Anyone else been having "fun" on the roads?

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Anyone else been having "fun" on the roads?

93 posts & 43 voices | Started 2 years ago by Smee | Latest reply from RustyNissanPrairie

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martinxyz - Member

slw,thats what i had today.some white merc van overtook on dual carriageway heading south from Inverness and passed me whilst cutting thru untouched snow on a climb.I dont mind driving in it but these days its the worry of folk sliding across the road into you that bothers me.

a few years ago in whiteout conditions an L200 hit the front of a lorry next to me as i pulled off the A9 into a slip road and the guy luckily only split his head wide open. we put a jacket of his around his head and told him it didnt look too bad.the mess of what sprayed out the back of his truck is still at the side of the road 2 years on.this all happened with each vehicle approaching each other about 45mph.

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

Took me an hour to travel 8 miles, stopping twice to clear the snow from under my wiper blade seating area and to clear my headlights that were practically useless. No scary moments though, know my car well and keep a LONG distance behind people when it snows.

Did enjoy the "tweak the handbrake and slide perfectly into the parking space" in an empty area of Tescos enormous car park though :).

Posted 2 years ago #
sugdenr - Member

I made it round M25 & down M3 from Harrow to Lightwater okish then it just went pear shaped. Luckily I had the bike on board, so I abandoned the car and rode home. Just rode back and picked it up without drama. The moral of the story is always carry your bike

Posted 2 years ago #
MrSmith - Member

for a cycling forum it's amazing how easily the urge to "have fun" driving a car in the snow is stronger than that of worrying about other road users, cyclists in particular.
but i guess it doesn't really matter as it's just a bit of fun and nobody ever gets hurt.

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

for a cycling forum it's amazing how easily the urge to "have fun" driving a car in the snow is stronger than that of worrying about other road users, cyclists in particular.

Most people aren't stupid enough to "have fun" while there's a risk of taking out other people/cars/cyclists, I'd hope. And just because you're on a cycling forum doesn't mean people are automatically "anti-car". Some are, but most cyclists are also drivers, and many cyclists are also petrolheads, just petrolheads more aware of their impact on others and more careful where they play.

Posted 2 years ago #
bruk - Member

Did a straw poll today and I was the only one of 7 of us to admit to deliberately heading out to large open car parks to slip/slide and handbrake turn around for entertainment!

I used the old 'it'll help me know how to control it if I do skid in real life' excuse as they all looked blankly at me.

Remember getting chased off the (empty)car park at Timex in Dundee by security for having fun getting it sideways!

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

M_F - to drive at a speed that was appropriate for the conditions when everyone else was going way faster than that would have been a more dangerous option. I do not expect you to understand this though.

So you drive faster than you know to be safe 'because everyone else is'? No, you are right - I do not understand that mentality. I don't think any driving instructor would recommend that to a pupil either.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

Didn't think you'd understand. I was correct in that assumption. Let me explain it to you.

So you drive faster than you know to be safe 'because everyone else is'?
There is more that one source of danger on a snowy road. To drive at a speed which minimised the chances of sliding is sometimes more dangerous than driving a bit faster. This additional danger comes about because you would be forcing the muppets that are driving too fast to brake harshly and increase the chances of them losing control and crashing into you. Simple really, but I still don't expect you to understand someone else point of view, nor even attempt to.

Posted 2 years ago #
hora - Member

Did a straw poll today and I was the only one of 7 of us to admit to deliberately heading out to large open car parks to slip/slide and handbrake turn around for entertainment!

Going to be honest here. I think its an ideal time to learn how your car behaves and how quickly it looses traction based on steering input and accelerator/brake variation.

Yes- you cant do if theres other cars close by but with common sense it far outweighs anyone saying 'its reckless' etc

I remember the first time I did it, I was amazed/slightly scared by how quickly the front end let go/understeer dramatically.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

There is more that one source of danger on a snowy road.

There is more than one source of danger on any road.

And I understand that people drive too fast and to drive more slowly may cause other people to have to brake, but you still put yourself and others in danger by driving at that speed - proved by the fact you almost lost control of the car. Are you saying you made an incorrect judgement to drive faster because you thought it presented less danger than driving at a speed you thought to be safe?

Posted 2 years ago #
crazy-legs - Member

+1 for that - I'm not daft enough to deliberately slide it around on a road with other traffic/pedestrians etc around but sliding it round the car park yesterday was great fun, harmless (big open space, no-one else there, no kerbs or other obstacles) and it allowed me to get a feel for how my big FWD car handled in snow and ice while under power/braking etc.

Posted 2 years ago #
oldgit - Member

Predictably safe driving in my old Discovery with AT tyres just running a little less air.
Why everyone thinks I should be going fast? It four wheel drive yes, but it's four wheel stopping like every other car

Posted 2 years ago #
hora - Member

Yep. Then if it ever happened on a road your first reaction wouldnt be PANIC and freeze up. As in Finland where drivers learn car control first.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that I chose to drive at that speed because it was the safest option, but even the safest option is dangerous sometimes.

Posted 2 years ago #
Jamie - Member

I did not have chance to have any 'fun' driving as my driving test got cancelled due to the weather

Posted 2 years ago #
robdob - Member

I have found that snow helps you to

practice what happens in a FWD car when it goes sideways
turn round in small areas without having to do a 3 point turn.

However I did get stuck yesterday during the course of my work. I had to attend an incident and went down an unfamiliar road. I'd checked it on a map and a satellite image but it didn't reveal how steep both sides of the valley I was driving into was. By the time I thought of going back I wasn't able to. I couldn't get out either side after slithering down a tight lane.

I have never been happier to see a V8 engine. A 4l one in an old Range rover. The guy (Charlie - thanks!) attached a rope to my car and pulled me up a 300yd long snow covered 1in3 track without a hint of wheelspin from his vehicle. Truly impressive. Got his address so he'll be sent something in the post as a huuuuge thankyou.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

I'm saying that I chose to drive at that speed because it was the safest option, but even the safest option is dangerous sometimes.

That statement can't be proven because we don't know that driving at a safer speed (other traffic speeds discounted) would have caused a different danger to the one you created by driving too quickly. You have just assumed it would.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

Nor can it be disproven. Go for it - give it a go.

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

I have never been happier to see a V8 engine. A 4l one in an old Range rover. The guy (Charlie - thanks!) attached a rope to my car and pulled me up a 300yd long snow covered 1in3 track without a hint of wheelspin from his vehicle. Truly impressive. Got his address so he'll be sent something in the post as a huuuuge thankyou.

Good old classic rangerovers, used to love ours.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

I can't just like you can't.

What would a driving instructor tell a student to do in those circumstances?...

Posted 2 years ago #
JonEdwards - Member

On the way back down the M1 on Sunday night we stopped at London Gateway services to swap over driving duties. The empty carpark was sheet ice/snow.

My missus seemed to think it was most unreasonable that I immediately started playing about. She didn't seem to understand that:-

I'm male, in a torquey RWD car, in an empty, icy, carpark. It's in my genes to start trying to do donuts!

Absolutely NOT something for the public road though.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

Tell them to stay at home.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

My thoughts exactly Goan but I didn't even bother suggesting that to you as you would have said it was such an important journey.

So what would a driving instructor tell them to do if they were already in the middle of a journey and found themselves suddenly in those conditions?

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

Tell them to choose the safest option and makes sure they had the skills to correct and skids that will occur.

Posted 2 years ago #
robdob - Member

I'm male, in a torquey RWD car, in an empty, icy, carpark. It's in my genes to start trying to do donuts!

In a world of mens face creams, man bags, testosterone draining dull MPV's and self satisfying smug STW road safety morons it's great to hear that!!!

Although I have to take exception at the male thing, as my wife would probably have done it too.

Agreed not on a public road though. My car park fun has certainly helped my driving recently as I've been caught in 2 freakish blizzards with very sketchy road conditions. I have kept my speed down but I do know how the car feels and reacts to my inputs if something untoward happens.

Still want a V8 rangie though.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

Tell them to choose the safest option and makes sure they had the skills to correct and skids that will occur.

And almost cause other road users to crash in the meantime? You did make a series of very bad decisions on this one didn't you?

Posted 2 years ago #
Aristotle - Member

This was the exit from the Trafford Centre yesterday.

In a world of mens face creams, man bags, testosterone draining dull MPV's and self satisfying smug STW road safety morons it's great to hear that!!!

Oh yeah!

It should be a crime for a heterosexual man NOT to attempt a handbrake turn when it snows.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

M_F - explain that comment will you. Tell me what decisions were bad and why, then tell me what I should have done better.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

You chose to drive in conditions you knew to be unsafe. You chose to drive at a speed that was too quick for the conditions. You almost lost control of your own car putting you and any passengers at risk. You caused the articulated lorry driver behind to panic which could have caused even more danger to other road users.

And all because you thought it safer to keep up with other road users you knew to be going too quickly rather than drive at a speed you knew to be safe.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

I was on my way home and conditions deteriorated.

Why was my speed too fast for the traffic conditions?

Hitting the same patch of ice is what caused the lorry driver to be faced with the same problem that I was.

Explain why my decision to drive at that speed was less safe than driving slower? You've already said that you cant.

Then finish answering the above question - What would you have done differently?

I know you're trolling BTW - I'm just bored as I'm snowed in.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

Why was my speed too fast for the traffic conditions?

It was to quick for the road conditions, not the traffic conditions.

Didn't you see the ice?

I remain quite astounded that an ex-driving instructor would defend driving more quickly than the road conditions dictate just to keep up with other road users.

What would I have done differently? Drive at a speed I felt was safe for the road conditions, not at a speed to keep up with other road users I felt were driving too quickly.

Posted 2 years ago #
oldgit - Member

I'm off out later for a good drive and shall be having fun in the farms and quarries.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

Thing is you cant have road conditions without traffic conditions.

I told you that you wouldn't understand. I wouldn't expect any soft southern shandy drinker to understand.

I've explained already why driving at a speed to suit road conditions would have been more dangerous than my chosen option.

I put it to you that your chosen option of driving at 20mph when all around are driving at 60-70mph is more dangerous than my option. It's all about balancing the risks you see.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

You ASSUMED driving at a safe speed would have been more dangerous. You PROVED that driving at a dangerous speed was dangerous.

You balanced risks and still put yourself and others in danger.

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

I think we need to accept that it's ICY. It gets slippery, sometimes the car will slip in ice. You need the skills to handle it, if you come out the other side you did well, if you don't then you've not. There's little else that can be argued in the absence of field testing facilities.

Posted 2 years ago #

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