How do you guard against the hazards of expreme weather while driving?

Question

I've been doing some research on military bases because my love and I will be living near a base when he completes his Infantry Training early next year. He tells me that they will find out their permanent assignment in January. For example; Ft. Riley KS is on the prairie where there is a notorious tornado problem. If you are driving and a tornado is approaching what do you do? I'm from CA and just learned how to drive in May. In fact my husband (then boyfriend) both learned together and we got our licenses the same day on Friday before our Prom. I'm still a little nervous about driving but actually I'm trusted enough by my mother in law to pick up Jamie's little sister from her after school program and my own brother from his middle school. They let me use one of their cars because I'm staying with them. My dad has been taking me out on the freeways on Sundays to practice but I can literally "FEEL" his fear lol lol. It snows near a lot of bases. How do you drive in the snow?

Answer 1

I was born in Oklahoma, lived in SoCal (OC), and now I'm back in Oklahoma. Tornadoes are not as bad as you might imagine - your chances of actually being near /injured by a tornado are about the same as being injured in a California earthquake.

Weather radar and storm monitoring has progressed to a point where tornadoes are fairly easy to predict, locate, and track.

When you move, get a weather alert radio that will alert you whenever bad weather is approaching.

Tornadoes typically travel SW to NE. So if you drive SE you could avoid a storm. If you should actually find yourself in a situation where you are in the path of a tornado and you can't outrun it, exit your car and lie down in a ditch or the lowest point you can find and protect your head. Flying debris is the most dangeroous.

For most other weather situations (heavy rain, fog, ice or snow) when you're driving - slow down. Even on ice, you can drive slowly, but braking becomes a problem, So "pump" your brakes when stopping and downshift to let the engine help slow you down.

Ignore the "hide under a bridge" idea posted above, that's one of the worst things you can do.

Answer 2

I would recommend that you take a defensive driving course. The snow and Ice conditions can change in a split second or in just a few feet. If you are driving on a road that there is water spray from the vehicle in front of you the road is not icing up yet. If the road spray disappears and the road becomes shiny like a mirror it is starting to ice, slow down by letting off the gas slowly do not use your brakes. Keep a even speed and take nice easy / slow moves when changing lanes and increase your distance from the vehicle in front of you., I hope this helps.

Vet-USAF / Truck driver for 15 years all 48 states and Canada.

PS : Tornado's you find a highway bridge or ditch close to you and pull over climb in the ditch or under the bridge under surface where you are protected from flying objects and don't worry about your car protect yourself.