Jophiel wrote:
Honestly, the problem is that you guys just can't drive in snow. There's no reason to try and dress it up ("But we have hills!" -- so does the entire Northeastern US) beyond that. Driving in various bad weathers is a skill and you don't have it because you never get the practice. Most cars here don't have snow tires or all-wheel drive either but I still make it up hills.
It's not really anything to be ashamed of or have to "defend", it's just kind of amusing to read about (if you ignore the property and personal damage).
Actually, no. Snow isn't the problem. Ice is. No one can drive on ice. Driving means controlling the speed and direction of a vehicle. Ice = no traction = no control = you're not "driving".
It had nothing to do with skill. Check the photos. There were plenty of big rigs wrecked. Big Rigs driven by folks with training and years of experience driving through the lower 48 states. Yes, even the "cold" ones.
Granted, there are techniques required to drive in the snow and for when you hit patches of ice, and most Southerners do know the basic "Don't hit the breaks, steer into the skid and gradually guide the car back on track, etc" but there's nothing you can do when the entire road is a sheet of ice. It's simple physics.
I've driven OTR ( Over The Road) for 5 years. I've even lived in Long Island, NY. I've driven through a lot of terrible weather, I've seen a lot of terrible drivers. When it comes to winter driving, the most important thing is road prep, and GA failed miserably.