Roads grinding to a halt re snow...

[wibblyjelly]

Please don't flame me too much, I don't want the snow to melt!

Surely one of the main reason why the roads ground to a halt is that we as the British public aren't properly prepared. And I mean the drivers. How many people have put snow chains on their cars, or winter tyres, when we know it is going to snow? Probably not a lot of us. And how many of us have things like a show shovel in the car, in case we need digging out, or a flask of hot drink, blankets etc?

Aibu in thinking there should be more public awareness about what you should have with you in case of snow, and if people don't follow the advice, and it causes grid lock, they shouldn't then moan about it?

Well it might also help if the councils gritted the bloody roads. I've just spent 2 hours attempting to get to the motorway (normally takes half hour in rush hour at most) and half the issue seems to be NO grit. None. At all. Anywhere.

I do not live in a small town.

Am gutted I've missed today's work stuff it was really important to be there.

having blankets would't stop a gridlock would it??

I live in a flat.

Where the heck would I keep 'snow tyres' for the two days a year I might need them? And how would I get them on the car? Strap DC into car seats and change one at a time, then put wheels where?

That is really annoying! Council's should have no excuse not to grit the roads, its not like they didn't have any warning.

YABU. The reason we are unprepared is snow is not a consistent feature in British winters. Its usually hit and miss. You might get it for a couple of days in January or a week in November, and some winters, not at all. Just sleet or rain, bucketloads of it. Grrr...

So no way can you br prepared for it with snow shovels and winter tyres. Makes sense in Scandinavia or Alaska. But here its usually chaos and bewilderment. Which in itself, is quite endearing and almost a winter tradition

Unless funding is going to be supplied for "snow tires", then most will not budget for th extras needed.

I am in Liverpool, usually the snow misses us. We are possibly in for a few bad day today, but it will still be nothing much to worry about.

Everyone that i know who lives in areas that are affected every year, do take precautions and are prepared.

I don't think that anyone should be risking accidents, when it is no big deal to limit activity for a brief space of time.

That's fair enough, I was just genuinely curious. I think everyone needs to take equal responsibility, and in my area, everyone just blames the council, but then the drivers aren't prepared either.

Our council very helpfully gritted the roads last weekend (when it was above freezing) and then when the snow started (Monday/Tuesday) - not a gritter in sight. It hasn't got above freezing since Monday.

These are main roads used regularly by ambulances. I believe they are a bit dim and can't read a weather forecast.

Winter tyres just arent practical here. The weather forecast is completely unpredictable, and to be fair, we only get proper settling snow 2/3 times per winter for a few days maximum then it's melted again. Proper road gritting is more than enough when combined with people driving sensibly and learning how to drive in snow, like don't attempt a snow covered hill in first gear in a rear wheel drive car for example!
Also when they say don't drive unless absolutely necessary, they do generally mean it! Do keep a snow shovel in the car and a bag of grit, do have a blanket and emergency food/drinks in case you get stuck.

It´s not just snow is it though?

Winter tyres are also recommended in temps of about 7°&colder, aren´t they?

We are in Germany though where it gets cold & stays cold!

Does UK really vary that much in the Winter?

You can't use snow chains on cleared roads, they mash up the tyres and the road surface, in the Alps they have laybys at the bottom of any mountain pass road or road to a ski resort for putting them on but also for taking them off, often in the Alps you only use them for a few miles - there's almost no use for them in the UK (even in Scotland where I am).

Snow tyres are terrible fuel inefficient if you drive in them on clear roads too... so really not worth it for a few days a year. And who can change their tyres easily? I can't. We've got stupid locking nuts on our car (manufacturer's design, not our choice) that really need an air gun to get off.

But I would never drive anywhere without a big coat, hat and gloves, spade and hiking boots in the back of my car.

Snow chains are for for proper snow anyway and you have to stop and take them off as soon as the road clears so completely impractical for most of us!

I have considered winter tyres but like others have said, where I live it literally is about twice a year at most we get snow. It's only if it falls on my work nights I have a problem too, so once every 2-3 years at the most. If I'm not working like today, I just stay in and walk the dc's to school!

I know winter tyres can help in ice too but I live on the south coast, it's a fairly mild climate, mostly!

The roads clog in part because people slow, which is absolutely the right response anyway....

but why shouldn't we blame the council? we pay road/council tax to keep highways maintained so we can get about as normal.

Round here massive potholes are reemerged from last year as they were so cheaply fixed that they didn't even last a year!

having winter tyres won't do much for those

Yes, Diddl, it does. 2 weeks ago it was a balmy 12 degrees celsius. Now it's about -4.

I work for our local council and from what I understand, it doesn't really make much difference whether there is grit on the roads or not when the snow falls as fast and heavy as it has this morning. Much more effective use of resources to get the snow ploughs out and get the snow out the way.

"Will salt/grit melt snow?
No. Salt doesn?t directly melt snow as it firstly has to mix with the snow to form a saline solution and lower the melting point. If snow is predicted, salt is spread in advance so when the first snow falls it can start to mix with salt to create a saline solution which can reduce the build up (accumulation) of snow and prevent the formation of ice.

However in prolonged periods of snowfall the snow can fall at a rate faster than the salt can mix with the snow which means the snow may accumulate. Accumulated snow will have to be ploughed away from the roads or cleared in the pedestrian areas, but this is made much easier by salt spread in advance of the snowfall as the salt already applied reduces the likelihood of the snow freezing on the surface.

Placing salt on top of snow which has already fallen has limited benefits. Ideally, snow should be cleared before salt is applied to the road or pedestrian area."

Perhaps the temp varies too much, then.

Here they go on & stay on!

I assume not everyone has a set/storage space so you just go a garage & get them done.

Car snow socks Like chains you cant use them on clear roads but they will get you out of difficult spot I guess.

I thought in Germany you would invalidate your car insurance if you did not put winter tyres on anyway? and you can have snow on the ground for months?

I was amazed at driving thorugh blizzard in germany with no problems at all. yet the roads round here are gridlocked.

however i love the news hype over the snow!!! it makes it all much more exciting and i agree with other poster who said its quite endearing!

Auto socks are absolutely brilliant. We have them for both our cars and they have enabled us to get home when we wouldnt have done so without them.

Yes, I think they are a legal requirement here.

I´m in the north & tbh, we haven´t had much snow so far!

Roads near me are clear as I´ve just biked into town.

Just the side roads with a covering still.

I make preparations every year, not just because of snow but breaking down or traffic jams. I have a down sleeping bag, down filled, boots, self heating coffee cans, water, few cereal bars, spare gloves and hats, waterproof trousers. We won't freeze but none of that will keep us moving on the road.

I have those traction mat things, for snow and ice, they've been used in musdy fields a few times! Snow chains or snow socks are useless here, even when it snows. It would be best to get winter tyres but most of the time it's between 5 and 12 degrees during the day in winter. Winter tyres are expensive!

auto socks look fab!

We live in the south and we put winter tyres on our car in the middle of November and they stay on all winter.

If you don't have room to store them, then for a very small amount of money a garage like Kwik Fit will store the set of tyres that isn't on your car. Once you have made the initial outlay, then they wear the same as summer tyres so your ongoing costs aren't higher.
badguider we do not find them to be less fuel efficient.

I really think they should be a requirement here, it would alleviate a massive amount of the chaos that ensues when it snows.

There is absolutely no point gritting before a heavy fall of snow. It is a complete waste of resources. In this weather it would be more sensible to snow plough then grit, but tbh, it is a waste of council funds to invest in snow ploughs when most years they are not needed.

I also think that most people are hopeless at driving in snowy/icy conditions. They do not leave a bit earlier, read the conditions correctly, adjust their driving style or cut out non-essential journeys. Nobody seems to take responsibility for their own safety anymore.