The drive into work this morning wasn’t bad at all. There appeared to be some slick spots, but most of those were at the intersections. It was the traffic lights I was paying the most attention to this week and it happens every winter.
There were a couple of times this week when I was approaching an intersection and wondering if I should slow down or continue the speed I was traveling at. It’s not like the summertime where one can stop on a dime when a light turns yellow. There is nothing worse in the winter than getting within 20 feet of an intersection on a slick road when the light turns from green to yellow and you end up putting on the brakes and still find yourself sliding halfway through the intersection.
I keep an eye on the “walk/don’t walk” signs that flash a countdown letting you know when the lights are about to change, but sometimes I can’t make out the number. Does the sign say there are 6 seconds left to clear the intersection or 16 seconds? I can never tell until I get close. I always drive below the speed limit when I come up on a set of lights, but I have found at times that even when I’m driving below the speed limit, I still don’t have sufficient time to stop. Sometimes that makes for a harrowing situation.
Gas or brakes? I’ve got a full winter ahead of me to figure that question out.
