I am safely checked into Topeka Ramada Inn.
Left Iowa City about 8:30 AM, 0 F degrees, slushy streets.
IH 80 is wet with deicer. 10 miles west of town on flat damp straightway, 65 mph, the back end of the pickup slips to the left, I correct, take my foot off gas, then it slips to the right, oscillates a couple more times with bigger swings, then I am spinning 360 degrees down the road from berm to berm, totally out of control.
Fortunately no traffic around me.
This wakes me up.
Maybe I need weight in the back during icy drives?
Then I notice every mile there are cars off the road from last nights storm. the one I drove in from Michigan. Many are smashed.
It felt like this:
High speed spin-out on Arizona highway first-person view.
When we lived on the farm in Ohio, I used to put tractor wheel weights in the back of our Ford F-150 whenever the roads got ugly. They helped with traction when you were you were trying to get going. I doubt they would have helped much in this situation. Best advice is to slow down.
How to correct a slide on an icy road (and how to prevent them) - Winter driving education
I thought this video does a good job of balancing safety and practicality.
I've had a couple of experiences with slick roads. I was lucky.
Title tune here.
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