Wrong type of snow.....?

[coggles]

When will the powers that be realise that this country gets 'quite bad weather' a lot of the time. Plenty of warning of snow etc and it still takes 3 hours to do a 35 mile journey on the M1.

[sddsddean]

Know what you are saying coggles. Took me 1 1/2 hrs to do the 8 miles home tonight.In my experience, there are 2 main problems. 1) Although we do quite often get a bit of snow, it usually only lasts a day or so. This means it is difficult for councils/DoT etc, to spend a lot of dosh on expensive kit which does nothing for 350 days of the year. When I used to drive to Austria and South Germany they knew they were going to get 10 feet of the stuff, so a huge outlay on specialist vehicles and men and materials is justified annually. 2) People in this country have absolutely no idea how to drive in snow. One flake and everyone is down to 5 mph. I have driven on a motorway at 50 mph in 3 inches of snow. This is because everyone else is doing it and it helps to prevent the formation of ice. Everyone tonight was creeping along in wheel tracks compacting the snow into ice, whereas I was driving with the wheels in the 'virgin' snow where the grip is.

[Janetex]

But, you must love that snow stuff?!?!?

[cupra]

Yesterday's problems were compounded by the very unusual cold front that produced the snow - the heavy rain along the leading edge of the front washed away much of the salt on the roads just as rush hour (in many places) was taking place. This made it harder for the gritters to return to the previously gritted roads.

The intensity of the snow was far in excess of anything I have seen in the UK, and the speed that it accumulated (4cms in 3/4hr here) meant that the gritters work was confounded even more.

But you're right about the drivers.

[apricot]

Are you lot 'southern softies'? I live where snow can fall in any of 9 months in the year. I have only once been unable to get to work. The weather is watched and grit spread before there is a problem. I travelled home 22 miles by car yesterday after a blizzard and it took me just 30 minutes. You do have to know how to drive in snow though and going too slowly does NOT help. Steady speed to maintain momentum in virgin snow is the best way. I do keep a box in the boot of my car which has a rug, boots, spade, water, chocolate, tow rope etc, just in case. I don't think we get 'quite bad weather' I think we have authorities which don't cope with it well in many parts of the country.

[coggles]

Although I accept that we can be caught out (sometimes) with the weather in this country, I still think we deal with it badly. It's a bit difficult to drive when the hundreds of cars in front of you are at a stand still. After 21 years of driving, I know how you should deal with snow. Perhaps the local authorities have just finished their YTS.

[apricot]

Hi Coggles, it is a budgetary matter for the local authority. At the beginning of each year they have to set their budget. This process determines how much they estimate they will need for gritting, including drivers, machinery and grit. If your area has had a series of mild winters then this will not be a priority. I live in an area which has a lot of snow so we budget accordingly and deal with it well. I guess it comes down to priorities.

[lisaj]

Snow? It's not just snow! Remember the unbearable heatwave we had?! It basically boils down to the fact that we'll complain about any weather in order to have excuses for our diabolically bad public services and transport infrastructure. We pi$$ away public money and yet the train tracks buckle in the heat, freeze in the 1/2 inch of snow, and a 125mph 500 tonne train is stopped by...... a leaf! Roads have more potholes than ever, motorways are at a standstill, we pay stupid amounts of road tax... and we're charged further tolls to use the roads!! And then the roads don't work in the weather either! G8 country?! It's the saddest collection of 60 million people in the world more like!