Council budget cuts – No gritting?

[FreeLitres]

Just a thought – the Government have announced major cuts to council budgets. As you know, Councils pay for road gritting when ice or snow is expected. Last winter, I noticed that some of the councils were cutting down the frequency and number of roads that they were gritting in order to stay within slightly reduced budgets.

Is anyone concerned that they might slash this activity in order to meet their new budgets?

Could this generally lead to more accidents and a further increase in insurance premiums?

(Editid for speelin.)

Edited by FreeLitres on Thursday 21st October 13:56

[Petrolhead_Rich]

I hope they do stop gritting...

I hate it, it doesn't last, it results in people having a false sense on security etc etc...

If you thought, st the roads havn't been gritted, I had best be careful. your going to drive more carefully than "oh its ok the gritters have been down this road...."

[cmackay81]

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

[kambites]

If it snows, I'll just stay at home.

[cmackay81]

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

What?

what can I say, getting fed up with winter which 4x4 threads for all of the 3 days they will be useful for this winter

in the end, emergency services need the main roads, so whatever happends, they will get gritted

Edited by cmackay81 on Thursday 21st October 14:00

[Petrolhead_Rich]

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

What?

what can I say, getting fed up with winter which 4x4 threads for all of the 3 days they will be useful for this winter

All that extra weight, good luck stopping and going round corners LMAO!

I'll stick to my 2wd with Winter Boots thanks!!

But don't worry, i'll bring a towrope to pull you out like last year in your fking freelander.....

[FreeLitres]

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

(and the winter tyre brigade will never stop gloating at the all-seasoners?)

Actually what you said there is interesting - I wonder if the new 4x4 owners will be flying through the snow as if they were dry conditions and causing more accidents than normal?

[FreeLitres]

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

What?

what can I say, getting fed up with winter which 4x4 threads for all of the 3 days they will be useful for this winter

in the end, emergency services need the main roads, so whatever happends, they will get gritted

Edited by cmackay81 on Thursday 21st October 14:00

So 4X4's are worse in winter? I really don't understand what point you're making.

Probably talking about the likes of 2 tonne Range Rover Sports on wide, low profile summer tyres. I imagine a light-weight hatchback with skinny grippy tyres could perform better in the snow.

[C2]

Petrolhead_Rich said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

What?

what can I say, getting fed up with winter which 4x4 threads for all of the 3 days they will be useful for this winter

All that extra weight, good luck stopping and going round corners LMAO!

I'll stick to my 2wd with Winter Boots thanks!!

But don't worry, i'll bring a towrope to pull you out like last year in your fking freelander.....

And when you get stuck, I expect a 4x4 owner with Winter boots might help you out.

The logic here bewilders me sometimes.

Edited by C2 on Thursday 21st October 14:10

[cmackay81]

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

What?

what can I say, getting fed up with winter which 4x4 threads for all of the 3 days they will be useful for this winter

in the end, emergency services need the main roads, so whatever happends, they will get gritted

Edited by cmackay81 on Thursday 21st October 14:00

So 4X4's are worse in winter? I really don't understand what point you're making.

I live up in the pennines. right in the middle of the really hilly bit. most roads don't get gritted up here, so i can guess what it will be like for the rest of the country if you don't receive grit.

every winter you see loads of accidents from the snow/ice, the cars involved are invariably softroaders that have taken it too fast, or people in landys and the likes that have met some ice, and found out the hard way that heavy cars suck at ice.

if you are daft enough to think an xc90 or qashqai will help you in the snow/ice then you are most likely to be one of the vehicles I see every year sliding back down the hill you thought you could make, back into a line of parked cars.

[C2]

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

What?

what can I say, getting fed up with winter which 4x4 threads for all of the 3 days they will be useful for this winter

in the end, emergency services need the main roads, so whatever happends, they will get gritted

Edited by cmackay81 on Thursday 21st October 14:00

So 4X4's are worse in winter? I really don't understand what point you're making.

I live up in the pennines. right in the middle of the really hilly bit. most roads don't get gritted up here, so i can guess what it will be like for the rest of the country if you don't receive grit.

every winter you see loads of accidents from the snow/ice, the cars involved are invariably softroaders that have taken it too fast, or people in landys and the likes that have met some ice, and found out the hard way that heavy cars suck at ice.

if you are daft enough to think an xc90 or qashqai will help you in the snow/ice then you are most likely to be one of the vehicles I see every year sliding back down the hill you thought you could make, back into a line of parked cars.

What?, if you're driving on a surface with a Coef of friction that near enough 0. weight surely is irrelevant? Its not the cars its the bloody daft owners.

How can anyone possibly say 2wd = better than 4wd in Snow?

Edited by C2 on Thursday 21st October 14:17

[cmackay81]

C2 said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

What?

what can I say, getting fed up with winter which 4x4 threads for all of the 3 days they will be useful for this winter

in the end, emergency services need the main roads, so whatever happends, they will get gritted

Edited by cmackay81 on Thursday 21st October 14:00

So 4X4's are worse in winter? I really don't understand what point you're making.

I live up in the pennines. right in the middle of the really hilly bit. most roads don't get gritted up here, so i can guess what it will be like for the rest of the country if you don't receive grit.

every winter you see loads of accidents from the snow/ice, the cars involved are invariably softroaders that have taken it too fast, or people in landys and the likes that have met some ice, and found out the hard way that heavy cars suck at ice.

if you are daft enough to think an xc90 or qashqai will help you in the snow/ice then you are most likely to be one of the vehicles I see every year sliding back down the hill you thought you could make, back into a line of parked cars.

What?, if you're driving on a surface with a Coef of friction that near enough 0. weight surely is irrelevant? Its not the cars its the bloody daft owners.

How can anyone possibly say 2wd = better than 4wd in Snow?

Edited by C2 on Thursday 21st October 14:17

no and no

[C2]

cmackay81 said:

C2 said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

What?

what can I say, getting fed up with winter which 4x4 threads for all of the 3 days they will be useful for this winter

in the end, emergency services need the main roads, so whatever happends, they will get gritted

Edited by cmackay81 on Thursday 21st October 14:00

So 4X4's are worse in winter? I really don't understand what point you're making.

I live up in the pennines. right in the middle of the really hilly bit. most roads don't get gritted up here, so i can guess what it will be like for the rest of the country if you don't receive grit.

every winter you see loads of accidents from the snow/ice, the cars involved are invariably softroaders that have taken it too fast, or people in landys and the likes that have met some ice, and found out the hard way that heavy cars suck at ice.

if you are daft enough to think an xc90 or qashqai will help you in the snow/ice then you are most likely to be one of the vehicles I see every year sliding back down the hill you thought you could make, back into a line of parked cars.

What?, if you're driving on a surface with a Coef of friction that near enough 0. weight surely is irrelevant? Its not the cars its the bloody daft owners.

How can anyone possibly say 2wd = better than 4wd in Snow?

Edited by C2 on Thursday 21st October 14:17

no and no

Oh, some science, now it all becomes clear. Thanks for explaining that to me.

[rhinochopig]

Personally I'd rather see them not bother gritting and just snowploughed the routes where it was prone to drifting. It'd certainly be better in corrosion terms.

[ShadownINja]

FreeLitres said:

Probably talking about the likes of 2 tonne Range Rover Sports on wide, low profile summer tyres. I imagine a light-weight hatchback with skinny grippy tyres could perform better in the snow.

Yep. My stbox was good fun last winter.

[richyb]

I found my hilux with A/T tyres very useful in the snow last year (lucky as the E38 was a right handful). The superwinch was unused and my tirfor never left the boot for the duration of the snow.

[cmackay81]

C2 said:

cmackay81 said:

C2 said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

doogz said:

cmackay81 said:

no. it will be funny when all the people that have gone out this year to buy a 4x4 try to take them on ice, then realise they are actually worse.

What?

what can I say, getting fed up with winter which 4x4 threads for all of the 3 days they will be useful for this winter

in the end, emergency services need the main roads, so whatever happends, they will get gritted

Edited by cmackay81 on Thursday 21st October 14:00

So 4X4's are worse in winter? I really don't understand what point you're making.

I live up in the pennines. right in the middle of the really hilly bit. most roads don't get gritted up here, so i can guess what it will be like for the rest of the country if you don't receive grit.

every winter you see loads of accidents from the snow/ice, the cars involved are invariably softroaders that have taken it too fast, or people in landys and the likes that have met some ice, and found out the hard way that heavy cars suck at ice.

if you are daft enough to think an xc90 or qashqai will help you in the snow/ice then you are most likely to be one of the vehicles I see every year sliding back down the hill you thought you could make, back into a line of parked cars.

What?, if you're driving on a surface with a Coef of friction that near enough 0. weight surely is irrelevant? Its not the cars its the bloody daft owners.

How can anyone possibly say 2wd = better than 4wd in Snow?

Edited by C2 on Thursday 21st October 14:17

no and no

Oh, some science, now it all becomes clear. Thanks for explaining that to me.

c2, i really can't be bothered to explain.

all i will say is i said ice and not snow. its completely different.

also i'm talking about pretend 4wds here, not actual 4x4s that go offroad.

try a mini on ice

[C2]

cmackay81 said:

c2, i really can't be bothered to explain.

all i will say is i said ice and not snow. its completely different.

also i'm talking about pretend 4wds here, not actual 4x4s that go offroad.

try a mini on ice

I still do not understand why 4 driven wheels does not equal more traction than 2 driven wheels?
I get snow tyres are amazing blah blah blah, but all things equal the physics behind this is baffling. I might weld my diff shut and remove a drive shaft apparently I'll be better off.

Edited by C2 on Thursday 21st October 15:09

Edited by C2 on Thursday 21st October 15:10

Edited by C2 on Thursday 21st October 15:12

[MarJay]

Erm, surely gritting, gritters and grit are payed for by council tax which is not affected by the Government budget? If they do cut gritting and are blaming the government then I suggest they are playing a crude political game.

The Highways agency will still grit. They are risking serious accidents if they don't.

[daz4m]

Petrolhead_Rich said:

I hope they do stop gritting...

I hate it, it doesn't last, it results in people having a false sense on security etc etc...

If you thought, st the roads havn't been gritted, I had best be careful. your going to drive more carefully than "oh its ok the gritters have been down this road...."

Oh dear