Driving in snow

Shoei · 23 Dec 2009 at 22:56

EvilDreams said:
I don't know what it is with taxi drivers and 4x4s, do they have magic brakes or something? Both were sitting right up my trumpet yesterday in the snow/slush and I saw one BMW 4x4 zoom past me at 50 (everyone else was doing 25) and then barge into the roundabout queue. Hopefully he froze to death overnight, upside down in his 4x4 in a ditch.

Ive been driving sensibly in the CRV(namely due to it being the wifes car and a large chunk of metal if it hit anything!)
Having an office thats on a minor road that didnt see any gritter till it was too late, the chelsea tractor finally proved usefull.
Taxi was just being a muppet, in a rush as per usual.

cooljimy84 · 23 Dec 2009 at 23:47

Biohazard said:
are studded tyres legal?

i've been told many times no.... but if u've got them and the cops haven't how will they catch u ?!?

Gaygle · 23 Dec 2009 at 23:55

EvilDreams said:
I don't know what it is with taxi drivers and 4x4s, do they have magic brakes or something? Both were sitting right up my trumpet yesterday in the snow/slush and I saw one BMW 4x4 zoom past me at 50 (everyone else was doing 25) and then barge into the roundabout queue. Hopefully he froze to death overnight, upside down in his 4x4 in a ditch.

Tell me about it!

4x4's seem to think that the laws of physics don't seem to apply to them? The amount of times i've had to pull over and let one go, because they were sitting on my bumper, is beggars belief.

Clarkey · 24 Dec 2009 at 00:23

We finally got some proper snow here this evening, went out to give it a whirl. Snow should be illegal, too much fun, sideways everywhere

ironman · 24 Dec 2009 at 02:29

Here is my first go at making a video!

ps. ignore the chortling mate behind the cam

Scania · 24 Dec 2009 at 06:04

mjt said:
given the amount of outlay needed for the relatively short annual period of snow, i suspect you'd prefer to have good service in other sectors with the level of tax you pay now, rather than a reduced service in other sectors and/or increased council tax.

I think we pay an absurd rate for council tax and get a relatively poor return for our money.

Plenty of councils around the country have simply been caught out by not gritting in the middle of winter when poor weather has been across Europe & heading this way.

Were they prepared? Nope not at all.

Do we get value for money? Imo, No.

benneh · 24 Dec 2009 at 08:03

iaind said:
What happened?

I was pulling a weird right/left onto a shop car park, you have to go part way down a hill (the north facing road) to turn into the shop forefront because it's the only place where the curb's dropped. The image doesn't show it but as you turn off the main road there's a negative camber leading to a little hill/slope. I was going so slowly too, the conditions were really bad, maybe 5-7mph, it just let go, gained a bit of momentum and pranged a 4x4, not much damage to the 4x4 rly, a new rear bumper I would imagine, mine's a bit mangled though.

All in all, a whole heap of fun to be had out there in the snow, but be careful!.

Steedie · 24 Dec 2009 at 08:22

Quite funny last night, going about 40 down a NSL road to pick my mate up from his work do about 12:30am

Saw the turning for the hotel, started braking well before, but just wouldn't slow down

ABS was going mental and I could do nothing but watch the turning go by me as I carried on sliding down the road for what felt like about 200 meters, I had to reverse all the way back up the road

Shoei · 24 Dec 2009 at 08:36

Snowed again last night, making it fun this morning.
Why do some people think that redlining the car in first gear will get up a hill thats covered in snow on top of ice.
Waited for the woman to finish "disco dancing" the front of her car then just drove past nice and gently. Could see her looking out the window with one of those deadly jealous looks that women have!

Scania · 24 Dec 2009 at 09:02

Shoei said:
Snowed again last night, making it fun this morning.
Why do some people think that redlining the car in first gear will get up a hill thats covered in snow on top of ice.
Waited for the woman to finish "disco dancing" the front of her car then just drove past nice and gently. Could see her looking out the window with one of those deadly jealous looks that women have!

I have had similar experiences passing "stranded" cars in my articulated truck - not the best vehicle in snow! - simply, a lot of people have no clue how to drive, they merely operate their vehicle as they would any other domestic appliance, i.e. with little or no thought and certainly no common sense.

dannyjo22 · 24 Dec 2009 at 09:04

What gets on my bits is the tools that think they can go as fast as they like because they have a 4x4. It does nothing for them when they need to stop in a hurry though.

I nipped to the butchers yesterday and travelling down an A road that looked clear, I was being carefull leaving a massive gap to the car infront. Lightly touched the brake and the car started sliding.

I took another 10 mile an hour off my speed, the tool behind me must have seen me sliding yet as I slowed he decided to sit on my bumper instead.

Banny · 24 Dec 2009 at 09:08

Yeah thats makes me sick, why do they do it, the next day my mate took me to retrieve my car, had some prat with a big Jag come flying up behind up and sit on the bumper, roads where still bad at the time.

dannyjo22 · 24 Dec 2009 at 09:29

Banny said:
Yeah thats makes me sick, why do they do it, the next day my mate took me to retrieve my car, had some prat with a big Jag come flying up behind up and sit on the bumper, roads where still bad at the time.

People see the road looks as clear as the motorway and totally ignore that it maybe icy. I saw some of the most dangerous driving I've ever seen this winter. All the cars carefully trying to get home on sunday doing around 35-40 on an A road. Some gimp over took a line of about 20 cars part of which on a blind bend.

He then just moved up to the next line of cars 100 metres further on and sat there for 6 miles.

For me this weather has been much worse than febuary because the temps wont go up to melt the ice even though it's not snowed in days.

AmDaMan · 24 Dec 2009 at 09:57

Came into work sideways today and did a few donuts in the carpark

merlin · 24 Dec 2009 at 09:58

AmDaMan said:
Came into work sideways today and did a few donuts in the carpark

You'll get fat.

Steedie · 24 Dec 2009 at 10:00

This might be a ridiculously silly question and I could look like a right loleggface but...

Say you go in an empty car park on an icy night and do some handbrake turns and doughnuts, is that ilegal?

My friend was saying it wasn't, but I'm pretty sure it would be as it's not your property

Gooner14 · 24 Dec 2009 at 10:10

Looks like I have the 2nd White Z3M Coupe in the UK!

adam cool dude · 24 Dec 2009 at 10:13

dannyjo22 said:
What gets on my bits is the tools that think they can go as fast as they like because they have a 4x4. It does nothing for them when they need to stop in a hurry though.

I nipped to the butchers yesterday and travelling down an A road that looked clear, I was being carefull leaving a massive gap to the car infront. Lightly touched the brake and the car started sliding.

I took another 10 mile an hour off my speed, the tool behind me must have seen me sliding yet as I slowed he decided to sit on my bumper instead.

same thing happened to me yesterday. me and the missus was coming back from the odeon after seeing avatar and some tool was sitting behind me in his suzuki 4x4 flashing his lights and sitting on my bumper despite the fact it had started snowing again and on that stretch of road there was 3 (no joke) cars in ditches. one of them i personally see go off on the way to the cinema. i ended up pulling over and letting him past. suffice to say about five minutes up the road i see said 4x4 in a ditch also.

Moeks · 24 Dec 2009 at 10:44

Peerzy said:
I'm in Surrey (Have driven Woking and Guildford over the last two days) and the main roads are fine. Wet and a tiny bit of ice here and there but nothing major. it's residentual and private roads you want to worry about.

Can't see you having too much trouble on the M25/M40 but there will be heavy traffic due to everyone driving much slower.

If the hill is a normal A road that's used regularly by cars I can't see you having a problem. There is a very steep hill near a local high street here that is part of a bus route and is used all the time and no issues getting up that.

Yea it was ok, some of the residential roads we had to use were quite bad, I think I'd have struggled in the Jag to get along one of them with a bend and a hill, but my sisters A4 handled it no problem.

I think I got lucky yesterdaty, no flight delays, no road delays, I must have found the gaps between them all and slipped through