Adam Kleiner

Today brought the first snow of 2012 to the DC metro area.

The big, wet flakes reminded me of a winter driving story I wrote 8 years ago: “Sticky Winter Driving Situations Solved.”

An evergreen topic, you say?

That’s why I’m republishing it here…

Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirm that in the winter months, vehicle crash rates pile up like bump runs in the Rockies. So if you plan to drive between now and March, fasten your seatbelt, use caution and consider these tips for navigating the sludge.

Stuck In a Snowbank
If the snowbank is the only thing separating your car and a 100-foot drop, call a tow truck. If there’s room to work, start rocking.

Shift to first gear and move forward a couple inches. Stop. Shift to reverse and rock back. Repeat. The key is gaining traction, which many winter warriors do by pouring sand or kitty litter under the tires. Your floor mats will work, too.

In any case, don’t spin the wheels. The ice patch you’ll form under the tires will only worsen the situation and your mood.

Zero to No Visibility
“If you can’t see, then it’s no fun. It’s just a demolition derby,” says Len Jackson, a 40-year veteran of International Ice Racing Association in St. Paul, Minn.

Proof that not all people who drive on frozen lakes are nuts.

If you must drive in blinding conditions, use only low beams (or fog lights) and dim all interior panel lights to reduce glare. Jackson says landmarks on the side of the road help confirm you’re still on it. Watch for things in front of you, too.

Also, be wary of using hazard lights unless you know state law. In some states, hazards signify a vehicle is slow-moving. In others, they signify it’s stopped.

Sliding on Ice
Regardless of what you’re driving, three rules apply for correcting a skid: stay calm, steer smoothly and don’t slam on the brakes—not even anti-lock brakes. “They don’t allow you to counteract the laws of physics,” says Mark Cox, director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

If your rear wheels are sliding, look in the direction that you’d rather be going, steer that way and give it some gas. The boost of acceleration will transfer weight to the rear tires, helping you regain traction.

If your front wheels are sliding, lay off the gas. Hang on and slowly turn the wheel back until the tires catch.

Avoiding the Other Slider
In the event that another car is sliding into your lane, find the quickest route to safety and take it—even if that means plowing into a snowbank. “Never focus on the problem, always focus on the solution,” Cox says.

When a crash is imminent, try to maneuver so the impact point is either before the front axle or behind the rear axle of the oncoming vehicle. This will reduce the force of the blow.

Unlocking a Frozen Door
Auto stores now stock tubes of lock de-icer, making a relatively easy solution to freeze outs. Heating up your door key with a lighter also works. If the ice has sealed your door shut, don’t dowse it in hot water. You might crack the window, causing a different kind of winter driving challenge.

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Last week I read news reports on a study about kids and the inevitable germ bath they hop into when starting daycare.

Three weeks ago I read reports from a team of hospital physicians and nurses caring for my kid, who only two days earlier had started daycare.

The boy is fine, now. The fever and fire-hydrant-style spewing have abated, and he has returned to the scene of the infestation.

But I am wary.

Why should a kiddie play place be so toxic that two days on the mats can lead to twice as many days on IV fluids?

News of the study doesn’t address that particular question. (It essentially says suck it up, parents; not only will your kids will be sick, sooner or later, but it’s good for them.) But I figured the director of my boy’s daycare program should.

Maybe it’s all a case for home schooling.

We were told to expect runny noses, coughing and other symptoms straight through the first four months of daycare. Can you confirm that’s the typical experience?
Yes, it is quite typically for children to have runny noses and colds at the beginning of their childcare career. Often it lasts for the first couple of months and seems to get better after a child’s first birthday for most.

Does a day go by this time of year that no kid in the program gets called in sick?
I can’t say that there is a day that none of the children are sick but in an individual classroom there are many days in which all the children are present in school, particularly over summer months.

What beyond keeping sick kids at home does your staff do to prevent the spread of germs?
The staff sanitize the classroom each day (and throughout the day) including cleaning toys, wiping mats, vacuuming, washing sheets, bibs, etc. All is done with child safe cleaning materials.

Do the kids who interact more with others more often get sick than the wallflowers?
I have not seen a correlation with children’s personalities and the amount of time being sick. The factors we typically see are the age which a child starts the program, amount of time in childcare, and if they have older siblings at home (can both introduce new germs as well as help with immunities) as well as of course, a child’s natural immunities. There are some children who have very rarely been sick and those who seem to catch everything.

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I edit the web site www.elevateyourhealthco.com.

This month we’re running a package of men’s health stories. Lots of good stuff. One of the articles, written by your’s truly, was inspired by the boy: 35 health tips for new dads.

For example, tip No. 5 from the piece:

Fan the baby’s room.A 2008 Kaiser Permanente research study found infants sleeping in bedrooms with fans ventilating the air had a 72 percent lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome compared to infants sleeping in bedrooms without fans.

What would you add to the list?

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