Multiple Accidents today

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Sun 21 Nov 2004 22:26
Multiple Accidents today - BobbyG
I will deliberately keep this as vague as possible as the mods may get a wee bit uneasy!

All day yesterday the gritters were out on all the roads in my area. Forecast was for it to go to minus 6 last night.

When I got up at 6 am this morning it was raining but my pathway was pure ice. There was no signs of any frost but all the rain was turning to ice, very quickly.

Driving along a certain motorway I feel uncomfortable about the conditions. When I pass the huge sign at the side of the motorway and it tells me it is currently minus 4 outside, I slow down from 50 to 40.

Half a mile on, there is a car lying on its roof; another hundred yards there is one impaled in the crash barrier. And so on and so on, a total of 9 different accidents within a stretch of 2 miles. Two of these accidents involved cars that had went racing past me after I had passed the first accident.

Why, oh why, oh why, can people not use common sense? Many of these cars will have had temp displays in them, what do they think the purpose of these are? Did none of them see the minus figure and think that the road might just be slippy? Why when they had seen a car lying on its roof, did they continue to race along the road?

Do drivers now feel so safe in their cars with airbags ABS etc that they don't take basic driving precautions? I was driving a Saxo with probably zero NCAP rating and I drove carefully, but not any differently to I do in my 5* rated Scenic.

No doubt they are all now writing their letters complaining about the authorities not having gritted the road the 5 mins before they drove along it! Well they wouldn't admit that they had been driving dangerously would they?

Just had to get that off my chest!

[Rant mode off]
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Sun 21 Nov 2004 22:35
Multiple Accidents today - Robin Reliant
Modern cars are so well designed and engineered that the driver can be isolated from the reality of conditions outside the vehicle. Little noise gets in the cabin, heaters and air con systems that mean you can drive in shirt sleeves in the depths of winter, and a quality sound system all make being in the car feel like you're sitting in your living room.

I am often surprised just how much worse than I thought the weather really is when I step out of the car. I guess some drivers are just lulled into a sense of imunity and don't think about how slippery roads can become.
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Mon 22 Nov 2004 05:35
Multiple Accidents today - Honestjohn
Bobby G is right. Weather patterns have changed and we have to be prepared for freak conditions in UK winters. In January 2003 I was on the M25 heading from Stansted to Weybridge when it suddenly froze over. A snowfall was compacted by the traffic and immediately turned to ice. Despite traction control it was difficult to accelerate without wheelspin. And on downhill stretches, even from a crawl, it was difficult to stop. When everything did stop, I opened a door and found the road so slippery I could not even stand up. Thousands of people were trapped for many hours that night. So really we should all carry blankets, chocolate bars, water, etc in our cars during the winter just in case we are stuck for hours. And as Bobby G suggests we should be aware of the need to drive within our car's and out own limits in these conditions, remembering that on ice a car has no brakes.

HJ
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Mon 22 Nov 2004 09:02
Multiple Accidents today - Bromptonaut
Northampton had it's first snow on Thursday. Not forecast and there was no grit down on arriving at the station c 19:15. Good couple of millimetres of wet slush on road. No discernable effect on driving.

HJ is quite right. Short freezes in January 2003 and 2004 notwithstanding we have had a series of mild winters. Unless the worst predictions of warming are right we are due a reversion to normal. Time to make sure your car is equipped with a shovel, sacking or carpet to get you moving in low traction conditions, and proper kit for de icing all windows. Personalsurvival will be assisted by spare warm clothing, blankets and emergency rations such as nuts or chocolate. If you can keep the engine/electrics giong one of those kettles that runs off the giggy lighter might make life more comfortable. Wellies or hiking boots useful if you have to abandon, though that's a bad idea unless you're under guidance or know exactly where you're going.

Think through alternative routes for regular journies keeping to low level and well gritted roads.

Other views on essential winter kit/technique?
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Mon 22 Nov 2004 09:19
Multiple Accidents today - Mark (RLBS)
>>Other views on essential winter kit

A Landcruiser.
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Mon 22 Nov 2004 09:28
Multiple Accidents today - Honestjohn
Surprisingly (or not) one of the best 4x4s in fresh snow was the old FIAT Panda 4x4. (It was so light it didn't sink into the snow). I once did a story on one in Alston that has done 200,000 miles. Then the bloke's neighbour turned up in hers that had done 215,000 miles.

HJ
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Mon 22 Nov 2004 14:49
Multiple Accidents today - doctorchris
It might actually be the case that the relatively narrow tyres on this car allowed it to sink more easily throught the snow and gain traction on the underlying road.
I can't wait for the new Panda 4x4 to appear as I want to seriously downsize from my Terrano.
Regarding yesterday's frozen roads, I was on the A68 in the Otterburn region (Northumberland) yesterday before the gritters arrived. One Astra wrong way round in the ditch and further up the road a van on its side. 4WD was only marginally helpful on this black ice (you can go but can't stop any better).
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Mon 22 Nov 2004 10:14
Multiple Accidents today - Malcolm_L
Depends whose driving, I remember January 2003 when I counted 5 four wheel drives in hedges/ditches on a 2 mile stretch of road.

Yes, 4 wheel drive got them up the hill when no other car could, but traction doesn't get you round icy bends when you are travelling too fast for the conditions.

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Mon 22 Nov 2004 15:01
Multiple Accidents today - IanJohnson
Reminds me of March this year, drove from Lichfield to Swindon in the snow, one car slid off the M40 (just covered) and another five in hedges on the A429/A361.

Oddly enough ALL were BMWs, drivers enjoying the marvelous handling beyond the limits of the conditions. My Front wheel drive Honda (< 1 week old) never even gave a hint of sliding!
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Mon 22 Nov 2004 15:14
Multiple Accidents today - RichardW
Driving along the A70 towards Endinburgh a couple of years ago I sensed that the road was getting very frosty - I could see it glistening in the head lights - so I slowed right down. Soon saw a car in the ditch (Rav 4 I think!) so tried to stop to see if any help was needed - touched brakes and all 4 wheels locked up. Eventually got it to stop after about 200 yds, got out of car and promptly fell over. Hmm, very slippery! Amazing what grip the car tyres offered - until I wanted to stop that is! Guy in ditch was OK, said that the gritter had been going backwards and forwards every 20 mins or so for a few hours, and was not really having any effect on the road surface. Came home a different way!

Only later did I realise that I had stopped on the side of the road, and had anybody else come along and not been able to get past due to oncoming traffic and they would have shunted my car. Will bear that in mind next time.......


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RichardW

Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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