Page 2 | to not want to drive on the ice outside out house?

Hulababy · 21/12/2009 17:17

A lot of our main roads haven't been gritted, let alone side roads! Made me so cross. Only reason ours are clear has been volume of traffic.

SparklyGothKat · 21/12/2009 17:35

I have been out everyday in the snow and ice, but the estate is not gritted at all, so have to drive at 10mph and even then I have slid twice, the main roads are fine.

I fell yesterday while walking to the car while carrying Ds2 and today I got stuck in a carpark unable to move the car as it just kept wheelspinning. The boss of the store cam with his van and pulled me out....

darcymum · 21/12/2009 17:46

I crashed on the ice yesterday and have been out again today but v v carefully.

oldraver · 21/12/2009 18:51

I've parked my car on the road as my drive slopes downards toward the garage which is further back than the house but it also slopes from left to right down toward the side of the house So any snow/ice makes it trecherous to get out

I'm sure the neighbours will be suitably pissed off for parking outside their house

Northernlebkuchen · 21/12/2009 19:12

Our road isn't brilliant but it's ok if you're careful. However I've just seen an ARSE of a taxi driver use the ice to turn round - just drove slightly too fast, braked sharply and of course the back end span round! There's no question he meant to do it - his fare then got out!! I should have phone the company to complain about his dangerous driving but frankly i was stunned (and busy getting dd3 and myself as far away as possible) and I didn't think to look for the name.

SparklyGothKat · 21/12/2009 19:17

hopefully the fare will complain, what a twat!!

Northernlebkuchen · 21/12/2009 20:15

I do hope so - she certainly hurried in to her house quick - probably scared stiff!

Ripeberry · 21/12/2009 20:31

Local youths down the road have been loving the ice today. They have been doing handbrake turns in the street (private road).
Luckily my car was on my drive and most other people had gone to work or were out so the road was very wide and empty.
But still if they had hit my garden wall.

GetOrfMoiLand · 21/12/2009 20:41

I am shitting myself. I have to drive a rear wheel drive car, I am so not used to it. I felt it go on one of the roads near my house earlier, thankfully didn't skid, but apparently rear whell drive cars behave abominably in the ice.

Thankfully I only drive on a roads which are mosgtly gritted, however to get on them I need to drive down ice covered streets.

Considering staying in for a couple of months.

Nefertari · 21/12/2009 20:45

Our county council is responsible for gritting roads. I called them to find out their policy is A and B roads only, ie main roads. On our estate I have to drive up a cul de sac, and then down the road connecting to the main road off the estate. Did worry I wouldn't stop at the bottom, but okay, after sliding along a bit.

KitKatQueensSpeech · 21/12/2009 21:39

Actually, if its quiet I suggest going out and having a practise, I'm not suggesting that you go mad, or put anyone in danger, but if you are nervous (and understandably so) about driving on ice then doing it under controlled circumstances to learn about countersteering and back end drift when you are sliding will actually make you a safer driver in bad conditions.

I was very lucky in hindsight to have spent 10 yrs on a motorbike every day summer and winter and I can honestly say I don't feel nervous driving my car in the snow.

Also any time you do go out in icy weather make sure you have your mobile on you, a blanket, shovel and flask of coffee, just in case you do get stuck.

RustyBear · 21/12/2009 21:47

There's a very nasty patch of ice on the corner just outside our house - this is what happened when someone took it a little too fast...

Wineonafridaynight · 21/12/2009 21:53

Have to say I do agree with kitkat.

It is horrible driving on ice but far more horrible fearing it, never doing it and then having to do it because there is an emergency!

Maybe a bit of practice, just on your road or the roads around where you live, might be a good idea! Not saying I don't get nervous in the ice, I do! But it is one of those things where I certainly feel more like I know what I am doing now, should I have to drive in bad conditions, than I did when I first did it.

But YANBU to be nervous of it!

shockers · 21/12/2009 21:54

DH has slid our ( my) car into a high curb this evening and has wrecked the steering.

nikki1978 · 21/12/2009 21:55

We have snow chains for our car after the heavy snow earlier this year but unfortunately they require two people to put them on so I was a bit stuffed when I got stuck earlier in a massive snow fall 20 mins from my house. 3 hours later I was home but was bricking myself much of the way. I have now got the steering into a skid down to a fine art so it was good practice! Still had to abandon my car at the top of my road as it is a big hill and the steering wasn't working. After narrowly missing a tree and a BT van I decided walking might be safer.

I hope this melts soon I really do. How much chance is there of a heat wave in Dec?

AK1107 · 21/12/2009 22:02

Well I am a wuss too.

On Sunday my DH and I traveled separately to my in-laws. Their house has a steep drive which I managed to drive up safely. However, my FIL kept saying how icy it was and that if I reversed out too slowly and skidded then I would probably end up in the bushes. This worry and the fact that somebody had parked directly opposite their drive on a narrow road made me ask my DH to reverse out for me! I did manage to drive home on my own though.

blueshoes · 21/12/2009 22:28

How DO you drive safely in icy conditions? Can it be done at all?

Outside my road is a very steep hill. There were 2 sets of car pileups and one abandoned bus on that road. It is just not navigable.

What do colder countries do?

Wineonafridaynight · 21/12/2009 22:35

Blueshoes Guess it is never going to be as safe as normal but by taking it slowly and learning the way you should turn your wheel if you skid or whatever I guess will help! Also giving other drivers less trust than usual as they will be even more unpredictable than usual!

I guess also that things like snow tires/chains would also be sensible, particularly if we continue to get this weather more often, but guessing not many people will go an invest in such a thing!

I have to get 100 miles on Wednesday to an area that has been quite bad so not looking forward to that. To be fair, it is just the bit to the motorway and at the other end that will make it tough. The motorways will be fine!

Wineonafridaynight · 21/12/2009 22:36

Blueshoes also meant to say that it gets even more difficult if you live on a bad bit like you!

blueshoes · 21/12/2009 22:41

wine, that is sensible.

I was just observing a car trapped on the steep hill trying to drive down. The car whilst parked had slipped and gone into the back of the parked car in front. The driver's friends were pushing the front of the car out into the road to set it free. The driver was applying the brakes but the car kept skidding on the ice. His friends were telling him not to apply the brakes but heck, it is almost a 30 degree gradient .

I did not stay to watch.

Wineonafridaynight · 21/12/2009 22:47

Blue have to say I really don't envy the person trying to do that and if I was in that situation I wouldn't bother trying and then maybe try to find somewhere a little way away to park my car if the weather turned bad in future so taht I could get out. If I did give it a go, I would cry! Can guarantee you! That would be after much swearing too!

Luckily I don't live on a steep hill and don't have to go up any on my day to day travels!

I do wonder if we will keep getting snow like we had in Feb and this month that is worse than usual and how long it will take for the country to adjust and for drivers to take precautions though. I mean that about myself as well as I know I won't go out and buy snow chains tomorrow or anything like that. I can see us possibly having these spells more frequently though and each time the media going crazy, everything coming to a standstill and no changes being made!

Ripeberry · 21/12/2009 22:54

Actually, there are 'snow socks' that you can buy for cars and can be fitted by one person and they grip well in snow and ice.
I'll look it up as I found their website last February.

blueshoes · 21/12/2009 22:55

wine, I was so taken by the swiftness with which the conditions change.

It was sort of ok, usual winter iciness, when I left the house just after lunch. 3 hours later, heavy snow, chaos on the trains, gridlocked roads, abandoned cars, no gritters in sight.

It must be possible to prepare for this. A lot of other countries cope with far more snow. Just wonder why every year the country grinds to a halt.

Ripeberry · 21/12/2009 22:56

Here it is www.roofbox.co.uk/car-snow-socks

Wineonafridaynight · 21/12/2009 23:02

It is silly. I guess it comes down to the fact that to prepare for it, it takes money. Councils/transport operators want to spend their money else where as the chances of it happening still seems unlikely!

Remember a few years ago (think it was 2006) and we had really hot temperatures all summer? I remember in the south east all the rails were expanding due to heat and therefore there were no trains/delayed trains - bet next time we have a heat wave the same problem will happen too!

Ripeberry those look great! I would like to invest in those. Don't have £50 at the moment but know it could be a sensible investment!