Drone captures Houston icy bridge spins, slides, saves and close calls
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- Опубліковано 14 січ 2024
- An icy bridge from freezing rain on the Sam Houston Tollway caused numerous vehicles to slide, with some losing control while many narrowly avoided contact with the barrier or other vehicles. Captured with a drone during the winter storm of January 15, 2024. Copyright Dan Robinson
- Авто та транспорт
Thank you everyone for the shares and comments! To answer a couple of questions:
- Where was this filmed? The location was on the Sam Houston Tollway at the bridge over Westheimer Road.
- Why did drivers have their hazard flashers on? Drivers that were aware of the ice on the bridges turned their hazards on when approaching the bridge in an effort to alert drivers approaching from behind.
For more information on icy road hazards and how to deal with them, visit my winter driving education site at icyroadsafety.com.
nice video !
love your videos.
Thanks 4 sharing to make motorists be more careful on the road during this bad weather! Not just your own safety but for the others as well! Just watching only it already scared the heck out of
me leave alone be one of them😬please be safe out there every one🙏
You're driving that fast, because they are idiots
That location explains a lot: many drivers who are unskilled with ice, and local highway dept had no capacity to apply ice melt and/or sand.
I like how quickly the drone camera operator figures out how to tell which drivers are going to end in a slide.
Because it's the one who is going too fast duh
Jeeps are always a good bet!
@@oliverwilliam6931duh, how did you figure it out? Duh?
@@oliverwilliam6931 Plenty in the video weren't the fastest moving vehicle in frame. If the driver in a faster moving vehicle doesn't brake and is gentle with steering to aim for a gap, they'll remain in control more than those who slam the brakes and crank to near full steering lock. Some of the slowest moving vehicles here are the ones that ended up pointing backwards or in the barrier.
easy, see which ones hit the brakes after they start sliding
Why are some of these people going so fast🫨
Because Houston doesn’t know how to react to the cold since we only have one ice storm once in a while.
@@pebble7901native houstonian...I've been in Alaska for the past 14 years almost, but Houston would see an ice storm about once every 5-10 years. Yeah, the only people who would know how to handle it would be those who out muddin'. Wet Texas clay can be worse than ice sometimes...take it from someone who knows
I was one of them too I was lucky though
Houston is worst driving I’ve ever seen
@@pebble7901 one of the problem is that drivers in Texas simply don't want to slow down they are so use to driving fast and when there is snow ice sleet you name it well guess what
Kudos to those drivers who are going slow and safe in these slippery conditions... To me those are the best drivers on the road 👏👏👏
Some of those slow drivers are the worst. During snowy conditions they are driving about 5-10 mph when everyone around them is doing 30 in a 45 zone, and the road is largely wet, not icy or snowy.
There is a Bridge may ice in cold weather sighn at every bridge in America. Evidently a lot of people have trouble comprehending the fact. A bridge can ice over with just fog freezing on it.
you win !!!!! your right ! noobs dont see it ... 5.05 perfect example ... stay home if you cant drive in bad weather @@richardthomas5362
@@richardthomas5362 And, they'll be the ones that stay on the road.
More like drivers who are too soft and too scared of a little bit of ice.
Imagine that - all the people who are going faster than the rest of the traffic seem to have trouble.
You don't appear to have watched the video. The very first clip has a black pickup sail past everyone, but the one that lost it was the red one with a minimal difference in speed to the surrounding traffic. More of the slow drivers that lost it ended up pointing backwards or in the wall too, and the fast ones that did lose it only did so because they tried to slam on the brakes and use too much steering lock, the same reason most of the slow ones went round, except one that didn't seem to steer at all, but will still have braked to start the slide.
Not looking far enough ahead seems to be a big problem with most American drivers from what I've seen in videos of many different types. If you're not looking far enough ahead, the speed your travelling doesn't matter, you will still crash at some point. There's a lot more to it than just speed. If anyone thinks just slowing down all the time will solve all problems, they're one of the most dangerous drivers on the road.
I see people with tire issues. Some with winter tires having the least sliding issues, all season tire and AT tire trucks would be the worst on ice. Then take into account that tire rubber hardens with age and is much more slippery on wet and ice.
@@markwright3161 That's because it's a pickup. They do lousy in snow unless you have some weight in the bed. Plus, a lot truck drivers go too fast or tailgate.
@@anneboban2002 The black truck flying past all the slow idiots was a truck too. He didn't seem to have the issue the red truck had. One person knows how to drive, one doesn't. That's the difference.
@@markwright3161 A pickup with an empty bed is just about the worst choice for a personal vehicle in snow/ice, thankfully Texas isnt well known for truck ownership so they should be good /s
I've seen the signs that say "Bridge Freezes Before Road", but I have never actually run into that situation. It must be so weird to be driving ok, then sliding around with virtually no control, and then hitting the unfrozen lanes after the bridge ends. Looks like most people got out unscathed, but I'll bet that lots of laundry had to be done when they got home.
They’re not driving ok. They are all going too fast, then tap their brakes, which sends them spinning.
😂😂😂
And, you can't see it. Just be prepared for it when it's snowing or raining in the cold.
Bridges will freeze before any other section of the road due to cold air moving above and below. Drive safe
I don't even know how to respond to your statement other than sell your car and stay home.
How do you survive?
Wow a lot a close calls 😮
I was there. Houston drivers are a great demonstration of exactly what not to do. When I was in highschool, we had serious icing on the roads. If I recall correctly, there were 7000 wrecks in one hour.
how were you also at the "battle of the little bighorn?" i'm so confused...
Does Houston offer any physics classes in school? Sure doesn’t seem like it😂
I’m impressed with how well people maintained their vehicle. Ice is the worst
For real. Surprised to see people keeping it together mainly
Especially the car at. 1:21. Going too fast but got hold of it.
It's because it was just patches of ice. Maybe just 5 feet here and there. Then a lot of dry or treated spots.
I wouldn't say they did it well...
@@ffjsb I’m from northern Michigan. These people didn’t crash into anything? They did amazing
This people are driving like the street is clear no ice OMG !!! Scary 😱
Well it probably wasn't a half mile before that.
@KB-ke3fi it's still scary I don't like driving in bad weather it's so bad all over I like being home on bad weather days 😱
one of the problem is that drivers in Texas simply don't want to slow down they are so use to driving fast and when there is snow ice sleet you name it well guess what
@jameseverly8501 true that.
they were just reckless
Live in Alabama & we’re going through the same. My decision to stay home has been the right one
like cmon it’s not that hard. Just not go fast thinking youre some f1 racer and go at moderate speeds and make light turns. Simple as that. The only possible thing to avoid would be crowded roads, there you cannot protect urself from white trash and other thug wannabe drivers who think they’re tough hitting 60+ on icy roads😄
I'm assuming this is your own drone footage based on the copyright. You are doing amazing work and are saving lives by educating us about tricky driving conditions. You are the best.
Speed is what people need to learn is the big reason they get in accidents.
Not looking far enough ahead or simply not paying attention is 8 times more likely to be the cause than excess speed, so not paying enough attention is actually the big reason. It doesn't matter if you're doing 10 mph or 100 mph, if you're not looking far enough ahead for the conditions, you will crash. The black pickup in the first clip didn't seem to have a problem if speed is always the problem.
I don't agree that they were doing the right thing travelling with that degree of difference in speed to the near stationary traffic in the very next lane, but if speed was the biggest problem, they should have crashed before the red pickup did.
@@markwright3161no your'e wrong SPEEDING in bad weather conditions what causes the accidents. This video is the perfect example.
@markwright3161 It sounds like you never drove on a road with black ice. The black truck probably simply didn't hit a patch of black ice. And looking ahead doesn't matter when you're on the road alone and can't actually see the ice on the road. Speed is 100% the most significant factor by far whe it comes to maintaining control.
@@markwright3161"doesn't matter if you're going 10mph or 100mph"
Except you'll have 10 times greater amount of time to react over the same distance, you'll impart 100x less energy when you crash, your wheels will be less likely to overcome friction thereby preventing you from losing control in the first place... etc.
You're coping so hard to justify driving fast no matter the conditions that you've ignored physics
@@psquaw9312 there is some truth to that. Changes in direction or momentum are primarily cause loss control. Not saying speeding is better, but in many poor climate areas I would argue that drivers that go too slow compared to the speed of traffic are more of a hazard than speeders. Obviously exceeding the speed for the conditions of the road is going to end poorly. I'm talking truckers going 30-35mph on a freeway in snow conditions and there's a Prius going 10mph in front of them that has no business being on the road. That's what causes the really bad pileups more often. The speeders going to fast end up in a ditch.
I know these are curated clips, but it's still astonishing to see SO many close calls (and gentle taps with likely no damage).
many were likely they got to the end of the bridge b4 they hit something and got traction again
It's a miracle that there wasn't a massive pile up! Looked like some drivers were hell bent on having one!
I lived in Houston for awhile. The summers were so hot, it's hard to visualize ice on the streets!
Can't steer with your brakes locked up, driving on ice neutral is your most important gear,if you lose traction slip in neutral as you steer, need to slow down touch brakes of and on never stay on brakes. Drive on the highside shoulder more traction. Been trucking alot of years, and that came from the real old timers, much easier back then with less traffic, and the 4 wheeler drivers weren't so stupid as they are today.
Sadly the fellow big trucks are as brainless as the 4 wheelers.
I really wish that more people knew about putting the trans in neutral, or pushing in the clutch. Growing up in Chicago (and going ice racing) taught me so much about driving in winter.
@@61rampy65Uh neutral or clutching in does nothing that letting off the gas wouldn’t also do.
You shouldn't be in neutral, you should be coasting.
@@BlownMacTruck I don't know this for sure, but I think it depends.... if you have a torque converter & gears, the completely frictionless ice will allow the momentum in the drive shaft & torque converter to keep spinning the wheels for a time until the motor spins down to the lowest gear..... putting the wheels into neutral immediately disconnects the spinning mass of the motor & torque converter from the wheels so that they have no additional resistance to moving with the ice & allowing you to re-establish traction as quickly as possible..... at least for steering purposes (if you don't also have enough traction to apply braking).
As a wisconsinite who has to deal with snow and ice every year this video reminds me how lucky i am because we have so many companies who work overtime to keep our roads dry. Im thankful that I live in a place thats at least well equipped for the season
Live in Austin, a bit north of Houston here. I don't leave the house if it's below 32. These people can't drive worth crap on a normal sunny day, let alone icy roads. I figure they think "Boy this weather is slowing me down, I better speed up to make up time."
This reminds me of driving on ice over forty years ago in a car that I did not know was equipped with ABS Brakes and instead of being hit head on by a out of control Semi Truck that skidded into oncoming traffic I was able to steer out of the way while applying the Brakes and it was a pleasant surprise !
Texas gets a lot of icy roads, particularly overpasses, and when the drivers hit the overpass its kind of frightening how quickly things go sideways. Pretty amazing collection of close calls.
Perfect example of why to keep your wheels turning by not OVERAPPLYING BRAKES. Even those that came in hot were able ti recover with gentle counter steer and no pedal input.
the tech saved a few of them
many got lucky and made it to the end of the bridge first
It's best to make no sudden changes to the vehicle's motion or the tires' motion. Just roll through it. It you have to brake to avoid another vehicle, you were probably too close to begin with.
it was their anti-lock brakes not their driving skills
@@richardsteiner8992Texans don’t know that 😭 let alone to just drive slower in these conditions to begin with.
1:10 that driver and the one in the clip right after were so lucky they had modern traction control
That's what I just commented. Pretty impressive how well it worked for them here!
Thanks for sharing! 👍
Imagine the damage and maybe also injured people without ESC. A lot of people underestimate such conditions.
They drive fast in Houston and over Texas
one of the problem is that drivers in Texas simply don't want to slow down they are so use to driving fast and when there is snow ice sleet you name it well guess what
The guy walking at the end got me good. Thanks for sharing
So many people hitting their brakes!
Why?????????
Don’t hit your brakes on ice.
Condolences to all the motorists that lost their lives amid Monday night’s winter storm. I was told there were ‘Multiple Fatalities’ in Bedford County VA alone.
without traction control/abs these guys would be so -uhm - unlucky.
Great driving ! Keep up the speed !
Pro tip; if driving a pickup truck get a square hay bale, secure it against the tailgate and pour water on it and let it freeze. Do this until the haybale is a solid chunk of ice and hay. Weight = traction.
Load about 10 bags of play sand into the back. The sand comes in handy if you loose traction between hills
And sand can be bought at most any hardware store
4 or 6 of the large concrete sidewalk blocks work well too
thanks for the comment i have a Toyota 4 wd truck and even with 4 wheel drive i drive very slowing while other are passing me like i am sitting still go figure
For a car: Use bags of sand or salt for traction and grip if you get stuck
@@allanc3655Your suggestion is by far the best option.
Not all those drivers seem to be driving erratically. Many are too fast, but even slow vehicles are sliding to their left. Is there a slope to that bridge?
its an overpass so thas where all the ice is sitting
brakes cause 90% loss of control. just let up on gas pedal steer lightly.
Yes.
Yes....and the ice an change in seconds. A one degree drop within a mile is all it takes.
You can slide even with tiny application of brakes. That’s why you go slow in icy conditions - you let off the gas, not brake.
Good drivers who regain control after a slide without collision make this so satisfying to watch! Kudos!👏🏼
A lot of close calls too😬
Technology
Good drivers were not on the road yesterday if they didn't need to be and were not using overpasses if they were out. Depending on the speed and other factors, there is not always a way to regain control when sliding on ice. Most of these people are on all season tires which are not ideal for this.
Yup, kept a lot of people from crashing. Anti Lock Brakes are amazing.@@kennewman3497
It looks like they were already sliding. Some pretty good saves! 😮
I don't understand "why some of those drivers were driving so fast" in icy conditions!! My Goodness!!!
See that Brinks truck? That was some cold hard cash right there!!!
This what the sign "Bridge freezes before road" warns you for. Note when they make it across they straighten out. Some good saves especially the BMW that stopped trying to counter and sent it other way.
A life is more valuable than reaching to work on time, so do not speed!
Im going to give ya props Houston… a lot of good saves and the SMART blinker drivers… ya showed out lol
I cant believe how fast some of those people are driving!
1:20
Wow, excellent stability control in that Toyota! Look at it stop the pendulum effect by braking the inside rear wheel...fortunate that there was traction at that spot, though
Made in Japan dude, thank you
Perfect example that people need to learn, “Patience is a virtue”.
Or just leave early they’ve been saying ice and freezing rain for some southern regions but I guess no one listens to
PEOPLE BE CAREFULL OUT THERE.😊❤❤❤❤❤❤
Do not hit the brakes when sliding
This isn't nearly as bad as some I've seen. Many of the cars don't appear to be going that fast, yet they start sliding and then suddenly the tires grip on the dry patches of pavement.
This video is the far end of an overpass. They lose control and head for disaster then reach the end of the overpass where they regain grip.
Crazy weather for Houston. Looks like everyday weather here from November to March.🇨🇦
Lol most of the semi's just chilling like "Bet yall wish you weighed 20 tons huh!!!"
Problem is people are driving too fast in these Trucks and SUVs thinking that because they have AWD, their cars are invincible to ice and snow on the roads.
some people are idiots the guy with the commercials truck with small crane and a trailer is going to fast for condition if I was his boss he will be sitting at home for 2 weeks
I don’t know why but
watching these are relaxing 😂
Some great saves in this video
Wow - I’m in shock. This is nothing, I’m from Chicago. Still, most are driving like idiots.
Edit: why didn’t they put any salt down?
The city probably doesn't have the equipment to put it out. You gotta remember our energy grid wasn't even designed to withstand freezing temps which is why we had all those outages in 2021. Although so far haven't had any outages where I live this year 😃
cause "lone star" describes how smart they are in Texas
That’s what I’m thinking! I’m from Chicago too but I have family in Houston. This is crazy but I’m glad no one is seriously hurt. When someone is spinning out of control I like how others slow down or stop. Where are the salt trucks????
Texas: ice? ...like what I put in my drink?
also Texas: salt? ...like what I put on my steak?
I'm guessing the municipalities may have no salting equipment at all, since they get snow & ice so rarely.
So many people driving who are too stupid to simply just slow down.
one of the problem is that drivers in Texas simply don't want to slow down they are so use to driving fast and when there is snow ice sleet you name it well guess what
Good save at the end there!
Some of the drivers were able to manage the situation very well...
Some people should take a few driving courses, and some should not have a license.
Sure ok.
uh?!
I feel for these people. I'm born and raised in Buffalo and still live in the NE, so I know how to drive in bad weather - but ice is a different animal, especially on a bridge, obviously. These people most likely only encounter this a few times every twenty years. I sympathize.
Same here in the middle of the country. I have driven in bad weather like heavy snowstorms or torrential downpours and sometimes in some ill equipped/handling vehicles many years ago.. and I have never really had any major issues as long as you pay attention, take your time and know the feel of your vehicle.
But ice is a whole different ballgame even when you get a thin little glaze you can't really see.. those people there are just not used to it. It looks as though more than a few of them have never driven in it and you can tell some of the ones creeping along probably have before and know better.
I see ice forming out there I get in and stay in.
Rule no. 1 - when you lose traction, don't brake! Take your foot off the gas! Rule no. 2 - try not to drive along side of other vehicles in case somebody skids. ☮️
ABS /TCS/ESC works. This is a pretty clear display of that. It's kinda beautiful.
For a second I thought the first shot with the red truck was the same one I drove past on 59 North near Humble. Didn't know you made it to my neck of the woods lol.
Always entertaining to watch Texans try to drive on snow or ice. ditto for all of Dixie.
one of the problem is that drivers in Texas simply don't want to slow down they are so use to driving fast and when there is snow ice sleet you name it well guess what
We are not “dixie”, as you say. Have a wonderful day!
We aren't allowed chains on our tires.
In Florida, driving with the hazard flashers on will get you a citation.
@PapiDoesIt. Police presence in Houston is pretty sparse to be honest with you
no offense but if your trying to do the right thing and have your flasher on why would you get a citation for that
...nobody uses Florida as a standard... ...for good reason.
Yeah, if that one FHP actually needs to make quotas.
Were there any pre-warning information of the ice on the bridge
good video
What you doing out in that mess anyway?
"Hey dude, it might be icy". "No problem man, I'll just drive faster and follow more closely than my usual tailgating. Seems to be the right thing to do to me!"
If you go fast, the inertia should carry you past the ice patch!
Those were some smooth saves 😉
Beautiful weather here in California!😎
Gotta admire the confidence of some of these bozos.
Some people are idiots
😆😆😁😁😁😄
Glad everyone is okay
This is so fun to watch
Video should be called morons on ice
😆😆😁😁
I don't drive on bad weather days I stay at home and pray for the people that do have to go out .
Did the guy running across the road make it in one piece? I was on Barker Cypress and hit a small patch going over 290. Felt the wheels slip just a bit.
My daily dose of driving entertainment
Despite their error in going too fast, likely not used to the ice in Texas, many of these drivers did do a good job of not overcorrecting and making it worse. I’ve seen plenty of these vids go the other way
That BMW recovered smoothly lol
Lots of good recoveries.
Impressive saves
As a trucker I'm so tired of seeing no one knowing how to drive on ice correctly.... some people know how to drive on ice but obviously most people don't and those are the ones who get the roads shut down. If you loose traction turn into the direction of the spin then "turn slowly back opposite of the spin" to regain traction on ur steers. Don't panic and don't mess with the brakes too much. If you don't know what it feels like to loose control on the ice then I'd suggest practicing in an empty super icy parking lot or at least that's how I became pro at ice driving. Practice controlling the slide without freaking out. When it comes to ice your going to slide no matter what but don't freak out and leave your brakes alone while trying to regain control because if you freak out and slam on your brakes you are not going to stop any faster but rather just slide out of control while not only risking your own life but the lives of everyone else around you. Ice driving is super easy if you just do it right. I've passed hundreds of vehicles off the roads who slid off the road in just 1 day because of people not driving on the ice correctly. Within the 1st second of starting to slide out of control via "black ice" my mind instantly picks it up and it's usually corrected in less than 1 second or in about a 1/2 second and I keep driving. Don't think just because you might drive slow you can avoid sliding. There is no avoiding the slide but you must learn to control any amount of sliding which may come your way. I've never slid off the road even in the most untreated dangerous icy conditions. Learn the limits of the vehicle your driving and master control of that vehicle on the ice via empty parking lot practice but practice is key to perfection.
I know taking advice from a Yankee isn’t always preferred. In this case though I can help. A tow truck driver in New Hampshire told me years ago to put your vehicle into neutral if you ever start to skid. It makes your car or truck dead weight and takes the power off the wheels. As soon as it’s in neutral then use your brakes (don’t lock them up). You’ll have full steering then slowing down put car back in drive. Could save your life and your ride.
wow, the recovery maneuvers on some of these are kind of impressive. Houstonians and icy roads don't mix, so I am surprised this didn't end up in a 40-car pile-up.
Are snow tires doing any good on these roads?
I'm very curious how fast the fastest of these cars were going. Could they be going around 50 or 60 mph in those conditions?
White lines are 10 feet spaced 30 so can count it off.
This is a very entertaining video to watch. Let’s see more.
So many people going way too fast for the dangerous weather conditions!!! Hope they learned from this!! 😮
The number of people blaming driving too fast for those losing control is funny given it will be attempting to slow down that actually caused it. Many were driving at a reasonable speed but braked, then started sliding. Try to brake too hard from walking pace and you'll slide, so if that indicates walking pace is too fast then all bridges should be completely closed when they ice over surely, if speed is the whole problem?
If you look far enough down the road you can slow for stuff without needing to touch the brakes. If you don't touch the brakes and are gentle with steering inputs you could cruise across patches of ice without completely losing control. Very light acceleration can help by just maintaining balance by maintaining speed, providing previous actions didn't cause driven wheels to break traction/spin. You could even get across ice without realising you were on it, besides a lack of road noise. Maintaining this light acceleration in curves will prevent lift-off oversteer from the slight weight transfer towards the front of the car that this causes, and that icy conditions can exacerbate. Get your speed right before arriving at curves and tighter corners and you'll be much less likely to lose control in them. Pulling on the steering wheel to initiate a turn can be smoother than pushing it, eg pulling down with your left hand to turn left instead of pushing up with your right. Jerky steering inputs can also destabablise the vehicle. These are a couple of examples of 'Roadcraft' techniques that are far more detailed and very much worth looking into. They're talked about with a UK focus quite often, but the techniques are applicable everywhere, it just might be a bigger jump up in skill for some from that country's basic driving test(s).
Do you mind me asking the model of the drone? Great video!
Hilarious video!!
There are often signs in Canada warning that a bridge will freeze before a road.
This looks like my commute home yesterday
Wow thanks for the catch. I am now a subscriber and tell people to slow it down and arrive alive 😅
I visited that place last summer...... looking like a typical day from my experience!😳😳😥 They do drive different in Texas.
Steer into the skid folks! Saw some good saves.
4:48 anyone happy that the miata was being a good example?
Most SUVs and Trucks are the first ones to slide off, I am surprised they didn't closed out the bridge. Usually they close all the lanes one there is a bumper to bumper incident
they were having fun
nice
I have never driven in these conditions, recently I wanted to move to Calgary, Alberta, Canada and was this exact reason why I didn’t move there. Could someone who knows and has experience in this tricky driving conditions reply to me and explain how to do it safely? Thanks
From Northeast US: snow tires, drive SLOW, Don't! touch brakes, downshift, turn wheel direction you want to go when sliding
Dan, TX driving is a whole universe from WV driving, isn’t it?
unbelievable icy roads and people still running fast