Only in Aberdeen...

I'm surprised an Aberdonian would pay for a BG service contract

Owain

Just having taken a bale of hay and a bucket of water down to the local "leisure centre" ???

Derek

He did well out of it with the previous Potterton Envoy. Over 1000 quids worth of repairs for each of the five years he had it before giving in and getting a better make.

No. Just taking the dog out in thick snow. I suppose your wife would keep on her stilettos? ;-)

Had the same problem in Sussex a couple of weeks back. A quick visit to the Worcester web site identified the problem and following thie advice to lag the pipe cured it.

Not below -5 down here.

Colin Bignell

What do they put on the roads? Rock salt only works down to -8.

In Slovakia where -20 could be seen as warm they used some sort of ash.

Adam

I've driven in Northern Scandinavia and the answer seems to be "nothing". The hire cars all came with studded tyres. (And electric sump heaters.)

The problem here if that it is still warm enough for the ice to melt under pressure, making it slippy. If it is cold enough this doesn't happen under the pressures caused by tyres. Thus -20 would be safer than -2.

There is a whole issue about rads that run in severe subzero.

One is, don't tarmac them., They crack up with ice.

Another is don't grit them. Its a waste of time since the ability to melt really cold snow is not that great. Also studded tyres wont rip the road or themselves to pieces on snow.

A third is, let people get used to driving on raw snow, and buy vehicles and tyres that can cope.

In this country, we hover around zero, and it both makes ice more likely than snow, and salt grit a possible deicer, as well as making people never get used to snow, or have proper vehicles with 4WD and M&S tyres that can drive on it safely at reasonable speeds.

So we fall apart.

The Freelander even on road tyres has been fine up to 30mph on sheet ice, and a fair bit more on fresh snow. Who needs grit?

Yep, they're forever filling cracks over here during the summer - then by the following year they have to start all over again. Makes for an interesting pattern on the road surface, though :-) (they seem to do a good enough job of construction that the whole surface doesn't simply lift, however)

Here they do seem to do it once in a while, but think it's more a case of them having the gritting capability on the back of the plough trucks, so they "may as well". It doesn't seem to do much good, although I suppose a bit if grit thrown in the with ice might do something for traction (slightly!).

I think they're illegal here - certainly chains are. Too many idiots using them in the wrong conditions and destroying the road surface, I believe.

Yep. Block heaters and snow tyres are very common... and of course keeping emergency provisions and blankets and a snow shovel in the boot in case you do get stuck :-)

As I said elsewhere, I've found that people are just as idiotic anywhere for the first few days of snow - then they more or less adapt. Problem with the UK of course being that the snow never lasts long enough for them to do the 'adapt' bit.

People who drive a Prius or Smart car? ;) *runs*

cheers

J.

It will likely have more grip for starting off than a car, being four wheel drive, but also likely to have more difficulty stopping...

My parents recently retired back to the UK after a few years working in Moscow. They brought their car back with them, together with its winter tyres.

Mum says she's been getting evil looks (of the "you're a dangerous nutter who's about to kill themselves" variety) in the recent snow, as she tools past people on her studded tyres and Russian driving skills :-)

Pete

Its no better and no worse with its ABS. Definitely better than the camper! I slid 15 feet past the gate in that one..and couldn't reverse back..had to go on until it found some traction.

actually its a very good balance between 'car comfort' and 'genuine, poor surface, grip'

Cyclist are good for getting extra traction.

mark

Best car I ever had for snow etc was a pre-war Austin 7. Large wheels and skinny tyres. Good ground clearance. Good weight distribution. Poor brakes and no power. Ideal for Scottish winter roads. But not the winters - no heater.