If you cant drive in the snow, stay in doors! Arghhhhh

[Oddsocks]

So after much promise of the dam white stuff that no matter how much warning we get always brings the country to a standstill, this morning I woke up to about 3 inches of chaos and its still falling. Now I consider myself a pretty good driver and snow doesn’t faze me providing people drive with just a tea spoon of common sense,

Now I live in quite a hilly area, and no matter what our area is always standstill when it snows, but there is one rote that is always a safe bet at getting out and off to work, and longish back road about 1/2mile long, dead straight. You can sit and one end and see the other end which is where it joins the main A road out of our area, so its about as easy as you can have it to get out. A slight dip down and back up but if you show other road users a bit of courtesy you all get out fine.

So this morning I sit at the top of the road, can see about 8 cars in procession in front of me all making their way the same way I want to go, so I build up me 20/25mph of momentum and tag onto the cue.

Down my side – No Issues
Along the dip – No Issues
And just as I get almost to the top of the other side……


Some tit decides he wants to come down the dip causing me to pull over ON A HILL, nice one I am now stuck trying to pull away on a hill because he couldn’t wait for me to drive another 50 feet.

It was just a case of turning around, going back to the bottom of the dip and then getting another run at it, but the question is why if people have not got a clue how to drive in the snow do they venture out?

 

[Imurg]

Biggest problem is that "common sense" is anything but common.
It seems you're either loaded with it or completely lacking, there doesn't seem to be much middle ground.
We've only got an inch and its mayhem out there. Can't get my newbie learners out in this - if they hit the brake or gas too hard we're stuffed.

 

[clubchamp07]

Agreed, I just did the school run this morning. good lord why do men let their wives out in there cars in snow?
The woman infront of me must of thought there was 4 foot of the stuff. The road was clearly clear (gritted). I dont know where she lives but if she lives a bit from the school she will have to turn round again to go back a pick wee jimmy up.
There should be a law against people who cant drive in snow. They should add it into the driving test,

 

[Imurg]

There should be a law against people who cant drive in snow. They should add it into the driving test,

Hey -its hard enough getting a test time now (7-9 weeks). Imagine if they had to wait for winter to take them.
Anyway, good old H&S means the DSA wont take a test out if the roads are considered dodgy. They used to, I took mine in '83 in 2 inches of snow, but not now. Any chance of ice, fog or snow and they don't go. IF they did and the pupil crashed then the examiner would be in deep do-do's!!

 

[Oddsocks]

i would love to see skid pan sessions become part of the test. The biggest issue with snow is people abandoning their cars because they cant bloody drive them.

you should need to spend a minimum of 3 hours in a skid pan as part of your test.

I think i was just lucky enough that when i learnt to drive, i had a double lesson booked on a day we had major snow. I called my teacher and asked if it was cacelled, he had the most logical answer ever:

" you can cancel if you wish, but would you rather learn to drive in the snow with someone experienced or on your own when it happens "

i eneded up doing three hours in the snow and it was priceless driving experience

 

[Smiffy]

i would love to see skid pan sessions become part of the test.

If it was "skid mark" sessions, nobody in Bexhill would fail

 

[USER1999]

Thing is, I am ok at driving in snow. Sadly, my choice of vehicle isn't the most sensible. I have a choice of a BMW Z3M, which has 321 bhp, 255 wide tyres and no traction control, or my Chrysler 300C, Auto, no winter start mode, and useless traction control, sat on 225 wide rubber. Both are rear wheel drive. Neither of these cars will go up even the gentlist of slopes if there is any snow, and the chrysler won't stop if the slope is downwards.

What I need is a front wheel drive car on skinny rubber, with a little 1.2 engine, or a stonking great 4 wheel drive.

Yes, I would stay at home, but I would get sacked. Not a reasonable option.

 

[medwayjon]

Went to work this morning at 7am, on the way I saw some knob who had wrapped an slk around a traffic island and wiped all the lights out. Apparently he was trying to show off and go sideways round the roundabout and just spooned it big time.

Back home now as cant be arsed to work, got to take girlie to school at 12 though so that should be a laugh.

 

[Dodger]

I managed the 14 miles to work but jesus it was not nice.....however I was on my way back home after a half hour and on my way back I was sat in a row of 7 cars that were tootling along at 25mph on a single carriage A road that had a good 2 inches of snow on it due to another heavy shower adding to the overall foot and a half..................next thing this bellend in an Astra van decides to make a run for it from the back,he managed the whole row but as he pulled back in just before a corner he spun off into the hedge!

Did I stop? Did I hell,others did,he was okay but I carried on bar giving him the wanker sign on the way past,I do hope it's a write off....utter dickhead.

 

[Oddsocks]

loving the man in the astra van, doing something that everyone was thinking about doing, he was just silly enough to actually do it.

 

[Region3]

4x4 drivers that think they're bulletproof then look amazed when their wheels lock up under braking!

 

[surefire]

If its any consolation, it's not confined to this country.

When I used to live near Detroit, where "proper" snow is around typically from Nov to April, there were plenty of choppers on the roads behaving like tools. Often in cheaper rear wheel drive pick up trucks, with no ballast in the flat bed to get weight over the rear wheels. Always fun to watch as they get it horribly wrong!

The only main difference is that there are more big 4x4 vehicles about, and people are always willing to help pull people out of ditches\drifts. I think some of the 4x4 SUV owners bought their vehicles just for the purpose of getting this recognition\appreciation.

 

[Oddsocks]

ah the superhero driving the 4x4, one of them last year got he's shogun stuck and was just mindblown that he's 4x4 couldnt save the world.

 

[CliveW]

4x4 are pretty useless in snow if they don't have the correct tyres. Normal road tyres are hopeless.

 

[patricks148]

Yes

We get a fair bit of snow up here and you still get plenty who have no idea how to drive in it. White van man pulling out in front of you, then wheel spinning all over the place. Mind you its nice watching all the BMW drivers sliding all over the place.