Just to note...
When I said, "I'm afraid to drive..."
I was just trying to make an attention grabbing and interesting headline.

I'm not really "AFRAID" to drive.
I am however highly concerned about getting another chip in the windshield and having to go through the whole PIA process again.

Really, it's more about why do cities in relatively temperate areas, where they know the forecast is that the snow will melt off in less than 24 hours, dump so much damn gravel down?
Maybe it helps for the first 3-8 hours, when most people aren't even out driving-or shouldn't be at all. Then it rapidly just becomes an mess that causes damage and needs to be cleaned up.

 

Great. Making clickbait.

 

Would you of read it if I had titled it...Rock Chips Are Bad?

I'm afraid to drive...
Get's people in the door. Whether they stay?....

 

Here, in the winter, they use a mixture of sand and salt for the roads.
A few years back, they would spread it only on curves and intersections when the roads were ice or snow covered.
The last few years they've started spreading it on all sections of the roads...straightaways, curves, stops.
I don't know why they changed their procedure, but it seems to me if a driver can't control their car on a straight section of road...they shouldn't be driving.

 

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I suppose these measures make things safer, so I can't REALLY argue against them.
I just don't like the week or so, after a storm, when I have to cross my fingers every time I take to the highway.

 

You've presented a common problem that many of us encounter in the great white North, as well as the associated frustration and some potential solutions.

The only thing I don't agree with is that you made the Fit appear to be more prone to this shit than other cars, which is absolutely not the case. I do agree that the paint quality on the Fit is poor and it chips very easily on the hood and cracks on the roof, which annoys me greatly.
But ALL cars & trucks of ALL shapes & sizes get chipped hoods & cracked windshields under these conditions. I see it happen to the trucks & SUVs at work too.
Both my dad and a friend from work have '08 and '07 silver Camry's with cracked windshields from 'winter stones'. Should we start creating a theory now that all silver Camry's from '07-'08 are prone to windshield failure due to various aerodynamic reasons? Or start a pitchfork riot against city officials for such barbaric winter road conditions?

It is what it is and the sooner that you can accept that, the better off you will be.

No matter how you slice it, there is no perfect solution.
* Taking the bus sucks big time, especially in the winter months.
* Renting a car will end up costing you a lot per winter, year after year.
* Buying a winter beater car will also end up costing you in insurance, maintenance & repairs, winterizing/storing the Fit, etc. Plus with an old beater you will likely give up the added safety features of extra air bags, ABS brakes and electronic stability control.
* Your best bet is to keep on happily driving your Fit through hell and back. Take those battle scars like a man and be proud of them.
* Or you can move to a permanently winter-free location.

I agree that $18,000 is a lot of money, but that's still cheap compared to the average car price in the US (approx $30,000). And it's super cheap in maintenance & repairs vs. the average Chevy, Ford, Jeep & VW money pits.

 

So pretty much the definition of melodramatic? Got it now...