f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Just been away for a week or so to a sunnier part of the world and arrive back in the UK today to chaos caused by a few inches of snow.

Just like last year actually

Now remember last year when the then opposition party were telling us the country wouldn't grind to a halt under their governance.

Seems like they were wrong... what a shocker!!

The Dogs B******s

Did the last Government buy more snow?

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Nah, think they all snort the same amount

GlesgaKiss

Indeed! Not as bad for us this year though. Temps aren't quite as low (down to about minus 10 compared to around minus 20 last year), but even more schools etc seem to be off. There was one tragic accident involving a school bus very near to us last year so it looks like they are being extra cautious because of it.

At least the cars still work, whereas we had diesel cars refusing to start last year. Despite this the handling of the situation seems to be even worse than last year by local councils. Having been involved in construction work in council depots before it's hardly surprising. Once their wee hands get a little bit cold they probably jack it in and sit in the van.

what would scooby do

Main problems are retards running around in 4wd transport with summer tyres on

GlesgaKiss

Approaching a corner and just expecting to go round it, at any speed?

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

It has not even snowed here and they are shutting schools because it "might snow" A lot of schools have cancelled after school activities as well as it is too cold for the children to be outside.

Snazy

There was an interesting exchange in the house of commons about this very subject actually.
On a similar note, when will people start taking a ounce of responsibility for their own **** too? Clearing cars, paths, learning to drive, learning when NOT to drive etc

We have nice new gritters around here this winter, ploughs on them and everything. So someone did something right.

GlesgaKiss

You're kidding us on??

mrmadcap

I think it's to make it easier for people to get into work without the school run to contend with. The kids can stand a couple of days off school, but it can have a massive impact on business.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Its not the government that are standing still, its the public !

The country isnt geared up because we have needed to be, looks like that may change if this weather persists, basically the place wont grind to a halt if the government legislate so we have to all have a set of winter wheels and tyres, over a few years the infrastructure and people will adapt but we have had the odd cold snap in the past but generally over the last twenty or more years, mild and wet winters, can you imagine how p1ssed off the population would be if billions were spent on snow clearing infrastructure and there hadnt been any cold winters. There would be Daily Mail headlines about all the kit standing still having never been used, its the weather, nobody knows what its going to do and you can only really go on what has been an average, if the average shifts and cold winters become consistent then we may end up coping better.

In the meantime, I reckon another year or two of this and we will have to all spent £500 to £2000 on winter tyres for each car like in other countries.

The close schools as the site may not have heating or isnt safe, because they dont have enough staff to ensure the kids safety, it isnt the governemnts fault, I suspect most of it is fear of litigation from angry parent after their child slipped, or god forbid got hit and slightly chafed by a snowball, everyone seems to go mental if anything happens and screams blue murder, then the health and safety goes into overdrive and the self same people moan about the consequences, like all the claims direct companies that get clumsy Chavs a couple of grand for a big telly and then moan because their car insurance goes up, well durr !

The goverment can be feckless, lazy, greedy, out of touchor whatever but sometimes this country of ours needs to take a collective look in the mirror and stop blaming everything on someone else.

GlesgaKiss

My maw was just saying this J4cko. Particularly about kids going to school and their parents' attitude. I used to be taken in to school in any weather, even when at least half the kids didn't show up (lol). And she was saying there was even less chance of getting off back then... that was with the most basic of cars and buses compared to what we have today.

Also, the kids aren't even allowed exposure to the cold! Even when I was at school in the nineties and early 2000s we were out shivering in the playground during intervals. And doing cross country in this weather.

It seems in the last 5 years or so that there has been a big shift towards the wimpy/nanny state. As you say, litigation probably plays a large part.

RA Dunk

lol you should have tried primary school/academy in the early eighties, we were practically booted outside at break times and dinner times no matter what the weather! the irony of it was we would often end up throwing snow ***** at school windows then get dragged back in to get the belt!

Martin2005

I didn't even realise there was such a thing as 'summer tyres'

Are there spring and autumn ones too?


Seriously man what a completely arrogant statement, do you think 20 million car owner in the UK have complete sets of tyres ready to go, just in case in gets cold?

'Retards' FFS

RA Dunk

I guess the likes of Sweden, Norway, Germany etc are all retards as well because they use winter tyres?

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

They do in outher countries that have consistently cold/snowy/icy winters, if our winters stay like this for a few years it will happen, it will have to.

The big, wide, low profile tyres we have over here are generally Summer tyres and are suitable for warmer temperatures, you can get all season which are a bit more general purpose and grip to lower temperatures but dont provide the grip in the dry or the aesthetics we go for over here, then winter tyres have a more agressive tread pattern to deal with snow and ice but tend to be not so great in summer, slower, worse handling and noisier.

Snow tyres are just that, useless on dry roads but they mean, and I have seen it myself, an old Renault 5 drives around a stricken Bristish reg X5 in France, only difference was the tyres and the French driver taking a better route round the corner which was uphil, going for a shallower gradient, but mainly to get round the X5.

Really, it seems bizarre getting a 4wd and fitting it with 285 profile summer tyres with a 40 series profile, its just for the look, they tend to ride badly, they dont handle that well despite the rubber due to being so high, ok an X5 does quite well, but it isnt as good as a series. Then in winter all the posh 4wd brigade think they are invincible beacuse they have 4wd, when in reality its mainly down to tyres.

A separate set for winter has if you read Pistonheads, become a possibility/reality for a lot of people, depends whether you want to keep moving when there is some snow.

Martin2005

Well it's time to buy shares in tyre firms then

RA Dunk

TBH I think winter tyres would seriously reduce the amount of accidents on the roads in winter, don't know why the government hasn't made this law yet if they were as much into road safety as they say.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I watched question time last night, and not once was this problem fully acknowledged: All they mentioned was gritters gritter and gritters. WE DON'T NEED GRITTERS!

Simple fix, that would help inalot of cases. ALL public services vehicles should, by law. Have winter tyres fitted from November to February. (Buses, emergency vehicles etc). Gritters have them (obviously), so why not everything else?

Also not one thing on TV advising people on how to drive in the snow...I mean teh news constantly bleats on how crap it is out there, but how about they report something productive like information to drivers on how to drive in teh snow (speed, treating controls like eggshells, gears, traction control usage , and don't revs the nuts off the engine etc.)

Until then, nothing will change. Focusing on how much crap (grit+salt) they dump onto the road is not the answer; its the fact that 90% of vehicles run tyres designed for a Mediteranian or east asian climate (Martin: one can get summer tyres designed for cooler, wetter climates - mainly Michelin, Continental and Vredestein, whereas Pirelli, Yokohama and Bridgestones are typically more suited to dryer warmer climates, especially the performance variants). Until that issue is addressed, the problem will never go away. Its obvious the snow is going to come back this time next year, and the year after that, and after that.

And seeing Scotland and the Welsh have devolved government and get alot more snow than the rest of the UK; its perfectly within their power to make it mandatory for all vehicles to keep snowsocks/chains within their vehicles or to use winter tyres during the winter period. So why haven't they done it?


Could even bring in a law; any vehicle stuck in snow using summer tyres without supplmentary aids (socks or chains) that is causing an obstruction on the highway (be it dumped or stuck) will incurr 3 points for the driver/owner and £100 fine plus whatever fee it costs to remove it and store by a private salvage company. Vehicles stranded that have winter provision will be excluded from any fines/points, but may still removed at the owner's cost if its causing an obstruction.

jonc

I remember in PE we used to go out in sub zero temperatures in nothing more that a T-shirt and shorts to play football on a fozen pitch on a misty frosty afternoon. Of course the teacher would be wrapped up in a nice thick warm coat! Chillblain hell came at shower time!

urban

iTrader: (1)

Indeed

Nowadays for example, my 12year old daughters school won't let them outside at break/lunch
Also when they arrive in the mornings they've to go straight into school and are not allowed to play outside.

I distinctly remember that teachers would not venture out because they'd get pelted by snowballs

What was also worse was that you'd come back from breaktime - hands red raw with the cold form the snowballs and could bearly hold your pen.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Bloody hell, don't remind me. First snowfall and the PE teachers would have us doing cross-country treasure hunts for PE wearing just shorts and t-shirts. No jumpers or tracksuit bottoms allowed. Luckily a few mates lived near by to the park, so we'd nip in for a quick cuppa and warm up. Then emerge an hour later pretending we got lost or went the wrong way

In the latter years the staff eventually gave in to parental pressure and comissioned an official "uniformed" jumper for winter PE....on their introduction, they all sold out within the same hour.

Torture was when the tallest kids who could reach the main thermostat for the showers decided to turn up the temperature...then a few minutes later when we got used to it, whack it on to full cold....and run. I hated school

Lydia72

My OH has winter tyres on but the road is thick snow so will make **** all difference because he can't get off the drive!
When it wasn't quite so bad the other day he was still skidding about, dread to think what it would have been like with normal tyres on. The car behind was so close we couldn't see its headlights and then nearly got took out at the traffic lights by some **** in a 4 x 4 who merrily drove through a red light, people are idiots regardless of what tyres they have/ what they are driving.
I've read on another forum that some insurance companies charge you extra if you have winter tyres or refuse to insure you full stop (classed as a mod apparently).

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

That should only be the case if the tyre size is different to the original or not a manufacturer approved size and speed/load rating.

Brand and model should not make a diffence; otherwise insurers would charge you extra for using Nankangs (which they should IMO but that's another debate ).

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Agree on Nankangs, have had the misfortune to have them twice, made of hard plastic I think, changed them for Contis on my Fiat Coupe Turbo on the front, was like getting 4wd in comparison.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

We have some Nankang NS-1s on our Pug 206 pool van (they were already fitted when we bought it).

Its lethal in the wet, wheelspins so easily, depsite only having 70bhp (1.9 non-turbo diesel )....Its not been moved since the snow fell

tony de wonderful

It's the Teachers wanting a day off.

tony de wonderful

Our school had these reversible polyester long sleeve shirts which were not very warm at all but obviously better than a T-Shirt.

Cross country runs were a favorite in winter if the ground was frozen, otherwise it was football or rugby.

I don't mind sport and TBH cold is ok if you are running about, it's just when it's cold and wet it is a bitch.

Nowadays I fear schools have really gone all soft and dispensed with the Corinthian spirit!