Survey: Washington drivers feel comfortable in snow
February 23, 2011
By Warren Kagarise
NEW — 7 p.m. Feb. 23, 2011
Surprise — not all Evergreen State drivers react to snowstorms like the First Snowflake Freakout Lady in the droll PEMCO Insurance spot.
The insurer polled Washington drivers and discovered 58 percent of respondents feel comfortable driving in the snow, and another 58 percent of respondents claimed to be safer than other drivers in snowy conditions.
Only 16 percent of the 606 respondents in the survey admitted to significant concern behind the wheel in snowy conditions.
PEMCO released the survey results Wednesday, as meteorologists predicted a drubbing for the Puget Sound region from a significant snowstorm.
“We were surprised so many Washington drivers feel comfortable driving in the snow,” PEMCO spokesman Jon Osterberg said. “We assumed lots of Western Washington drivers would relate to First Snowflake Freakout Lady, but apparently they’re as comfortable in the snow as their Eastern Washington neighbors. Go figure.”
First Snowflake Freakout Lady tends to abandon a four-wheel drive vehicle at the slightest hint of snow and carries a superfluous array of emergency preparedness tools, such as tire chains, flares and bushels of sand.
In survey responses, 77 percent of men and 45 percent of women said they feel comfortable driving in the snow.
PEMCO commissioned the independent survey to ask Washington drivers several questions about driving habits and attitudes about Northwest issues.
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I am from here, and the snow has never bothered me. It is always the other 42% who drive far too fast for the conditions and tailgate.
Of course, driving too fast for conditions and tailgating are not unique to snow.
Comfortable is one thing and capable is another.