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Old 11-14-2009, 11:56 PM
 
Location: Baker City, Oregon
5,425 posts, read 8,104,113 times
Reputation: 11508

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cornerguy1 View Post
You don't have to wait for snow to have issues in the passes. There have already been several instances of roads becoming quite slippery due to black ice at elevation.
As these people found out:
Two killed, 14 hurt in freeway crash | Baker City Herald | Baker County Oregon's News Leader (http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/15-hurt-one-dead-in-freeway-rollover-early-today - broken link)
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Old 11-15-2009, 10:37 AM
 
Location: Sarasota
462 posts, read 1,702,479 times
Reputation: 156
Well I got my set of 4 studded snow tires yesterday. No reason to play Russian Roulette with my life!
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Old 11-15-2009, 09:02 PM
 
4,282 posts, read 15,719,101 times
Reputation: 4000
Quote:
Originally Posted by ladyflyfsh View Post
Well I got my set of 4 studded snow tires yesterday. No reason to play Russian Roulette with my life!

Probably a great decision, ladyflyfish.

Just keep in mind that no trip is worth risking your safety for......check road conditions on tripcheck.com before leaving and always use common sense
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Old 11-15-2009, 09:48 PM
 
4,627 posts, read 10,446,289 times
Reputation: 4264
Quote:
Originally Posted by karlsch View Post
As these people found out...
Poor, dear kids. Inexperienced driver, no seat belts perhaps, and black ice. I wonder if their van was one of those huge Fords that was involved in the 'hot shots' lawsuit and deemed to be unsafe. It's sad...and happens every single year.

Thank you for posting that Tripcheck link, Cornerguy. I have all-season tires on my car, which is an all-wheel drive. I also carry chains. Isn't that enough?
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Old 11-16-2009, 07:39 AM
 
Location: Oceanside and Chehalem Mtns.
716 posts, read 2,809,043 times
Reputation: 531
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wicked Felina View Post
I have all-season tires on my car, which is an all-wheel drive. I also carry chains. Isn't that enough?
For driving around Portland you'll probably be OK. I would not recommend all season tires for mountain passes. In fact, traction tires are often required by law.

All wheel drive is great but doesn't do you any good if the tire won't bite into the ice and snow.

I don't like all season tires. They're generally poor in the summer and winter. Dedicated tires are best.
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Old 11-16-2009, 02:54 PM
 
4,282 posts, read 15,719,101 times
Reputation: 4000
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wicked Felina View Post
Poor, dear kids. Inexperienced driver, no seat belts perhaps, and black ice. I wonder if their van was one of those huge Fords that was involved in the 'hot shots' lawsuit and deemed to be unsafe. It's sad...and happens every single year.

Thank you for posting that Tripcheck link, Cornerguy. I have all-season tires on my car, which is an all-wheel drive. I also carry chains. Isn't that enough?

Depends where you plan on driving, Wicked.

If you stay in areas like Portland, Medford, etc. where snow and ice are a relative rarity, you can likely get by with all season tires.

However, many mountain passes, including some on I-5, are designated as Snow Zones. ODOT quite frequently requires that vehicles driving through these areas be equipped with traction tires or carry chains. I'd rather have a better traction tire actually in contact with the road than a set of chains in the trunk.

Traction tires are defined as winter tires which bear the mountain snowflake symbol which means they are a snow/ice tire. Very few all-season tires meet this requirement.

See TripCheck - Road Cams, Road & Weather Conditions in Oregon - ODOT for all the rules and regulations.

Personally, I'd have studded snows even with all-wheel drive if I was planning on driving through the mountains, but family members in Medford laugh at the notion of having studs.
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Old 11-16-2009, 03:13 PM
 
Location: Baker City, Oregon
5,425 posts, read 8,104,113 times
Reputation: 11508
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wicked Felina View Post
Poor, dear kids. Inexperienced driver, no seat belts perhaps, and black ice.
Black ice, and not everybody was wearing seat belts. But a very experienced driver from Colorado.

They had just safely driven through a long white knuckle when slippery area - steep climbs and descents with wide sweeping turns - and were on a seemingly safe flat stretch of road when they hit the ice and crashed.

It can sneak up on anybody.
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Old 11-16-2009, 04:05 PM
 
Location: Sarasota
462 posts, read 1,702,479 times
Reputation: 156
That's the part that scares me so much. I will feel much safer now whether I get any use out of them on passes or not.
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Old 11-16-2009, 04:50 PM
 
4,627 posts, read 10,446,289 times
Reputation: 4264
Thanks for the info, everybody. I need to take my car in to my mechanic and get it winter-ready.

The one thing that scares me, like you ladyfish, is black ice. I have little experience driving in it over the passes, except fairly locally on I-84 and Hwy 26. And not good experience, either ~

Corneyguy...I've driven over the Siskiyou pass in winter one time when I was going to California. I had chains. Pretty scary watching all those semis barely moving up the hill. There was more snow than anything else.

Yes, I am a winter-sissy driver, and freely admit it! One thing we should never do, is underestimate the power of Mother Nature. She'll always win, in the end. ~ Looks like a visit to Les Schwab is in my future....

oops! I mean ladyflyfish!

Last edited by Wicked Felina; 11-16-2009 at 04:51 PM.. Reason: name freeze
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Old 11-17-2009, 12:33 AM
 
7 posts, read 20,296 times
Reputation: 47
Living in Baker City I know most accidents are cause by people diving way to fast on ice and snow. The main thing to reminder is SLOW DOWN!!!!!! You cannot drive at the speed limits on snow and ice even with four-wheel drive. I 84 in Eastern Oregon is really scary in winter even for experienced drivers because of the speed of the inexperienced drivers. I have seen four wheel drives pass me on 84 only to see them run off the road in front of me. Yes four-wheel drive and good tires help a lot but so does common since. If you are not scared on I 84 in Eastern Oregon in winter then you should not be driving. Baker City emergency crews are usually working several accidents at the first sign of new snow.

Please check road conditions and SLOW DOWN!!! Be safe!!!

We are already off to a sad start this winter.

The benefits of studded tires far out way the road damage.
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