, tree limbs, etc. onto roadways. Always be watching for something that would be hazardous for your vehicle to run over.

Accidents/Emergency Response Vehicles: Several things can happen during a pouring rainstorm. There can be other accidents, emergency road repair, exposed power lines, etc. This may require immediate emergency response. Please drive slow because you never know what might be waiting as you turn the corner.

Road Closings: As with other severe weather conditions, heavy rain may call for certain roads to be closed. Before you travel, check your local news to make sure that your intended path of travel is still open.

Hopefully with these tips, we can all drive safer when there are periods of heavy rain.

Who doesn’t love a good football game? Football is filled with hard-hitting tackles, acrobatic catches, precision throws, daring calls, a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of action. Each game is different and can present you with a new appreciation for the sport.
But one thing that we all need to remember about football games, is that fans can get a little rowdy. If a quarterback makes a bad throw, a receiver drops an easy catch, the running back fumbles the ball, a coach makes a bad decision, or a referee makes a questionable call, fans can fly into a rage. Throw in the fact that most stadiums sell alcohol, and your angry fans get even more ferocious.

Now let’s say that the home team lost the game on one of those questionable calls and now that angry fan, whose had a drink or two, starts to drive home. You are now sharing the road with someone who really shouldn’t be driving. They may swerve into lanes, ignore traffic signs, or speed to try and get home faster.

The bottom line is that if you are driving home on a night where there is a football game, be it high school, college, or pro, you always need to pay extra special attention to the road. An irate fan may not follow safe driving procedures, which could turn dangerous. Even if you are not actually at the game, but simply driving by the stadium, you definitely want to keep your eyes on the road. There is no use getting into an accident because the home team lost the game.

Here’s hoping that your team wins the Super Bowl!

How about driving it instead? How about driving it all in the same car? Sound impossible? For Wisconsin Resident Peter Gilbert, it was not impossible. Over the course of 17 years, Gilbert has driven his 1989 Saab 900 SPG to the impressive 1,000,000 mark. He attributes the long hours driving to his job as a traveling salesmen.

But the most impressive thing is how well the vehicle held up during its million mile odyssey: Its transmission was rebuilt at the 200,000 mile mark and the hood was replaced after eight deer collisions. The ability for the Saab to keep on rolling had to do with Gilbert’s strict attention to maintenance: Premium synthetic oil in changes and tire changes every 45,000 miles.

The real reason that the car needed to be retired? Road salt. The harsh Wisconsin winters called for road salt to keep the roadways safe. Although the exterior of the car still looked good, the frame had started to rust. Gilbert became concerned that if he hit another deer or got into an accident, that the frame would not hold up, thus putting himself in greater danger. This was a thoughtful decision also in case Gilbert accidentally missed a reflective pedestrian crosswalk sign.

Where’s the Saab now? Gilbert retired it to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum, then bought another Saab with fewer miles.

If someone said to you, “Watch out, the roads may be slippery,” what time of year do you automatically envision?  Most likely, you thought about the winter months when ice, sleet, snow, and a variety of other factors can make driving extremely hazardous.

But winter is not the only time of year when you have concern yourself with slippery roadways.  The further and further we move into autumn, the more and more leaves will fall from the trees and may cover roads that you frequently travel on.

If it starts to rain, these leaves can become very slippery; almost as slippery as ice.  So if you are traveling this fall and you see wet leaves, make sure to take care.  You wouldn’t want to find yourself in a situation where you didn’t have control of your vehicle.  Also keep your eyes open for traffic cones that may be left by road crews to signify areas that can be prone to these types of driving conditions.

Have a safe and happy autumn!