My mother was born and grew up in Duluth along with two sisters. Visited many times growing up coming from Milwaukee, Wi. It was quite the exciting and exotic trip. Duluth is very beautiful city on the northern shore of Lake Superior. Very dramatic steep hill runs along the east and west shore overlooking the lake. Makes San Francisco seem tame in comparison. Been there many times in the winter. Cold! Many interesting sights and things to do! Look it up, worth a trip. Very North woods fresh! Unspoiled scenic vistas.
Used to live there, and Lake St. is about a 12 percent grade heading straight down to the lake. Most locals know to avoid it when there's snow (which is pretty much every day from October to mid-May) because of the severe grade. Used to have a saying up there: 'We had a beautiful summer last year, but I had to work that weekend".
Those grades helped when the alarm rang. As in that they needed dock workers in the winter time. I wonder how many of them ended up in the lake itself.
The guy in the SUV did the exact right thing when he headed for the snow bank to stop at the first intersection they encountered. It's what my hubby does every single time if slick roads are a problem - if there's a snow bank available. Nothing is scarier when you're driving then when you hear/feel your tires losing contact with the pavement. There isn't a single thing you can do other then kind of hold your breath and don't do a thing to change what the vehicle is doing. If the vehicle is going straight, hopefully it will keep going straight if you don't touch the brakes, change the steering, nothing. Too many times people think that's the time to step on their brakes, and they lose control. I've driven in some of the worst weather. Yes, I'm nervous - but I've not had anything happen. I can't believe one night driving down Snelling Avenue on an icy evening after work in rush traffic. Cars were hitting each other's bumper and the only thing that got me home was the person in front of me and behind me kept their cool too. As I got in our neighborhood, one of the neighbor ladies had slid into another neighbor's front yard. I think hubby helped get her car out. We in Minnesota all have our harrowing tales about winter driving. Sometimes you just can't change what happens and you have to go with it, no matter what.
Don't lock the brakes, you can't steer of the wheels are locked up. If you feel the brakes lock, either let off until steering returns and steer yourself out, or panic and do nothing.
Yeah, saw that SUV guy only lightly used his brakes. His tires would "lock" briefly as he tapped, but then spin again, him trying to find road grip. He did a good job. And good for your husband. Seems like you learned how to do it, too. :)
With the smoke that came out from under the optima those would believe the owner might have roasted the clutch trying to get up a hill when they thought they could get up not before spinning out when some cases those were to find an alternative route when the car was to be brought to the dealership on a flatbed.
I grew up and learned to drive in Superior-Duluth, on this very street, and watching these drivers, *I can’t believe how few of them know what “2” and “L” mean on their list of automatic transmission options!!* When you go up or down Lake Ave., or any other snowy, icy street-with or without hills-you have to _DOWNSHIFT_ to “2” or “L” *(for LOW, or FIRST GEAR)* in order to slow the automatic revolutions of your tires! Then you won’t have to bang into snowbanks or drive in the parking lane, etc. to avoid other drivers, or to stop and go at controlled intersections!
Agreed, i lived in duluth for ten years. I had a truck with with four wheel drive, but when driving down the hills shift into 1st or 2nd and let the engine slow you instead of the brake. especially going down lake ave.
The right tyres makes a huge difference. Normal, all season tyres are terrible on snow and ice. I fitted Michelin crossclimates on my car and love them. Saw a video of them being tested on an ice rink course with cones layed out and also on driving up a steep ski slope. The all season tyres sat at the bottom of the ski slope and the crossclimates drove up no problem. Same story with the ice rink course. The summer tyres car just knocked over cones on the turns and the crossclimates took the turns great. When we got some deep snow one year, I headed out in my car and the control you felt was great. Stay smooth with all controls and its almost like the snow isn't there. With ice, its not just about chunky off road tyres. The sipes on the tyres are the thing that help with the grip.
Just as in Russian dashcam videos, we see here that snowbanks next to streets serve the useful purpose of slowing or cushioning out of control vehicles.
I lived there for one year. Does anyone remember the Miller Hill Mall and the scary trip back down to the city? Most residents have two cars: one for winter driving and another for the rest of the time. I also was caught out on the lake during a bad storm and saw the size of the bad waves. When we got back, luckily, there was a fire hydrant gushing from the water being forced down the streets. I worked out on Park Point. I saw many enormous ships going under the aerial bridge that looked like teeny-weeny ships from the height of the street down from the mall. I see now why insurance was so expensive in 1978
When I see that someone can't go up a hill or down a hill because of snow and ice, I like to try it myself, just to prove to everyone else that I can't do it either.
I live in Duluth Minnesota, we know what we are doing. Even if it doesn't look like it. Besides that, if you live here you expect certain things. 1. Lake Ave sucks. 2. You need All Wheel Drive. 3. If you don't have AWD, you have friends/family/neighbors who do and THEY drive you where you need to go in this weather. 4. You can always move away, but you'll never replace Lake Superior in your heart.
No matter what you have FWD or AWD or 4WD you might be able to get traction going uphill, with the proper tires or in some cases, tire chains. But going downhill and trying to stop is a whole different ball game. Best way is simply put your transmission in gear 2 and let the engine brake do it's work. Do not use the gas or brakes if you can avoid it.
They must be newly to Duluth, ask anyone who's Live in Duluth for more than 30 years you need good all Season Tires in Winter, I like Snow Tires myself along time resident of Duluth MN Jeno Paluchi (Jeno's Pizza) always had the Studded Snow Tires for His Cars , the Police would Ticket Him, He'd pay the fines and keep going, The State of Minnesota Outlawed the use of Studded Snow Tires back in the 1960s because People were leaving them on their Cars and light Trucks all year round and were Tearing up the Streets, the City of Duluth don't like Tire Chains neither, but they won't Salt the Roads and Intersections like they should and it's causing Issues on the Hills in Duluth...
Ah Duluth winters I rember driving my stick shift 2wd small truck up there for a few winters! I don't care how much experience you have that's one crazy town in winter time!
I think the first dodge SUV's rear brake have some problem, isn't brake should be applies to all wheels? The rear brake looks like didn't kick in all the time in this recording.
I grew up there, just remember, cars sliding down hill have the right of way! Just because you have a green light does not mean you won't get hit!!! Always look up the hill.
So glad to see this! It ices over every so often down here and people will say southerners do not know how to drive on snow and ice. It is not the driver. It is physics. Our streets are hilly here with deep ditches on the sides. Nobody can drive on them. If you start to slide you will keep sliding until you hit something that stops you. We just stay at home until it warms up in a day or two. After we empty the stores of bread, milk and beer, of course.
We live at the top of 24th Ave West. I can sit and watch the folks with summer or bald tires burn up their tranny's and engines trying to make the last block to the stop sign during rush hour when they've had to stop and wait for others to get a gap in the cross traffic at the T intersection with Piedmont. Some take 15-20 minutes spinning tires at high revs to move maybe 4" a minute before they let out the magic smoke.
Boy, the City of Duluth sure had that one covered. From the looks of things the conditions had been present for many hours, sand trucks need literally to be on a minute by minute standby and loaded and ready to go in a winter city, you need to embrace the technology of a forecast. If those conditions were present in our city...heads would roll.
Poor planning for winter conditions. Front wheel drive cars do excellent in snow if PROPERLY equipped with dedicated directional winter tread tires on the front. I have a chevy spark that is lighter than a Aveo. My spark does excellent in snow 8”-10” deep. Haven’t had really an issue getting to where I have to go.
0:34 stupid pedestrian crossing against the lights. You would think people who learned to drive in MN would know that: Drive very gently. Spinning tires have no traction.
In Owensound Ontario this is what the roads look like all winter if you can’t get around on that you’re not going out and no one slides all over like this, snow tires.
Where are the street sweepers? I lived in the DC area for 10yrs. We had a street sweeper controversy in the late 90s. But otherwise they were out there. Where are they in MN?
This is odd. When I lived in Duluth, the salt and sand trucks were out AHEAD of every storm, and always hit the inclined streets first. I never saw Lake Ave unsanded or unsalted when there was snow or ice. It appears that one side of the street has been sanded, but not the downhill side. If you visit there, Duluth is essentially built on the sides and the bottom (lakeshore) of massive steep hills. Many streets are quite narrow as they were constructed when transportation was by carriage or rail. Lake Superior is beautiful but the lake effect weather can be frightful. Driving tips, try to never use your brakes in these conditions. Drive VERY slowly. If you get to a red light and it is too slick to stop, head for the curb or try to do a gentle right turn if you can manage it in between cars. If you drive slow enough, you can avoid red lights, except when sliding, then you pray for a snowbank or corner to turn. Almost everyone has 4 wheel drive, snow tires, etc.
That is exactly what they did when I lived there in the 90s. Salt/sand trucks out ahead of every storm and running continuously during snowy weather. You can't find old cars there...the salt and snow has rusted out the bottoms.
It is obvious that the Dodge Durango at the beginning was slammed on the brake trying to slow his descent, but only the front tires were locked up. The back tires were rolling freely. Why does that happen? Is his rear brakes just toast? But I see that happen a lot in these videos.
The rear brakes are probably not working correctly and the automatic transmission is still in gear. Shifting to Neutral can make a huge difference in your ability to control your vehicle and stop on snow and ice.
Rear brakes are always less strong than the front brakes. That is why. When you brake, what happen? All the velocity try to keep going forward. That is why the front brake are always more powerful. If bot brakes would have equal force, the rear wheel would lock too fast.
It should never be "AWD or winter tires", because it's a faulty premise. Winter tires improve the going, stopping, and steering of anything you put them on. AWD largely only helps to going, but little else. The BEST solution is AWD (or 4WD) AND winter tires, like I do on a '99 Impreza.
I don't believe that 4wd or awd are good in snow with all seasons, if you have winter tires fwd or rwd its all good. Blizzaks are good, i own at least 10 private cars , i own some suvs and minivans and i do own a sienna awd it's garbage in snow if you put all seasons with winter or snow tires you add traction and safety, i also own a subaru legacy 2016 and it's excellent with the snow with snow tires and i own an infiniti i don't use in the winter.
Frances Elaine Thurston, Obviously, you have never lived there. The town is built on the side of large steep hills with many streets up and down. Notice the uphill side has been salted/sanded. The plows are running constantly in conditions like this but can't get to all the roads in time.
Brings back memories, I took a person to teen challenge in the dead of winter, it was a 6 hr drive one way and kept the blood flowing. Not much really scares me but it took over an half hour to unclench my butt checks from the driver's side.
I went to high school 3 or 4 blocks up that hill. I walked to and from school every day - too scary to get my drivers license and drive up and down that hill.
Duluth, a city that can reach -40 degrees an people are running with summer tyres!? They should use winter tyres or better north-winter tyres! ... That's pathetic and stupid!
It's 99% the driver, no need to get there where ever there is. I haven't bought a snow tire in 35 years, and haven't gotten stuck in the snow for 40. When 85% of my winter driving is on bare tar why bother. And besides, I haven't seen a snow tire made for my snowmobile by Ford which has 12 inch wheels. A good set of chains is all I need for the 2 days a year that I my venture out after the travel warning say to stay put.
Folks out polishing the ice with their tires. They should have road crews to spread sand on major roads. I guess they spend all their tax money on social programs.
