In central Virginia last night light snow/rain was falling, but the temperature dropped so fast that all of the sudden the roads got covered with a sheet of ice. I was driving in the P-car on the middle lane of a 3 lane interstate (I-95) (at about 45-50 mph) and then it happened: my vehicle lost traction and started going sideways toward the ditch. I managed to get it to go the other way and back and forth a couple of times until I finally got it controlled. I was very lucky nobody was around me!
After catching my breath, decided to switch vehicles (I HAD to travel last night). Got into the Land Cruiser and it took me 4 hours to go 20 miles on the interstate again. At one point I had to turn the engine off and stay in it for over 1 hour. All traffic had stopped. There were accidents at every curve (people going off the road, etc). Turned around and went back home. Never experienced this before.

 

Glad to hear you and the car suffered no damage.

 

Gld to hear you are OK

 

Glad you are alright, but when I saw the thread subject, I figured you were going to tell us a more personal story

 

LOL, got us to read the story though.

Vredesteins/Blizzacks/anything with sipes, worth every penny. AWD gets you going, but not stopping. The cars I see off the road in snow storms are the 4WD with all season tires.

 

I was thinking the same thing. Glad to hear you are alright.

 

you have to go to the church Glad that you are okay and your baby is okay too... How come the Land Cruiser couldn't take that snow?

 

Unless he's using dedicated snow tires, that's the reason. All season tires or the performance street tires those things come with are USELESS on pure ice. If roads are that bad, anything but snow tires makes you nothing more than an unwilling participant!

 

Guys,
Thanks to all for your kind comments. I already said a couple of prayers. I was incredibly lucky. And all this happened the day before I turn my leased P-car in!! (I just took it back to the dealer today, for good!)
I was not using dedicated snow tires on the LC; just all season tires. The problem was the ice not the snow. The temperature dropped more than 20 degrees in a very short time and whatever little snow/rain was on the ground froze solid. Most vehicles were literally skating on the ice.

 

I second the danger of ice!!!
Not that long ago, we got an inch of freezing rain ... winter tires got you safe up to 30mph on the freeway. Forget sideroads. Let's just say the drive home lasted 50minuted instead of 20 and wasn't a pleasant one!
Glad you made it ok ... icy roads suck.