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Most of the country has had a large amount of snow over the past couple of weeks and driving conditions have been poor at best, so why is it that some people are just so bad at adapting their driving to the conditions? Driving in snow and icy weather requires different skills and more concentration than driving in normal weather.
Going to work over the last couple of days I've encountered numerous drivers that don't have their lights on in poor lighting conditions, are driving too fast in icy weather. But one of the worst things I have seen are the number of people that take their car out without clearing their windows and lights properly. This is quite beyond me! It only takes about 10 -15 minutes extra of a morning to do this so why do people risk theirs and others safety by not giving themselves adequate visibility?
icy weather brings out the worst in some drvers
This morning on the way to work a car pulled out in front of me (bad enough in dry conditions but near suicidal in ice and snow) on an island because his drivers window wasn't fully cleared which meant that he couldn't safely judge the speed or distance of my car coming onto the island. Judging the state of his car I'd say he'd jumped in, turned the ignition and started off, hoping that his heater and wipers would do the necessary on route. Stupid or what?
There are plenty of bad drivers about with normal road conditions and I'm not implying that I'm a better driver than anyone else, but snowy or icy weather seems to bring out the worst in some drivers. Is it really worth the risk just to avoid being late for work by 10 or 15 minutes?
By: fesant plucka
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There's been a lot of TV reports in the last few days of "chaos on the roads". I've noticed a fair few pics / videos showing 4x4's lying upside down in ditches....not as safe as some (just some) of their drivers think they are.
09/02/12 Weston Babe
-3
So it's winter at last. And don't we know!! Apparently the taxpayer funded Met Office think that advertising "amber warnings" are going to make sure everyone knows it's a bit bloody nippy outside. And seeing as there is nothing to talk about in the news, it's making front pages!
I remember when you just got up and got on with it. Snow, rain, ice minus ten, you got a coat on, turned up the heating, and that was that. Winter was here.
Now I cannot even turn on the radio without some report of a near crisis because we've got some winter weather. The country needs to get a grip!!
06/02/12 Anderson C
I remember when you just got up and got on with it. Snow, rain, ice minus ten, you got a coat on, turned up the heating, and that was that. Winter was here.
Now I cannot even turn on the radio without some report of a near crisis because we've got some winter weather. The country needs to get a grip!!
8
My insurance company wanted an extra £150 if I put snow tyres on due to it being classed as a modification. Figure that one
01/06/11 Loud man
0
'Digsy' seems to believe that simply because a problem does not exist at the moment then a debate which is currently discussing such subjects as driver training, equipment and techniques for use on snow and ice is unnecessary.
Curious logic, one must say.
14/01/11 Congo
Curious logic, one must say.
4
Congo, the snow and ice problems ended more than two weeks ago, there really is no point in going on and on about it any more.
12/01/11 Digsy
-13
I think the best advice I can give to anyone who drives in the winter, is to assume that none of the roads have been gritted. Even after salt has been put on the road, it can be a few hours before it takes real effect and at temperatures below -6c, it has far less effect - it really isn't a magic potion that works instantly. Another thing for winter novices to remember, is that if a road has well below zero for days, even if the air temperature rises to above freezing, that road will still be frozen for another few days. If you take an ice cube out of the freezer and leave it in a cool room, it doesn't just disappear instantly, it might take all day to melt. I've come across many an accident where the driver has said that the car thermometer has read +4 or more and spun the car on an icy stretch. Maybe it's time that U.K. drivers were forced to have their cars prepared for winter as in some countries in Europe. It wouldn't stop the idiots from having accidents, but it might help the more cautious. When I lived in the country, I didn't mind driving on snowy roads because I knew that almost everyone could drive well in those conditions, but now I live in the city, going out in the winter scares the hell out of me because I see so much very dangerous driving, with driver relying on ABS, traction control, thermometers etc and not common sense and experience. Every winter I carry a shovel, sleeping bag, torch, a bag of salt/grit mix and a few bits of old blankets to put under the wheels if I have to. I just wish that I could get some decent snow/mud tryes that were the correct speed rating for my car, but my local tyre place say that it's not possible - I'm sure they're wrong.
12/01/11 Weston Babe
1
Weston Babe
Good advice indeed and one couldn't agree more with your comments concerning the inadequacies of some drivers of four wheel drive vehicles. Traction with all wheels driven may indeed be better however braking performance, especially of the largerlarge Land Rover type vehicles on ice is an entirely different matter.
It has to be said that females in general are incapable of driving with finesse although Congo will admit there are exceptions.
12/01/11 Congo
Good advice indeed and one couldn't agree more with your comments concerning the inadequacies of some drivers of four wheel drive vehicles. Traction with all wheels driven may indeed be better however braking performance, especially of the largerlarge Land Rover type vehicles on ice is an entirely different matter.
It has to be said that females in general are incapable of driving with finesse although Congo will admit there are exceptions.
-15
Snow seems to bring out the worst traits in all types of drivers. The speedo morons keep pumping their gas pedals; usually you end up catching them up 5 miles down the road, car sitting on its roof, bandages applied to their big fat bufoon heads as they stumble into the back of an ambulance. Then you get the ultra cautious "people carrier" brigade who want to take an hour to drive each mile; they probably dream of the day when all cars will be wrapped in cotton wool, speed limited to 15 mph and run on carrot juice.
11/01/11 Mr Magica
-9
Hello Congo, I know exactly what you're talking about, but I was trying to simplify things for those who have little or no experience of snow/ice driving. Despite the daft name (not chosen by me), I'm a bloke who lived and worked in rural North-East England for over 40 years and had to drive on snowy roads every winter. As you know, drivers must be able to have a "feel" for the car and the road, don't brake unless you plan to stop, "feather" the throttle, get to know by sight and feel what is icy and what isn't, keep your distance, think well ahead and don't panic. All I was trying to say was that big powerful 4x4's are not necessarily better than a good front wheel drive diesel with loads of low end torque and winter tyres. I have diesel Skoda and never have any bother driving around the city where I now live - I leave the drive and set off on tickover until I'm moving. The woman nearby, with her Landrover Discovery, sits spinning the wheels and sliding everywhere. I was talking to her one day, and she didn't even know what diff-locks were. Incidentally, my best car for snow was a little Toyota Tercel 4x4 with narrowish tyres, good clearance and you could lock all 3 diffs (no silly limited-slip diffs then) - absolutely brilliant, but would ahve been better with a diesel engine. I saw lots of them in Greenland this year.
17/12/10 Weston Babe
-3
dk - I have no idea why you suddenly brought up the subject of the partially sighted on a thread about driving but why shouldn't the visually impaired go out when it is snowing? This weather might last for weeks. Do you think the paritally sighted don't have to get to work or visit friends or go shopping for food like everyone else?
02/12/10 anonymous
-5
Weston Baba
There is a pedal on the right hand side of the footwell, known as an accelerator or 'gas pedal'.
Light pressure would enable you to drive more easily in snow and ice. Pushing it to the floor will not.
Hope this helps.
02/12/10 Congo
There is a pedal on the right hand side of the footwell, known as an accelerator or 'gas pedal'.
Light pressure would enable you to drive more easily in snow and ice. Pushing it to the floor will not.
Hope this helps.
26
In the current snowy weather, people are tramping wet and melting snow into shops and public buildings, the response is usually a "Caution Wet Floor" sign.But frankly, what is the point? The floor is still wet, that is rarely addressed, yet the sign is just an attempt to avoid any liability if someone slips and falls. To my mind it's an inadequate response, for example what if the customer is partially sighted, but follows the letter of Health & Safety regulations.
01/12/10 Timelord
1
If you buy the right tyres, such as winter or mud and slush tyres, you'll get pretty well anywhere in most cars. Of course diesel cars are better than petrol ones, having a greater torque at lower revs. I once had a company Land Rover and it had road tyres that would get 70,000 miles of use, but they had absolutely no grip in snow or ice, yet I drove a little Peugeot 205 diesel with all-weather tyres on and it would go almost anywhere except in deep snow. A few years later I drove an Audi 90 quattro and it was totally useless in the snow - it would slide from side to side - too much power and wrong tyres. A freind had a Porsche Carrera 4 and after his first trip out in light snow he refused to drive it in snow and drove his wife's fiesta instead - far too much power and far too wide tyres of the wrong type.
26/11/10 Weston Babe
-10
The first snow of winter. Time to close the Schools!
How is it that as soon as we get even the smallest fall of snow, hundreds of schools seem to close. It's not as if teachers dont get enough time off as it is. Everybody else seems to manage to get to work. The Police, Fire and Health services manage. The shops still open, transport still runs, the post still arrives.
I'm getting fed up of seeing teachers being interviewed on the news, trying to justify closing their schools whilst standing in less than an inch of snow. Ironically they seem to be able to get to school for the TV cameras.
As teachers they have a duty of care for the children. Everyone else makes the effort. Every day missed should be added to the end of term. In the words of my old teacher "Must try harder." Much harder.
26/11/10 Tony McGrumble
How is it that as soon as we get even the smallest fall of snow, hundreds of schools seem to close. It's not as if teachers dont get enough time off as it is. Everybody else seems to manage to get to work. The Police, Fire and Health services manage. The shops still open, transport still runs, the post still arrives.
I'm getting fed up of seeing teachers being interviewed on the news, trying to justify closing their schools whilst standing in less than an inch of snow. Ironically they seem to be able to get to school for the TV cameras.
As teachers they have a duty of care for the children. Everyone else makes the effort. Every day missed should be added to the end of term. In the words of my old teacher "Must try harder." Much harder.
0
Andy