What NOT to do when crossing an ice covered bridge

Every inter axle lock or power divider that I have been around says on switch something like engage at any speed unless wheels are spinning. Even if you stop and flip it in if the teeth on the sliding collar and gear are not lined up it wont engage when you move it. So if you hit the throttle too soon its gonna hurt. I haven't been around every differential understand but the ones I have running them locked in at road speed doesn't hurt them. If its slick mine is in way before I need it. Naturally you have to use sense in this application but I think thats what the op was getting at. No I didn't watch the video don't have a dog in that race. His thoughts didn't sound far off there either. Ice is treacherous speed is definitely a factor when driving in it, as is common sense. Maybe he shouldn't have been out period if thats the case

 

That other truck IN THE MEDIAN after the bridge should have been Clue number 1. Clue number 2 should have been that the outside temperature was near or below freezing. Clue number 3 should have been the shiny appearance of the bridge.

He probably didn't catch Clues 1 and 3 because he was yakking away on the phone, driving the same route that he drives every day. $10 says he had the engine brake and cruise engaged, and pegged the brake once he started sliding. There appeared to be no attempt to steer into the skid, probably because he had one hand on the wheel and a death grip on his cell phone.

 

Looked to me like he panicked and hit the brakes as soon as it started to slide.

Ice is manageable, we get freezing rain here in the NW every Winter and it is tricky stuff but if you slow down usually you can deal with things like that bridge.
Panic and you're done for!
Bridges get icy before the rest of the road and often are the only icy spots, yes a real pro would have handled that bridge just fine.
There are times when the ice is simply too bad to drive on,didn't look to be the case there,drivers just getting caught by the icy bridge because they are not used to the stuff down there.

 

I was told that once you feel the truck start to slide you get off the accelerator and stay off the brake but do engage the clutch. This saved my butt in Sawyer, Michigan on east bound I-94 a few years back. The wind was coming out of the NW and blowing pretty hard. At Sawyer the highway does a bend to the right on a bridge which had the wind t-bone on the driver's side. When I got on the bridge I felt my empty trailer begin to come around to the passenger side. I got on the clutch and regained control as the trailer lined back up. I've been told engaging the clutch gets all the wheels turning at the same speed and gives you a chance to steer into the slide and save your truck.

It worked for me that day and I'm an older, wiser, safer, slower driver in weather today.

Agree or disagree with the clutch theory?

if you agree with the clutch theory, what about when you have an automatic and the clutch is not an option?

No no matter where you come down on the issue of what to do when sliding, it's undeniable that there is no substitute for getting off the road when conditions get bad and slowing to a crawl if need be to get to a safe haven.

I do not buy the differential theory. What good is THAT going to do when you've lost traction on ICE? Please explain if you can!

 

You left out the changing your shorts part.

 

With the power divider in it will give the rears more balanced power division. Most trucks have an open differential or when a wheel spins all power is lost at wheel with traction. Usually the right rear does the spinning and starts the slide. Left front spins with it less likely hood of it turning that direction. All that being said the power divider just locks in the front to rear like a 4x4 transfer case. You have a point ice is ice more wheels don't usually mean more traction. But in my mind it helps so I do it. I do believe it can't hurt.

 

Technically you disengaged the clutch, but yes releasing the torque from the drive axles greatly increases your odds of correcting a skid. Some automatics have a clutch and the same theory will apply, on a 2 pedal auto you would have to put it in neutral to get the same result, but I don't think any of us could react quick enough to make that happen, what ever was going to happen would already be over before we could actually get it in neutral. The newer autos have traction control systems but I have no idea how/how well they work.

 

I remember a 'professional driver' I was running with 25 years ago who loved to play the 'old hand helping out the young kid' routine.
We were loaded and heading to the same place, it was snowing, a little icy in some spots. I think it was the ohio turnpike.
He was on the radio, constantly telling me how to drive, warning me about this and that.
I just wanted him to shut the heck up and drive, and was ready to turn my radio off, when the 'professional driver' jackknifed as he yelled out his next 'watch out its slippery here'.

I came to a stop safely, his cabover freightliner was smashed up pretty good. I continued on and delivered my load without incident.

I've driven all 48, most provinces of canada, in all weather. While I may get stuck in a parking lot, I've never slid off the road, period.

Don't over think it. There is no magic.
Slow down, leave more room to stop and manuever, and don't make drastic moves with throttle, brakes, or steering.

I see you geniuses whipping in and out of lanes and tailgating in all sorts of weather. You have bad habits that get you into trouble.
You are to blame, not the weather.

 

Looks like you're getting a bashing here! Just watched video - he's going way too fast.

Good thread - hope the new drivers are reading. We hit this yesterday morning around Elk City, OK - on 40. Very light drizzle, clear, 29-30 degrees. I was (WAS) asleep. She woke me up. Utter mayhem. Thin glaze on the roadway. We went to the next exit and parked it for 3 hours till the temp came up ( and I had more sleep).

It's scary stuff. I've had it in Texas at night too - spray off the tires, then all of a sudden slick bridges, unit goes sideways, all within a couple of miles.