SALT LAKE CITY — If you’ve driven on Utah roads in the snow for a while, you know how bad spots like Point of the Mountain off I-5 can get - and with another round of snow due Saturday, the Utah Highway Patrol gave us a crash course on how not to crash.
When the snow falls, Utahans know what to expect.
“People driving way too fast, obviously,” said Steven Goematt of Millcreek.
David Robinson of South Jordan said he stays on his toes on the road when the weather gets bad, “I don’t dread it, but I am more cautious.”
Others though, thrive in it. “It’s a blast, best job ever,” said
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Adams.
Adams teaches all the new Utah Highway Patrol recruits at their training track near Lehi.
He uses retired patrol vehicles with what look like bald rear tires
that help simulate losing control, just like in the snow.
“So what it does, it removes the grip of the rubber that meets the road and replaces it with a slippery plastic,” said Adams.
And boy is it slippery. Adams got behind the wheel and got on the track to give us a first-hand look at what not to do.
“If I slam on the brakes, we end up rotating out.”
Adams said rule one is to take it slow. But if you do lose control, the last thing you want to do is slam on the breaks.
As he was spinning out, he said, “I get a little nervous, so I hit the brake, this is what that looks like. That’s when you panic and you hit the brakes,” said Adams.
“What that does, that locks up any rolling friction. We want our front wheels to continue to roll so we can regain control.”
With 12 years with the Highway Patrol, he made it look easy — but he said, every Utahan should be prepared.
“Keep my eyes on the road the whole time, and then off the gas, counter-steering, and stay calm,” said Adams.
And no one knows better how important it is to react correctly.
“There’s been a few where I had to jump over the wall to avoid getting hit. It’s petrifying, it really is, I have a family at home, I want to make sure I get there,” said Adams.
Along with every other driver on Utah’s roads.
