I understood that Bubble, I should have been clearer, in saying that I don't think anyone should second guess a driver's decision to use ECD, asserting that the driver, "just didn't want to go down the road today". Having driven over 200 miles a day for 31 years, on slick, often unplowed roads, I speak with some experience. It's like on Christmas eve, during the worst blizzard the area had experienced in over 50 years, I called a few customers, explaining the weather situation, seeing if I could leave some of the very rural deliveries in one of the little towns with a close relative. I called this one guy, I had a box of cattle ear tags for him, and he said, "oh, i think the road is passable". I couldn't help laughing, I had been on the Interstate until they closed it, and then I had gotten off onto dirt roads with 6 inches of blowing snow, trying to make it to one of my little towns. After some discussion we decided I could leave it at his uncle's.
My point is, almost any road is passable if that is the only stop that I have to go to during a snowstorm. Additionally, some drivers abilities and experience make them less able to drive safely in very slick circumstances. Some drivers don't want to take unnecessary chances. As Clint would say, a man needs to know his limitations.