Okay, so here it is Friday, and I've come to the blog party unprepared. Stream of consciousness dictates that after witnessing an historic game in which the Blazers defeated the Suns that I shout:

Blazers Win! Blazers Win!



Unbelievable game last night at the Rose Garden. It was a standing-room-only crowd (again) and you would have thought it was an NBA finals game. Brandon Roy was on fire! 52 points -- and he made it look easy.

Jose Moreno, one of my Senior Service Advisors here at Wilsonville Honda, had this reaction to Brandon Roy's play:



The weather this past week has dominated life here in the Portland Metro area. All the local news channels seem to continue to report ad naseum the falling and description of each individual snow flake. The funniest e-mail I received during the storm came from the Wilsonville Chamber of Commerce that stated:

"Because of the extremely poor weather we will be canceling the climate change luncheon meeting scheduled to take place on December 15. It will be rescheduled to a later date, likely in January or February. Thanks for your patience and understanding." 

Am I to understand that the meeting on global warming was canceled due to snow? There's nothing amusing about climate change, but this struck my funny bone just right...

While I was in downtown Portland I was stunned to see a Jeep Cherokee in downtown Portland that had chains mounted to the front tires. What?! This makes as much sense to me as this:



Yes, it's a pancake resting on the head of a bunny. My brain has the same reaction to this as to seeing chains/cables on the non-drive end of a vehicle.

Considering that some motorists are involving themselves in a real-life video game during our winter storm, I feel the need to share "Special" snow rules that were sent to me by a friend.



Subject: Snow driving rules (that time of year again)...
 
DRIVING UNDER "SPECIAL" SNOW RULES....
When it snows, there ought to be a sign somewhere - a really big one that everyone can see that tells you that "special" snow driving rules are now in effect.

These "special" snow driving rules are designed to facilitate the movement of traffic with as little loss of human life as possible. It's a kind of polite demolition derby, and when it snows - we're all entered. Well, almost everyone.

Most of the changes in driving rules have to do with right of way. For instance, anyone blasting their way out of an unplowed side street or alleyway onto a main street has the right of way. Anyone coming out of a driveway onto the street has the right of way.
 
During "special" snow rules, stop signs only need to be obeyed when you face them going down hill - when starting again won't be a problem. That is, if you can stop at all. When coming uphill to a stop sign, not only do
you not have to stop, but are generally encouraged not to stop by everyone behind you because they'll get stuck if you do.

Knowing who has the right of way can be tricky in some cases. Generally, the rules are designed to facilitate the flow of traffic, therefore, when two cars are meeting in an uncontrolled skid on snow or ice, the car with
the least control has the right of way. On the freeway, anyone in a 360 degree spin automatically has the right
of way. It's best not to do a 360 if you can help it, but once into one, it's comforting to know that it's everyone else's job to get out of your way.

Under "special" snow rules:
It is illegal to make a left turn while facing up a hill, which might mean you, and those behind you, have to stop.
Yellow lights are to be totally ignored.
 
If you are traveling uphill, the light has to be really, really red before you stop. The other drivers will understand.
 
When you get a green light, it does not mean go - wait to be sure all other traffic has stopped. (Ref. really, really red!) In other words, it's got to be really, really green.
 
Pedestrians never have the right of way under "special" rules. Never. Not in a crosswalk, not in a sidewalk, never. After all, nobody  ever heard of having to dig out a stuck pedestrian. It is considered  bad form to run down a pedestrian, though. It is, however, ok to run down joggers:

Under "special" snow rules stupidity is not allowed. For instance, if you get stuck on a hill and have to back down into oncoming traffic, then going up the hill was stupid and you can expect the other drivers to be angry with
you, and to demonstrate their anger with universally understood hand signals. If you make it without getting stuck, of course, you are daring and to be admired by all.

Now you might think that lower speed limits would be the rule, but that isn't always the case. Sometimes, you need extra speed to make it up the hill, or over the snow bank left by the plow.

Personally, I like "special" snow rules. That's because I drive under them most of the time... Whether there's snow or not.

The reason to know the "special" snow rules is because you might be faced with:

So here's a quick outline of some winter driving tips from my 20+ years as a professional racing driver:

Slow down -- really. It makes no difference how quickly or slowly you're going if you crash. I've heard numerous times, "But I was only going ___mph when I ...." You can fill in the blank. Slow down. A lot. In a safe area, gently squeeze the brakes on until you can feel them lock. I do this all the time so that I know exactly how much grip is available.

Be gentle. SQUEEZE the brakes and SQUEEZE the throttle. Any sudden movements will most likely result in something unpleasant happening.

Trust no one. You can be the best driver in the world, but if you're t-boned by someone who isn't, you're still involved in a crash. Be exceedingly defensive when approaching intersections.



Trust no surface. A consistent surface, be it dry or wet, is easy to negotiate. The problem currently, is when there is a sudden change in grip level (e.g., packed snow to ice...). Pay close attention to the outside air temperature (Hondas come equipped with an OAT gauge). When the temperature approaches freezing be extra attentive.


Look! You go where you look. If you focus on another car, post, pole... that's where you'll likely end up. That old "keep your head on a swivel" is good advice, but more importantly, keep your eyes moving so that you know what's around you and what's coming up. The farther down the road you look, the more time you'll have to anticipate problems and then act accordingly.

Minimize risk. Don't drive if you don't have to -- unless you're coming to Wilsonville Honda for service, parts, or to buy a new or pre-owned car. We have what you need to get you through the weather safely. Honda knows how to build safe cars! </shameless plug>...

Proper maintenance. Tire, tire inflation, brake maintenance, alignment... the list goes on. If ever you needed to have your vehicle running properly, now is the time. The margin for error decreases significantly when the roads are slick. If you have any sort of mechanical issue with your vehicle, this weather will put you at risk. Your car needs to be at its best!

Focus! Your car should be at its best and so should you. Put all your concentration, 100%, on driving. No cell phones. No eating. No drinking. Just focus on driving. I've been stunned the last few days as I've watched vehicles slide through intersections while their drivers are on their cell phones!

Winter driving can be conducted safely if a little common sense is used. Of course, a little common sense would also prevent someone from putting a waffle on a bunny's head... but that didn't stop us.



Stay Safe!