Miata Mailing List: July 1995, Message #63
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   From: EMERSON@midd.middlebury.edu
Subject: Avoiding Skids and Accidents
   Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 08:45:35 -0400


Happy Fourth, everyone!

    Finally got the list back this morning.  I missed it!

    Like many of you, I read the sad saga of Sharon's accident and the 
discussion on the net that followed.  We ought to be able to bring 
something positive out of all this.  Wouldn't it be great if we could 
prevent two or three accidents that might have happened, by teaching each 
other something that would reduce the possibility of a misfortune like 
Sharon's?
    
    Sharon is not the first person to go into a skid on a wet road.  The 
danger is especially high when it hasn't rained for a long time, oil or 
whatever lubricant has been accumulating on the pavement, and then the rain 
starts. (Aside:  This morning's paper reports it has been 22 days since 
Burlington, Vermont has had rain.)  I personally know of two Miata owners 
who have experienced serious skids on a wet highway, which fortunately 
did not result in an accident.  Both are good drivers and both are ACTIVE 
members of Club Chapters.  Yes, it can happen!

    What can be done to reduce the likelihood of such misfortune?

1.  Someone mentioned a driver's school held on a wet track.  I would LOVE 
to attend such a school.  Where does such a program exist?  How much does 
it cost?  Are there any of these in New England or in Upstate New York?  
What about other parts of the country?  (I'm betting that this idea is the 
one that has greatest value in reducing possibilities of skid-induced 
accidents!)

2.  What about choice of tires?  We hear about the best tires for autocross 
and for high-speed driving on dry tracks.  But what are the best choices for 
every-day driving on roads that are often wet, slippery, cold-temperature, 
and (yes) sometimes snowy?  Is Dunlop D60 all-weather tire the best choice?

3.  What about tire sizes?  Is a 205/50/15 really better than the stock 
185/60/14 for use in real-world ordinary driving situations?  I guess I 
think that tires wider than 195 may be suspect on a Miata, except perhaps 
on the track.  Doesn't the wide contact surface reduce reduce adhesion on 
slippery pavement?  I'd like to hear from the experts, but I do know from 
personal experience that fat tires can be a disaster on snow or ice.  Do 
they tend to hydroplane water?

4.  What other advice do Miata owners have for minimizing the likelihood of 
an experience like Sharon's? (or worse...)

John Emerson, 92A Yellow                          July 4, 1995
Middlebury, Vermont