Friday 17th December 2004

Insurers' winter wonderland worries

A list of things to do during inclement weather

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Motoring organisations such as insurers love dishing out advice at this time of year – one wonders what they do in countries that experience real winters, such as Sweden.

But nonetheless here, courtesy of a number of insurers, is an amalgam of Things To Do over winter:

• Your most important asset is good visibility. So check lights are clean and working properly. Check windscreen wipers work. Make sure you have clear all-round visibility before moving off and ensure the washer bottle is filled. Not only do clean windows make sense, but it is actually illegal to drive without good all-round visibility.
• Use credit cards as windscreen scrapers to scrape off all ice and snow (never use hot water!), make sure all the mirrors are clear and the defroster has cleared the insides of the windows.
• Watch for black ice. Driving on snow is dangerous, but at least you know it's there. Driving on ice is even more dangerous, not just because it can be more slippery, but mainly because you often can't see it. And the thicker it is, the harder it is to see.
• Black ice forms when running water or standing water freezes on the road. And it doesn't automatically disappear when the sun comes out it lingers in the shadows. Expect to find it on corners, bends and roundabouts that haven't been warmed by the sun and it won't take you by surprise when you do encounter it.
• Wear sunglasses when driving in snow. Some people think that it looks ridiculous but it makes absolute sense. Low winter sunshine reflecting off snow can be blinding, so keep a pair of anti-glare glasses in the car.
• Leave a little earlier than usual and factor in more time for the journey. It’s better to arrive late than not at all.
• Be patient: Drive at a speed that takes account of the road conditions and always leave a larger gap to the car in front.
• Anticipate: Increase braking distances so you don’t brake too sharply and risk skidding.
• Concentrate: pay extra attention to traffic movement and don’t get distracted by passengers, radio, phone etc.
• Be understanding: Consider other motorists and give them time and space if they are having problems with the weather or road conditions.
• Put Vaseline on your battery terminals
• Drive slowly in a high gear
• Carry a spade in the boot

[corcoran]

i love the 'spade in the boot'. i got a lexus stuck across a ditch once and it took more than a bloody spade to move it again, i can tell you.

'spade in the boot'. hey, i have one all year round for road-rage protection.

*giggle*

[Mustard]

Yes we remember that lexus mate!

[m-five]

I like the "watch out for black ice...it's dangerous because you can't see it"

[Yugguy]

It's simple. Train numpties to drive slower on ice and snow. The amount of tards I see spinning their wheels madly in the snow always amuses me.

[thebullettrain]

What's wrong with using hot water?

[dan_the_man]

Yeah what's wrong with hot water ? I have used it for 12 years to better effect than de-icer, plus the warmth melts/demists ice on the inside too.

[Mikey G]

dan_the_man said:

Yeah what's wrong with hot water ? I have used it for 12 years to better effect than de-icer, plus the warmth melts/demists ice on the inside too.

It can crack the windscreen if done too violently, says he who has seen it happen

[slinky]

Corcoran, I have a feeling you may know the good Mrs S.. (aka Emma)

Drop me a line..

slinky

[dcb]

Can't see what the fuss is about - they tell us this every year, and when a few of us can't cope, the insurance companies will be forced to do exactly what they always do anyway every year and put our premiums up.

[cptsideways]

It somehow eludes me how many people need educating on such daft matters. Do they really think it will make the blindest bit of difference???


Numpties will always be numpties, it's a genetic thing bred in over many years of only driving on Sundays to the church.

The correct term is Numpticus Foglightinus Darwinii

Let Darwin be thy educator

[nonegreen]

No, this is all tommy rot. As long as you are within the speed limit and driving a modern car with modern brakes and tyres you cannot go wrong. If the road is slippy its the councils fault and you should sue them.

[900T-R]

If that's so - how comes between Christmas and now PH'ers have written off a Beemer, a Tuscan and a 3200GT in single vehicle accidents?

Be careful out there - and yes, that goes for EVERYONE.

cptsideways said:

It somehow eludes me how many people need educating on such daft matters. Do they really think it will make the blindest bit of difference??? Numpties will always be numpties, it's a genetic thing bred in over many years of only driving on Sundays to the church. The correct term is Numpticus Foglightinus Darwinii Let Darwin be thy educator

[Bodo]

900T-R said:

If that's so - how comes between Christmas and now PH'ers have written off a Beemer, a Tuscan and a 3200GT in single vehicle accidents?

Probably because they didn't

• Carry a spade in the boot

or

• Put Vaseline on their battery terminals