Art of Gears
Fansided

Chicago Auto Show: I didn’t make it.

By Andrew Hulse

CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 05: Workers prepare for the open of the Chicago Auto Show on February 5, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. The show, which is held at McCormick Place, will be open to the public February 8 through February 17. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 05: Workers prepare for the open of the Chicago Auto Show on February 5, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. The show, which is held at McCormick Place, will be open to the public February 8 through February 17. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

I was attempting to cover the Chicago Auto Show this year.  It is just a 5-hour drive away from my house and I have never been.  Apparently, fate says I will never make it there.

The title and heading say it all.  I have never been to the Chicago Auto Show and thought to myself when I started here “This will be a perfect opportunity to finally go!”  My wife and I started driving and knew there was supposed to be a little snow but it was supposed to melt and end the day at 44F.

After about an hour of fairly slow going in an AWD vehicle, we decided to pull off at a rest stop.  As we pulled off, I noticed there was a car spinning ahead of us.   It turns out it was the start of a 20ish car pileup.  One semi was split in half and the rear axle of another was in the road while the rest of the semi and a few other cars ended up in the rest stop parking lot.

It was complete chaos, it wasn’t worth it at all.

Maybe next year…

pileup
This isn’t the pileup that I narrowly avoided, but you get the picture.(Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images) /

Remember, in the winter, slow down!

I wanted to focus this Monday after the Auto Show post all about the event.  However, I think this should be a reminder of safety in the winter.

SLOW DOWN, if you want to make it to where you are going, GO SLOWER.

That is the trick to winter driving.  Snow tires help a ton, all-wheel drive helps but neither are the tried and true answer.   The big secret that everyone seems to forget is to slow down to a speed that the conditions will allow.  If 40 is the safe speed in a 70mph zone, you go 40.  If the safe speed is less than that, go less than that.

The reason I make this point and only this point in this post is that I wholeheartedly believe the accident I witnessed was caused by people speeding.  About a mile before the accident, 3 vehicles passed us.  All three were going north of 85 miles per hour on an inch of ice and snow on top of that.  I have no doubt in my mind they started it, I do know they were involved.

Next: Can’t Buy The New Porsche 911 GT3? Well, Try These Instead!

From an Iowan where the weather goes from blizzard to 50 degrees and sunny in the span of an hour and a half.  It took 3 hours to make it 60 miles home, but by the time we made it back home it was sunny and almost shorts weather for us.

Home/Commentary