March 29, 2024

Polar vortex or no polar vortex, it’s slick out there

Iowa roadways during the colder months can become quickly traitorous. But as the powder melts away every March and cities put away their salt and sand for the spring, oh how we forget the ways of driving in the snowy conditions.

I’ve always been critical of my fellow Iowans’ short-term, winter weather memories. This weekend as the road become slick, Karma delivered me a fresh batch of comeuppance as I slid into a curb on the Highway 5 entrance ramp off Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines.

Not only should I have realized my tiny Ford Fiesta might as well be a bobsled on compacted snow, but my bald tires should have been replaced before the first dusting. I just thank the snow gods that I didn’t cause an accident or total my car.

The alignment of my car was a bit crooked following the impact, but I managed to get off the interstate, turning my wheel 90 degrees to the right to keep my car moving straight. After we pulled into the parking lot of a West Des Moines law firm, I called AAA roadside assistance — an annual Christmas gift from my grandmother which has saved me from my old college-era beater cars on numerous occasions. The representative quoted a 40 minute wait time, which quickly turned into two hours which morphed into three. After four episodes of “The Office” streamed on my phone, my girlfriend Betsy and I were tired of waiting. A stern call to AAA sped up the flat-bed truck’s arrival, and we started our 40-mile tow back to Colfax with a delightful driver named Rick.

As we saw this weekend in Jasper County, snow covered highways can be fatal — especially before the plows have a chance to clear the roads. The Iowa Department of Transportation recorded 115 crash-related fatalities from November 2013 to March of 2014, and 19 deaths have been recorded on Iowa roads to date this November. Last weekend saw nearly 100 weather-related crashes throughout the state.

Let’s keep this number from rising further as we approach the new year. Let’s drive like the winter-weather pros we are in the Midwest, only travel when necessary and navigate the snow-covered roads slowly and carefully. Stay safe out there.