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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sloping drive and snow

32 replies

Jazz12 · 11/12/2022 18:55

We moved into this house just 2 months ago. Our first winter here. Our drive is sloping down towards the road. I’m wondering if our car will roll down the road by morning. It’s snowing a lot here?

It looks pretty still right now, but DH really struggled to park it today !

OP posts:
MrsMyfanwy · 11/12/2022 18:59

It won't roll down on its own but may slip/slide a lot if you move it tomorrow morning. Can you park it on the road safely tonight?

justasking111 · 11/12/2022 18:59

Park at an angle to the slope or park in the road

BastardtheCat · 11/12/2022 19:00

Snow!! Whereabouts in the world are you?

DenholmElliot11 · 11/12/2022 19:01

Go and park it on the road on a flat part.

Tannedandfake · 11/12/2022 19:02

BastardtheCat · 11/12/2022 19:00

Snow!! Whereabouts in the world are you?

There’s plenty in the north

Blowyourowntrumpet · 11/12/2022 19:02

My drive is a steep slope and my car has never rolled on it's own. It has slid while I've been trying to put it on the drive and hit the side of the house though.

Clymene · 11/12/2022 19:03

I'd move it onto the road now. My car is parked at the top of the hill on the flat. I know from bitter experience that parking it on the hill is a disaster!

GrumpyPanda · 11/12/2022 19:06

Rule of parking on a slope - turn the wheels in sideways after you finish parking. Although if you're afraid of the slope icing over, then yes street parking may indeed be a good idea while you figure out what'll happen in this weather.

BakedTattie · 11/12/2022 19:07

It’s snowing in lots of areas of the uk

Minimochi · 11/12/2022 19:07

We've got snow here, too. I'll probably start parking on the road soon.
I got stuck in the mud today when we picked up our tree from a farm nearby. Was really annoying but I luckily managed to get our rather big but comparatively weak car (C4 Picasso) out eventually. We needed 8 people to push someone else's BMW out shortly after.
I do have winter tyres (well, they are meant to be for mud and snow but I was seriously doubting that today) and some emergency fabric snow chains in my boot. Our road is up a steep hill and then round a sharp corner, so our drive is the least of my worries when it snows...

eurochick · 11/12/2022 19:11

Plenty of snow here in Surrey!

The car won't move by itself but it might slip when you try to pull away. Put grit or salt behind the wheels before you try. If you don't have any, put a doormat behind the wheels.

Sellorkeep · 11/12/2022 19:28

wedge something under the wheels like a log or a big stone to stop slipping. It can happen!

Frabbits · 11/12/2022 19:50

A car parked on a hill is not going to just slide down because, y'know, physics.

The only reason it would move would be if the brakes failed and it hadn't been left in gear, which is always a good idea when parking on a slope.

eddiemairswife · 11/12/2022 19:59

Use salt

greenacrylicpaint · 11/12/2022 20:07

shovel or sweep the snow in the morning before driving off. ideally put down some grid (or sand from dc's sand pit)

Pterrydactyl · 11/12/2022 20:12

PIL’s old house had a very steep drive.

When we parked there, DH would turn the wheels sideways when he’d finished parking so that if the car did start to roll down, it’d roll into the wall at the side of the drive rather than the road. Also, if you leave the car in gear when you turn the engine off, that should help to stop it rolling away. Just remember to put it back into neutral before you start the engine again!

PIL’s also had some chocks that could be wedged under the car wheels.

Ilikewinter · 11/12/2022 20:14

Id park it on the road tonight then tomorrow get a good supply of grit and keep your drive clear / gritted. My car slide into the driveway gates once and it pushed them out, luckily they held firm or my car would have rolled across a busy road 😫

cleanfreak12345 · 11/12/2022 20:14

DH takes a bit of grit when it's snowy or icy and puts it on our sloped drive

Dougieowner · 11/12/2022 20:18

Just spread rocksalt across your drive.

thelobsterquadrille · 11/12/2022 20:18

It shouldn't just slide on it's own. It should be an issue if your brakes fail.

Like PP said, park in gear and angle your wheels so it's angled away from the road if possible.

We have to park on a hill as there's no other option - I've never once seen a car slide, but I always park facing downhill so I can get straight to the main road in the morning, as sometimes it's too slippery to drive up the hill.

Georgeskitchen · 11/12/2022 20:20

Don't you have a handbrake?

PonyPatter44 · 11/12/2022 20:35

BastardtheCat · 11/12/2022 19:00

Snow!! Whereabouts in the world are you?

My friends live near Cirencester and spent the day building a MASSIVE snowman. They had plenty of snow. Sadly, here in Buckinghamshire we had none.

dansha · 11/12/2022 20:39

My car actually slid down my sloped driveway tonight Shock lucky I looked out of the window when I did...it's now parked in gear with heavy stones behind the back wheels...never parked any of my cars in gear and never had this happen before so it definitely can 🤣

MrsMyfanwy · 11/12/2022 21:16

You need to get your car sorted out or retake some lessons @dansha , it's not a laughing matter

Original poster
Jazz12 · 11/12/2022 21:33

Car parked up the drive, on first gear with handbrake on. DH thinks it’s going to be fine. I’m tempted to put some bricks under the tyres 🛞

OP posts: