Sliding car !

[Jethro_uk]

We had some snowfall last night - about 4". It started snowing while we were out, and had settled when we got home. I managed to reverse the car

*up* onto our drive - it's maybe a 1 in 15 slope. Nothing too steep. Got out, locked up, thought no more of it.

Lo and behold, this morning, get up, and the car is almost off the drive, and into the road. With a load of foot and car tracks around it (why did no one knock our door ?). I managed to clear it off, and reverse it back first time, although there was a slight slipping. It's now got a brick under each front wheel.

It's a Citroen Grand C4 automatic. Electronic handbrake. When I started the car, I felt the handbrake come off, and when I stopped the car, the handbrake came on. Also, looking at the tracks behind the front wheels I think the car managed to slide somehow, not roll.

Anyone ever experienced anything like this before ? My current theory is that driving in the snow last night built up a layer of ice on the wheels which meant when I parked the car, it was on 4 ice coasters.

[polygonum]

Am somewhat surprised quite how much snow there is here - when it started yesterday afternoon it looked like the sort of slushy sleet that does not build up. Winter wonderland this morning! And still snowing.

This is in softie south! (Buckinghamshire)

Couple of winters ago we had several spontaneous breakaways on a steep road that provides access here. I saw one happen - car was absolutely stationery and unattended (had obviously been parked some considerable time earlier). First the back end (it was facing downhill) slid out, then the whole vehicle. Came to a stop at an odd angle ten or twenty metres down the slope - hit the kerb.

Another one (which I did not see) slid across a major road junction (traffic light controlled) in similar fashion. Think it caused an accident. Certainly the lack of salting on the hill which was behind these incidents got the police very annoyed at the council. Since then salting of the hill has been re-instituted.

[Paul D Smith]

...snip...

Parked my car in the work car park late last year after most of the snow had cleared, but we'd had a cold night. Slight slope, handbrake on, stepped out, lock the car and then noticed if was gently sliding past me!

Sorted it but it wasn't much of a slope, and of course only two sets of wheels need to slide because the hand brake only works on the rear wheels.

Whenever snow is forecast, I now carry a bucket of sand and a spade in the car. Very useful to me and all the cars stuck on ice that I come across - and this is softie London.

Paul DS

[GB]

Was your reaction to get in and try to do something about it? Or grab hold of the car, only to find it pulls you along? Or just shrug and hope for the best?

[Paul D Smith]

Was your reaction to get in and try to do something about it? Or grab hold of the car, only to find it pulls you along? Or just shrug and hope for the best?

+++++++++

I jumped in so that I could steer it away from trouble. Our car park is quite narrow and there was a bike shed and other vehicles immediately in front. It was also sliding very slowly so there was no rush or panic involved.

The "fix" involved parking the other way around (rear wheels down slope) as the lower part of the slope was clear so with 20/20 hindsight after I'd solved the problem, the car would not have slid too far once the rear wheels reached the clear section.

+++++++++ Using Windows Live Mail 2012 - no auto indenting - pah!

[Nightjar]

One feature of the design of winter tyres is that they intentionally capture snow in the pattern. Snow sticks to snow much better than rubber does.

Colin Bignell

[Peter Crosland]

I have the same model of car and have never had a problem with the parking brake releasing accidentally. The parking brake operates by winding a cable around a small drum until a preset load is detected when it cuts the motor and remains latched until released. I suspect what happened was the force of gravity was enough to exceed the frictional grip available.

It reminds me of a law that applies in San Francisco which requires drivers who park their cars on a hill to turn the wheels inward to the kerb to reduce the chance of accidental runaway occurring.

In your case small chocks should prevent a re-occurrence.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Same here. I have a bag of sharp sand for the purpose, which was dried out slowly in the warm over the summer. (You don't want a fresh bag of wet sand in the car.)

I have used sharp sand for this purpose a number of times, and it works extremely well.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes you need chocks. as in chocks away.

Brian

[Terry Casey]

I remember going to college in the snow one day in my mate's car, which he parked in the (level) students' car park as usual.

When we came to go home, the three us us piled into Barry's car, Barry started the engine, put it into gear and then the engine revved and ... nothing!

We got out and found the rear wheels suspended about an inch above the ground! The perimeter of the parking area was marked a barrier of piping several inches above the ground. The barrier was also several feet from the fence, so not easy to judge the distance when covered in snow.

Barry was just a few inches too far back and, of course, most of the snow had melted during the day leaving the rear suspension supported on the pipe ...

[Jethro_uk]

True. Having mentioned this incident at work, it seems it's not unknown. I've obviously been lucky these past years.

Isn't that in the highway code ? In case of handbrake failure ? I was taught to always leave a car in gear - who cares if the handbrake fails (I used handbrake too, though).

Two house bricks are now securely wedged - onto block paving, *not* snow. All I have to do now, is remember to remove them before next setting off.

It was quite surreal, seeing all the tyre and foot prints, going around the car !

On a legal note (hence Xpost). My wife uses a wheelchair (quite apart from not being allowed to drive anymore). If I had been away from home, maybe on a weeks site visit, what would be the situation, regarding getting the car moved ? Clearly it was an obstruction (it was about 3 feet into the road). She would have been physically incapable of getting to the car, even if she could drive. Assuming neighbours couldn't/ wouldn't assist, what could be done ? We're members of the RAC, so would they be able to help ? Or is this one of the few times a call to the police (or fire brigade) is warranted ?

[Mrcheerful]

The rear wheels would have very little weight on them with the car facing downhill. Leaving it in gear would help enormously, as would turning the steering so that it could not reach the road. See Rule 252 of the highway code.

In the event of it being an obstruction the Police could get it removed at the owners eventual expense.

[Davey]

My reaction on reading this was to wonder if the footprints were made by the folks who had pushed the car down the slope? That would also explain the no knocking at your door.

[Jethro_uk]

No, there were no footprints behind the car - just 3" snow. The footprints all tracked faithfully around the nose of the car, which was across the pavement and 3' into the road.

Meanwhile, the house across the road from me, which is also up a slope, had a skip lorry come to try and collect a skip. He found it very hard going, and I had visions of this sodding lorry gently sliding down the road, across the road, and into our lounge .... and the sister in law called - apparently their neighbours tree has fallen into their garden (smashing the wall) with the weight of snow. At least they're insured ....

[Chris J Dixon]

I once had the experience whilst in the car, which at the time was an Austin 1800 :-(

I was trying to get home one snowy night, and a van in front of me got into difficulties. I stopped on the hill, put on my handbrake, but as soon as I lifted off the brake pedal, the car began to slide slowly backwards.

Luckily, the obstruction moved, and I managed to get going again.

Chris

[Bill Wright]

All prudent drivers do that.

Bill

[Davey]

That law is strictly enforced. You can see the effect in many films of the San Francisco area, eg. Bullitt, the TV series Ironsides, and the TV series with Don Johnson (not Miami Vice, the other one).

[Nick Odell]

Thoughts went straight to Streets of San Francisco but that was Michael Douglas, wasn't it? Erme... the one with Cheech - or was it Chong? Nash Bridges! That's the fella!

Nick

[Davey]

Yes, that's it. It was Cheech Marin as his side-kick.

[Dave Liquorice]

I've known it whilst in the car most unnerving! Hand brake on and foot on brake, in gear, sliding down hill... Takes quite a bit of quick thinking to get all those "brakes" off and let the wheels start turning again to regain grip and steering (without power assistance), then try and stop without sliding again...

It is but only when parking on hills.

I leave mine in gear as well but that's partly because the transmission brake isn't that good unless you haul it on.

Would she have a set of keys? The RAC might get a bit funny about it as it is at home, unless you have the appropiate cover with them. With keys a call to the Police on 101 (*NOT* 999) and explain the situation and I'd expect 'em to send some one round to repark and chock it for her. Sticking 3' out into the road way is a serious hazard.