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Post by dougeye on Jan 18, 2013 14:35:16 GMT -5
with the glorious snow today its time for the bbc to take up its once yearly passtime of finding overturned vehicles in the snow!
the thing is has anyone else noticed that 9 times out of 10 they are 4x4's of the chelsea tractor variety! 4x4 will help in the snow but you are not invinsible! lol
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Post by Soap on Jan 18, 2013 15:00:28 GMT -5
Iv noticed that 11 times out of 10 its poor driving that causes these accidents. Going too fast, not forward planning, and a bad attitude = cars in ditch!
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Sgt. Rock
Captain
Loungin' like a lizard.
Posts: 231
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Post by Sgt. Rock on Jan 19, 2013 17:06:54 GMT -5
4WD is awesome for making your car move when there's little to no traction. However, it doesn't do squat to help you *stop.* People, as you say, get a 4WD or AWD vehicle and think "Yep! I'm ready for Mother Nature's worst!" without any actual experience or understanding of what driving in the snow is *really* like. Here in Seattle, we don't get snow often, but when we do, it goes something like this: Light snow. Half melts, refreezes into ice. Heavier snow. Half melts, refreezes into ice. More snow, on top of multiple layers of ice. Also, Seattle and its surrounding environs are built on hills. So it's quite common to see people with Jeeps or Subarus in a ditch somewhere because they thought they could handle it. Of course, the smart folks just stay the eff home. And since snow happens so infrequently, and only for a few days, the local government doesn't really invest a lot of money in preparedness... it's simply not economical to maintain a fleet of plows and all that for 3 or 4 days out of the year (maybe... some years, it doesn't snow at all.) So the area is pretty much crippled.
For the record, I have a 4WD rig. As long as I'm driving on flat-ish roads, I'm okay. Take it slow, know your vehicle and its limits, and STAY OFF OF THE DAMN HILLS.
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Post by Adkenpachi on Jan 19, 2013 17:14:33 GMT -5
Sounds like here, its snowed 4 times in my life since its a seaside town... Now i moved over the hills we have loads if snow...lots of windy roads and hills. I was driving in the snow at 35mph which i felt was my limit (i have good wide tires) and some jerk in the token audi was getting RIGHT up my arse, im sure he started to spin a few times trying to swerve to annoy me... I wasnt risking my kids in the back just to get to my destination 30 seconds faster. People like that need to hit a lamp post.
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Post by Soap on Jan 19, 2013 17:18:44 GMT -5
The UK gets snow pritty bad for a few days, a week at most. Although they might be light flurries that last a little longer. Unless your up on a mountain of course. But people just don't know how to drive in bad weather period. Either too cautious, or over confidant.
I have experience of driving in all conditions that's to my time In the forces. But like its been said already: the best thing to do is don't drive!
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Post by Adkenpachi on Jan 19, 2013 17:21:37 GMT -5
The UK gets snow pritty bad for a few days, a week at most. Although they might be light flurries that last a little longer. Unless your up on a mountain of course. But people just don't know how to drive in bad weather period. Either too cautious, or over confidant. I have experience of driving in all conditions that's to my time In the forces. But like its been said already: the best thing to do is don't drive! My driving was noble, drove the wife to a 13 hr shift at the hospital...her mate down the road didnt bother going in :eyeroll: |
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Post by Cosmic on Jan 19, 2013 17:21:45 GMT -5
What I find amusing is that ITV in particular tend to show clips of women drivers, on the school run, skidding in the snow because they have their foot hard down on the peddle and trying to floor it. They then have an interview with said mother who says 'its just too slippery'.....the reporters all then feel sorry for said stupid woman.....if you were to just slow down, let the tyres grip a bit more then you at least get somewhere.
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Post by Paradill on Jan 19, 2013 17:23:25 GMT -5
If anybody here truly believes that the UK gets bad snow I challenge you: google image search "meanwhile in Canada"
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Sgt. Rock
Captain
Loungin' like a lizard.
Posts: 231
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Post by Sgt. Rock on Jan 19, 2013 17:38:21 GMT -5
...Unless your up on a mountain of course... I challenge the notion that the UK has "mountains." The largest mountains in the UK are mere foothills.  |
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Post by Empirespy on Jan 19, 2013 17:39:52 GMT -5
If anybody here truly believes that the UK gets bad snow I challenge you: google image search "meanwhile in Canada" I truly believe that the UK can suffer from bad snow, but definitely not as bad as some places though. |
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Post by Paradill on Jan 19, 2013 17:51:27 GMT -5
The residents, government of both national and local varieties and infrastructure all over react to snow in the UK. I spend the entire time wishing everyone would chill the fornicate out.
Having people evacuate their place of work due to seven inches of snow is embarrassing.
P
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Sgt. Rock
Captain
Loungin' like a lizard.
Posts: 231
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Post by Sgt. Rock on Jan 19, 2013 17:52:17 GMT -5
"Bad snow" is relative. It's largely dependent on what your locale is used to and prepared for. In North Dakota, it's common to spend 6 months buried under 4 feet of snow, but people there are used to that sort of thing; they expect it, and they're ready for it. Conversely, in the UK or Seattle, for example, it snows relatively infrequently, so people aren't used to it, and it cripples the area because nobody's prepared. Everywhere you go, there's going to be some sort of potentially dangerous or extreme natural phenomenon; in western Washington, it's earthquakes, the odd ice storm, and potential tsunamis on the coast. In Canada or the northern Midwest of the US, it's extreme cold and consistent, heavy snowfall. There's always something.
Though here in Seattle, we've had this really creepy thing the last few days... a really thick, heavy fog settled in about five days ago and just sat there, didn't clear up, until today. It may be back tonight. Fog like that never sticks around for more than a morning or an evening; to have it so thick during the day that you can only see about 30 meters in front of your car is kinda spooky.
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Post by Paradill on Jan 19, 2013 17:56:11 GMT -5
"Potentially dangerous or extreme natural phenomena"
You just described religion.
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Sgt. Rock
Captain
Loungin' like a lizard.
Posts: 231
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Post by Sgt. Rock on Jan 19, 2013 18:00:04 GMT -5
Religion isn't "natural." It's a social and political construct created entirely by humans. And, contrary to what Westboro and Fox News would have us believe, it is *entirely unrelated* to oceanic, geological, and meteorological threats.
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Post by Adkenpachi on Jan 19, 2013 18:28:33 GMT -5
I think i heard someone got burried in snow and died yesterday :/ i wasnt paying much attention to the news mind.
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Post by WestRider on Jan 19, 2013 19:57:47 GMT -5
Another factor here in western Washington is that our roads are all canted outward so that the massive rainfall that's a far more common problem can drain off them more easily. But when we get the layers of snow and ice that Sgt. Rock mentioned, what that means is a tendency for cars to slip toward the edge of the road that many drivers don't know (how) to compensate for.
I can't find it again right now, but I saw an article a while back looking into the possibility that some of the instability in SUVs is the result of the fact that they're generally adapted from Pickup Truck frames. Pickup frames are designed for the cab and bed to move somewhat independently, and the suspension is designed on that assumption. When a single solid body is placed on top of that, it locks the front and back suspension systems together much more tightly, which can result in a lot of weird feedback and chaotic behaviour, like in a double pendulum system.
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Sgt. Rock
Captain
Loungin' like a lizard.
Posts: 231
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Post by Sgt. Rock on Jan 19, 2013 20:09:13 GMT -5
Excellent points, both, WestRider. I hadn't really thought of the road angles, but now that you mention it, I have seen it a lot. Hell, I've *been* that guy once or twice. And having driven both pickups and SUVs, I can safely say that while many are built on similar frames, they handle quite differently. Another reason I like my little Ford Escape... it's built on a midsize passenger car frame. Perhaps doesn't have the long-term durability of a body-on-frame construction, but handles *much* better.
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Post by dougeye on Jan 20, 2013 2:25:00 GMT -5
best one now with the current snow is everyone moaning at BA airlines because of all the delays and cancellations lol
i think it went something like .... (BA Rep) "good news we have finally cleared the runway! But unfortunatly all are cabin crew have finished their shifts and will not work on even though they have been sat around doing nothing the same as you so unfortunatly your flight is still cancelled due to having no staff!" lol
The problem with heathrow in the snow is the volume of air traffic, they are so close together when landing and taking off there is no time to clear the snow. They say it takes 20 minutes to clear a runway, but a plane lands or takes off every 2 minutes at heathrow. so a 20 minute gap is 10 flights delayed landing /taking off and the effect multiplies and stacks.
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Post by Soap on Jan 20, 2013 2:42:38 GMT -5
The problem with the staff issue is pilots have flying hours. It's essentially driving hours for pilots, but easier monitored as they are only a few pilots compare the the amount of truck drivers. They can only be on duty and fly a set amount of hours, and must have a set amount of rest period before the next shift.
Top tips for driving in snow and ice: pull away in a higher gear. It stops wheels from spinning thus giving you more grip. In the event of getting into a skid, pump your clutch (not too fast) and it 'should' make your car get sudden bouts of grip effectively making your car jump slightly. It might be the difference to hitting a tree, or just ending up on the verge.
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Post by scotti88 on Jan 20, 2013 3:02:06 GMT -5
I'm currently down in plymouth, and all year round u see these people driving there swanky 4x4 and I keep saying to my lass I bet they wouldn't know how to even engage there 4wd!! I used to own a mk2 golf which I converted to 4x4 and it handled the snow excellent! I've got rid of the golf owing to not being in the uk for 10months out of 12 last yr and the boss(wife) bought a c2!!!! Not happy!!!
HOWEVER this little car can drive through snow. I think it should be mandatory to do a lesson/ theory of how to drive in hazardous conditions.
Just my thoughts, hope I'm not being too young and ignorant.
Tvm massive
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Post by Paradill on Jan 20, 2013 3:03:41 GMT -5
Snow is cold and slippy.
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