Driving in snow

SiD the Turtle · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:37

Yikes took me nearly four hours to get 9 miles between Ascot and Slough. Nearly had to abandon it stuck at the bottom of a hill, but only because people were fighting and rushing to get up and down it and sliding down into ditches.

Waited an hour for all the muppets to finish sliding all over the place and took it nice and evenly up the hill. Had to stop half way to help a Mercedes up the brow of the hill, rear wheel drive for-the-lose.

One question though, on going down the next hill I almost fell off myself. No revs at all, the brakes were on but the car was sliding. Luckily enough I tapped the snow bank which bounced me back on to the road, but if the car has zero traction with the ground and you're in a slide, what do you do?

Freefaller · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:42

FFS people really need to know how to drive on the snow. I had to overtake a line of people spinning their wheels. Ok it was a pretty silly thing to do, but dammit it took me over 3hrs to get home (less than 6miles!)

Plus I really needed a pee!

Seriously though, it's really not that tough.

Disappointing that there were no gritters or any preparation.

M0T · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:45

Took me 4 hours to do 4 miles, car span 3 times, almost got hit by a lorry and several other vehicles. Saw about 9 abandoned buses and 1 crashed one.

This is what happens when the council fail to grit the roads.

Lashout_UK · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:45

SiD the Turtle said:
One question though, on going down the next hill I almost fell off myself. No revs at all, the brakes were on but the car was sliding. Luckily enough I tapped the snow bank which bounced me back on to the road, but if the car has zero traction with the ground and you're in a slide, what do you do?

I'd try releasing the brakes and maybe accelerating slightly, to shift the weight around a little and see if you can get some traction at front wheels.

Basically you want to keep the front wheels using all their grip to steer - so minimize what they are doing - i.e. brake and bleed off all speed before a corner, then use all available grip to steer whilst going through the corner.

Banny · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:52

Freefaller said:
FFS people really need to know how to drive on the snow. I had to overtake a line of people spinning their wheels. Ok it was a pretty silly thing to do, but dammit it took me over 3hrs to get home (less than 6miles!)

Plus I really needed a pee!

Seriously though, it's really not that tough.

Disappointing that there were no gritters or any preparation.

Your right but its the others you have to watch out for, especially when they are right on your bumper, feel better for leaving mine at least it is in one piece, dont really want to wreck the car this time of year, the bodyshops will be rubbing their hands with glee.

jaybee · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:52

My mate got stuck and had to abandon and walk home tonight. Car got stuck at foot of a hill. Road got shut after due to a bad accident. I left work at 4:45 and got home at 8:00. Bit of a nightmare some of those back roads. People with BMWs/Mercs mainly getting stuck. Anything RWD is a total nightmare. This one lady me and two other guys had to push her up this hill. We couldn't grip our shoes in the ice though so was like a comedy sketch of running on the spot behind her car whilst her car started crawling sideways. I swear I burnt my ABS out coming home. Tomorrow I'm working from home over VPN. S0d the roads again. Not worth it.

Princey · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:56

I think some people are making some stuff up here. Sure I've only been driving 5 years but we have heavy snow every year and I have never seen some of the chaos you guys are describing. It sounds so unbelievable and right out of a comedy film. Also my journey times have never been increased 10 fold either.

jaybee · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:57

Freefaller said:
FFS people really need to know how to drive on the snow. I had to overtake a line of people spinning their wheels. Ok it was a pretty silly thing to do, but dammit it took me over 3hrs to get home (less than 6miles!)

Plus I really needed a pee!

Seriously though, it's really not that tough.

Disappointing that there were no gritters or any preparation.

LOL freefaller. I had to park and take a wee in a bush. Everyone knew what I was doing but god I needed one. I also saw some 4x4s (obviously the Mums had phoned said Husbands to learn how to turn the 4 wheel drive ON

) overtaking a long line of cars stuck on hills. The problem is, it's a bit dangerous whilst other cars are coming down the hill towards you locked up/ABS being rinsed and people are going up the hill in RWD cars with the arse waving about. Also going off the "Racing line" of the main road to the middle means more ice and less traction. I saw some people attempt overtakes only to get stuck and end up level with me. Doh. Total chaos.

Freefaller · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:57

Come down to SE London - all the tools live here!

jaybee · 21 Dec 2009 at 20:58

Princey said:
I think some people are making some stuff up here. Sure I've only been driving 5 years but we have heavy snow every year and I have never seen some of the chaos you guys are describing. It sounds so unbelievable and right out of a comedy film. Also my journey times have never been increased 10 fold either.

Where do you live? I'm surrey/hampshire/berkshire and it was a total nightmare. I haven't made anything up. Roads were literally an ice rink in places.

My mate parked his 320d up in a lay by and walked home through woods.

Lashout_UK · 21 Dec 2009 at 21:01

You've only got to be in the right (wrong?) place at the right time for it to descend into total chaos!

I remember it taking me and my dad 3 hours to do a 40 minute drive about 7 years ago, around Luton. Everyone was crawling, slipping and sliding away...

Banny · 21 Dec 2009 at 21:01

not at all I have been driving since I was 18, 42 now so lots of experience, I came home on train got to Winchfield, there is a steep hill I helped push at least 6 cars up it.
You come down here and see for yourself.

mjt · 21 Dec 2009 at 21:03

freefaller - what are you driving these days?

Princey · 21 Dec 2009 at 21:03

jaybee said:
Where do you live? I'm surrey/hampshire/berkshire and it was a total nightmare. I haven't made anything up. Roads were literally an ice rink in places.

My mate parked his 320d up in a lay by and walked home through woods.

I'm sure you aren't and its not aimed at anyone in particular but people describing car ping pong and the people that are saying stuff like ' OMG my car span 1080 degrees 6 times and then I had to avoid an upside bus while trying to bring the back end in!'. I'm sure its chaos down there but I suspect some slight exaggeration.

mjt · 21 Dec 2009 at 21:04

i spun like 20 times!
but then i was doing donuts..

Simon · 21 Dec 2009 at 21:49

How to drift :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewxrNSOKFow

Steedie · 21 Dec 2009 at 21:52

Simon said:
How to drift :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewxrNSOKFow

Incredible! :eek:

Freefaller · 21 Dec 2009 at 21:53

mjt said:
freefaller - what are you driving these days?

Just a 147 Lusso - had I been in the mx5 I might have been in a bit more trouble

However I have winter tyres on at the moment which probably helps.

Whilst overtaking queues of people not making progress isn't very sensible (though I didn't encroach on the other side of the road - the roads are wide at the point where I did it), it was necessary as I was getting fed up with no making progress when it isn't that taxing to get up a snowy hill.

The smell of clutch was thick this evening though!!! :eek:

bledd · 21 Dec 2009 at 22:14

Need to drive to Cardiff and back on the 23rd

Going to take the 1.2 Corsa in case some moron crashes into me

Sirrel Squirrel · 21 Dec 2009 at 22:33

I've been sitting in the pub for the last 3 hours watching all the cars and vans struggling to drive up a hill, the BMs and Mercs have been having the hardest time lol