Black ice and the Range Rover driver

Walking my son to the kindergarten bus stop this morning, the ground was so slippery that even my miniature Schnauzer was scrambling to stay upright. He reminded me of Willy the Coyote not being able to stop running after chasing Beep Beep the bird.

Then, I saw her, the fur-clad woman driving a silver Ranger Rover. She sped down the hill going at least 60 kilometers an hour, seemingly unaware of the dangerous conditions.

Our street is a one-lane country road with no sidewalks, and the speed limit is 40 kilometers an hour. Even though it's a private road, many non-residents use it because they see it as a shortcut. It is a road that is frequented by dozens of primary school children walking or on bicycles as well as contractors speeding by, apparently late for their appointments.

"She nearly crashed into me," said the van driver, whose face was still white from the incident. "If I hadn't backed up in time, she would have slid right into me."

The truth is that all cars are dangerous on black ice, not just the heavy Range Rovers. What I think is really dangerous are clueless drivers. These are the ones who park their cars in heated underground garages and who haven't tested the condition of the roads with their own feet. These are drivers who think that just because they operate a four-wheel-drive, they can speed with impunity.

If your Subaru Justy has a head-on collision with a Range Rover, it's pretty clear who will come out in one piece.