UKC

Snowpocalypse

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 Flinticus 18 Jan 2018

Have the 'authorities' over stated the risks today?

Last night you would be reasonable in expecting icebergs in the Clyde and glaciers on the motorways today yet it hasn't snowed or rained on my journey South from Glasgow or my wife's South West to Ayr. A bit of over-compensation after the stranded motorists on the M8?

 graeme jackson 18 Jan 2018
In reply to Flinticus:

7 miles north of Lanark and 900 feet up we have about a foot of snow in the garden and it's been off and on all day.  A706 got ploughed but it's still tricky for folk getting in and out of the row.  Had a nice walk in the woods at lunchtime though.

 balmybaldwin 18 Jan 2018
In reply to Flinticus:

Having been in the Alps last week during a genuine snowpocalypse (we had 1m50 in 24 hrs) I find it particularly amusing that even in southern Scotland (one of the most "used to it" places in the UK) so little snow caused such problems.

 

I can't help but think that if winter tyres were mandatory here as in europe we'd barely notice the snow. A little bit of organisation e.g. getting recovery trucks in position early etc, people leaving plenty of time for their journeys etc would also help

Post edited at 14:45
 Al_Mac 18 Jan 2018
In reply to balmybaldwin:

After driving past at least ten accidents on the way into Edinburgh on Tuesday night, two of them happening in front of me, winter tyres AND greater driving ability are definitely required. Adding steering lock to a car that's already on the way into a wall, and has been giving stark enough reminders that you're going too fast that even the car following is able to read, then you're beyond the help of winter tyres.

I'm a massive advocate of winter tyres but with the average standard of donkey behind the wheel all they do is ensure that the accident happens at a greater speed. Things like driving too close to the car in front, being oblivious to reduced traction levels, being unable to use momentum, being surprised at something you could read was about to happen from a mile off...the list goes on.

 

1
Removed User 18 Jan 2018
In reply to Cloverleaf:

Had to leave my van in the valley because of the snow and walk up the house the other night. As I neared my house a young neighbour drove past me in there new 4x4. I was a bit alarmed by the speed they where going. Seconds later I saw them slide sideways into a drystone wall. Big fat tyres on 4x4 don't grip on steep icy ground!!!!!! Anyway, I checked they weren't injured and went home 

 summo 18 Jan 2018
In reply to Cloverleaf:

What I don't understand is why insurance companies pay out, if you doing 40,50.. mph on several inches of snow, on summer tyres.. then no pay out. 

1
 Brass Nipples 18 Jan 2018
In reply to Flinticus:

 

There was a woman on the news who got stuck. See knew the forecast.  No warm clothing, not beanie, no gloves, no blanket or sleeping bag, no food, no hot drinks, no mobile, no shovel, summer tyres. Still, she was blaming others for her predicament.

 

 girlymonkey 19 Jan 2018
In reply to Cloverleaf:

In Sweden you can't pass your driving test until you have spent a day with an instructor on a skid pan. I  think it's an excellent idea and we would do well to follow suit

 Al_Mac 19 Jan 2018
In reply to girlymonkey:

Definitely! A skid pan session would work wonders to educate people in what happens when a car loses traction catastrophically. Modern cars don't help the situation as they isolate drivers so much from what's happening that most miss all the subtle signs the car's trying to give them. Unfortunately many drivers don't seem to view driving as a skill that you can better yourself in, only that it's a pass/fail and that's you set for life. Sadly not the case.

 NottsRich 19 Jan 2018
In reply to girlymonkey:

My car has an annoying yellow light that flashes up on the dash all the time when I'm driving on snow. Don't know what it does, but it's really annoying. Seems to do it more when I try to start again up the hill I stopped on, so I think it's something wrong with the car and I'll need to get a garage to look at it. Does the same when I put my foot down around corners to overtake the slow cars in front, it just flashes on the dash and I go nowhere...

 

 

 

Tongue in cheek, but the traction control in my 10 year old car is so so good that it really hides when you're pushing too much and make you not realise how low grip levels actually are, unless you switch your brain on. I wonder if a lot of people in modern cars are oblivious to grip levels because of particulatly good DTC systems that hide them from reality, until they disobey physics too much and crash into the wall in a straight line wondering who to blame...

 benp1 19 Jan 2018
In reply to Flinticus:

Have you guys had problems when fitting winter tyres to your cars though? I've heard of insurance companies classing them as 'modifications', particularly if on a spare set of wheels. Which is frankly ridiculous

 CasWebb 19 Jan 2018
In reply to benp1:

No problems at all with my insurance companies. There was certainly a lot of fuss about it a few years ago but the 'big boys' accepted the error of their ways. Essentially, as long as the wheels/tyres are within the range recommended by the manufacturer then the insurers don't have a leg to stand on. e.g. my Mazda 3 can take tyre widths ranging from 205 upto 225.

 

1
 girlymonkey 19 Jan 2018
In reply to benp1:

Never had a problem. I have used winter tyres for years and insurance have never cared. I've actually stopped mentioning them, as every time I did, they didn't care.

My spare wheels are exactly the same as my standard ones, they are all just steel rims, so that can't make any difference at all.


New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...