Driving in bad snow with small childern in the car...

[dmc]

This is a question stemming from the other thread...

Kids in the car during bad snowstorms...

Do you risk it?

Is it endangerment?

Does it make you drive more carefully?

 

[Vortex]

Leaving them home alone may be more endangerment.:idea: I take it slower when the weather is bad, probably even more care when the fam is with me in bad weather. Ice storms and late night travel are probably the only thigns that stop us from going anywhere.

 

[drjeff]

I won't necessarily cancel a trip with the kids in the car just because the weather is bad, but it does depend on when I'm leaving, what type of storm it is, and more importantly REALISTICALLY how much longer of a trip I'd estimate it will be. If my best guess still has the trip at a 1 "potty stop" trip(5 hours max) with an arrival at a reasonable hour (10PM for my kids currrently), then its fair game for me. The name of the game is just drive sensibly.

If it's either likely to be longer than that, or arriving later than that, then it's travel at a later date for my family.

My kids fortunately have been doing the 2:45 ride it takes ususally to get to Mount Snow from my house very regularly since they were infants, so fortunately for my wife and I they travel very well(and this goes for airplane rides too). Also, with the rare exception, they DON'T spend the ride staring blankly into a DVD screen!

 

[Paul]

This is a question stemming from the other thread...

Kids in the car during bad snowstorms...

Do you risk it? Yes, but it is conditional as far as just how bad the weather is, and the reason for travel / would a delay affect anything.

Is it endangerment? No. Endangerment would be driving recklessly with them in the car, not belted / car seated etc... Just driving with a child as a passenger in inclement weather doesn't count as endangerment IMHO

Does it make you drive more carefully? Absolutely. Although I drive more carefully even if my daughter isn't with me. I wouldn't want her to be without a Dad much more than I would want her getting hurt.

.

 

[Marc]

They're generally not as effective as a bucket of sand for weighting the drive wheels... plus they're more distracting.

Unless of course the bucket of sand dumps over. That's a big distraction too.

 

[bvibert]

They're generally not as effective as a bucket of sand for weighting the drive wheels... plus they're more distracting.

Unless of course the bucket of sand dumps over. That's a big distraction too.

Yeah, but can the bucket of sand get out and help push should you happen to get stuck?? :idea:

Seriously, we try not to let snow determine our travel plans. It may affect what time we leave or what vehicle we take, but it would have to be coming down pretty hard to cancel plans...

 

[gladerider]

cancel the trip? NO. I cannot watch my kids sucking their thumbs all day next day.

drive more carefully? Yes. Because more than half the times it is not you who causes the accident. and more so in snow. not everyone feels comfortable driving in snow as you do.

 

[cbcbd]

I never drive my kids during snow storms... other people's kids? Sure, no problem!

 

[drjeff]

They're generally not as effective as a bucket of sand for weighting the drive wheels... plus they're more distracting.

Unless of course the bucket of sand dumps over. That's a big distraction too.

Who needs sand when you have young kids in the car, since there's usually more than enough crumbs from gold fish crackers/etc in and around their seats to give more than enough material to put down for traction!

 

[SkiDork]

I won't necessarily cancel a trip with the kids in the car just because the weather is bad, but it does depend on when I'm leaving, what type of storm it is, and more importantly REALISTICALLY how much longer of a trip I'd estimate it will be. If my best guess still has the trip at a 1 "potty stop" trip(5 hours max) with an arrival at a reasonable hour (10PM for my kids currrently), then its fair game for me. The name of the game is just drive sensibly.

If it's either likely to be longer than that, or arriving later than that, then it's travel at a later date for my family.

My kids fortunately have been doing the 2:45 ride it takes ususally to get to Mount Snow from my house very regularly since they were infants, so fortunately for my wife and I they travel very well(and this goes for airplane rides too). Also, with the rare exception, they DON'T spend the ride staring blankly into a DVD screen!

What are they doing, crafts?

 

[drjeff]

What are they doing, crafts?

Singing to Sirius Kids Stuff over and over and over and over Also, we try and plan our trips to coincide with naptime and occasionally bedtime, so a good portion of travel time tends to be sleeptime for them. Occassionally, if the moons are aligned correctly, they'll actually interact with each other and not provoke each other and have some fun together, but like I said the moons need to be aligned for that to happen for more than a couple of seconds at a time!

 

[marcski]

I drive more carefully when the weather and road conditions require, regardless of who is in the car with me. Like others have said, I might try to get a jump on the conditions, but after over 35 years of traveling up north to ski country, you can not out guess the weather. If you plan to go, go! If it gets that bad, you can always stop along the way.

It took me over 6 hours to get to southern vt. last year during the st. paddy's storm. Over twice as long as usual. Both kids in the car (3 if you include the wife, who by the way definitely asked "are we there yet" 10x more than either of my girls!). Worth every minute given those awesome conditions!!! Drove slow, locked the 4-wheel hubs and kept a firm concentration on the road. Most of the delay was from other yahoos on the road that don't know how to drive but that's for another thread.

 

[ctenidae]

Having kids in the car is great when it's snowing. One under each tire, and you've got enough traction to get out of any ditch or snowbank.

/One way, non-stop, straight to hell. Can I get a window seat?

 

[SkiDork]

Singing to Sirius Kids Stuff over and over and over and over Also, we try and plan our trips to coincide with naptime and occasionally bedtime, so a good portion of travel time tends to be sleeptime for them. Occassionally, if the moons are aligned correctly, they'll actually interact with each other and not provoke each other and have some fun together, but like I said the moons need to be aligned for that to happen for more than a couple of seconds at a time!

I hear ya.

We have a routine like so:

We usually leave Long Island at about 6 PM, they get to watch a DVD as soon as we leave. The wife is in the 3rd row sleeping. If they weren't watching a DVD they would be yapping so much she'd never get to sleep.

When we get to BK on 17 in NJ, we get the drive through dinner. They eat, the movie is just about over, then at 8 PM its lights out for them, and they have to go to sleep, which they dutifully do (because they know they have to get up at 6 AM the next morning) and they sleep the rest of the way. Wife takes over, drives to exit 20 on the northway, I sleep in the back that whole time, then we switch drivers and I take it to K the rest of the way. Usually pull up to the condo at about 11:30 or so.

The trip home is basically the reverse of that.

Its worked quite well for us for like 10 years now.

 

[ckofer]

Seriously, we try not to let snow determine our travel plans.

We do. It snows, we go. :wink:

 

[ckofer]

Who needs sand when you have young kids in the car, since there's usually more than enough crumbs from gold fish crackers/etc in and around their seats to give more than enough material to put down for traction!

Now kids don't cry, Daddy's needs to crush all these freaking worthless happy meal toys so we can get some traction.

 

[ckofer]

I don't drive any different with or without kids in the car. I don't view it as reckless or endangerment or anything. I drive as fast as the conditions will safely allow. (Sometimes the conditions improve on the trip and then I have to pay attention to the speedometer, also).

I hope folks don't the wrong impression of me. I've never ended up in a ditch or an accident. Knock on wood and I hope I don't jinx myself by saying that. Nor have I run a vehicle off the road. I only pass when there is way more than enough room(Okay, I have misjudged a couple times over the years). But really, I am in pretty good control of my vehicle. I always watch the rear view mirror, especially at intersections and will some times stop way before I need to because the guy behind me hasn't a clue. And when I see him finally trying to stop, Ihave room to pull up ahead and no accident occurs. I started the other thread to get a feel for other drivers on the road. I do not wish to intimidate them and cause them more stress. If you ever see me in a line of cars behind a slowpoke, I'm generally the guy giving the biggest spacing between me and the driver in front of me. Until and unless I have the opportunity to pass, then, obviously, I get closer as I pass.

We're glad you got to vent your road rage here. On the list that is, not Strafford.

 

[drjeff]

Now kids don't cry, Daddy's needs to crush all these freaking worthless happy meal toys so we can get some traction.

LOL! (and 100% true)

 

[drjeff]

I hear ya.

We have a routine like so:

We usually leave Long Island at about 6 PM, they get to watch a DVD as soon as we leave. The wife is in the 3rd row sleeping. If they weren't watching a DVD they would be yapping so much she'd never get to sleep.

When we get to BK on 17 in NJ, we get the drive through dinner. They eat, the movie is just about over, then at 8 PM its lights out for them, and they have to go to sleep, which they dutifully do (because they know they have to get up at 6 AM the next morning) and they sleep the rest of the way. Wife takes over, drives to exit 20 on the northway, I sleep in the back that whole time, then we switch drivers and I take it to K the rest of the way. Usually pull up to the condo at about 11:30 or so.

The trip home is basically the reverse of that.

Its worked quite well for us for like 10 years now.

I'm very jealous of your families routine! My families routine is more like, leave, kids listen to music/sing/snack for maybe 30 minutes. Then the kids, the dogs (and usually my wife), are out cold sleeping for the remainder of the ride. A Diet Pepsi for me and once the kids are asleep a switch to Sirius 24 (hair Nation) and I'm ready for the rest of the ride!

 

[ckofer]

Hey neighbor! Took me a while to figure out the remartk to Strafford. Really just wanted some alternate viewpoints, and I got a bunch.

You actually made a pretty good point but to convey it to the right person at the right time is pretty tough. It's one of those "there oughta be a law" deals.