Snow Carnage on the A1 last Night
 

The mini beast struck with a vengeance on the A1 last night from Doncaster Nothwards but compounded by people driving like total numpties.

Case 1 Dropping down the hill to the bridge over the River Don, Nissan 370z comes past me (I'm doing 40 following a van in inside lane0 as road is just tracks) in outside lane, hits the bridge & spinny spin time Back end hits the outside barrier Front hits the nearside then car slides to a halt half on lane 1. the car directly behind stops, both the van & I crawl as driver & passenger get out of car looking OK.

So the road is slippery does that slow people down nope....

Case 2 at next junction A1 shut Northwards due to cars spinning & crashing, left the road at the junction exit & then directed to rejoin the other side of the junction but obviously proceed with caution.

Case 3 A car that had been sat in the traffic for case 2 (Blue Audi S5 was in lane 2 next to me) had gone blasting away once back on the A1, about 4 miles further on same Audi Facing wrong way half up the embankment.

Case 4 Wind forward to North Yorks 1 car in outside lane facing wrong way all smashed in, on hard shoulder 3 other cars that had all either hit it &/or each other, highways agency in attendance.

Case 5 Now in County Durham, loads of cars still tanking it past us (I stuck at 35-40) yet another set of accidents 1 with 2 cars in outside lane & multiple cars on the shoulder with police in attendence, we crawl past literally maybe
300m further on a fire engine sat on the shoulder dealing with a car in the field, maybe a further 300m on another fire engine another set of hazard lights blinking away in the field.

It took me 5Hrs to get from the M18 junction on the A1 to the A194M turn on the A1, normally this takes me 2.

In that whole distance although the signs were showing as salt spreading I didn't see a single gritter heading north, must have been 5 or more going south.

Drove much of this route yesterday from Newark (1245h) up to Scotch Corner (1445h). Windy with snow flurries and nothing settling.
However, what concerns me is seeing accidents on the A66 when (1) drivers were warned NOT to use the trans-pennine routes, and (2) the snow gates being closed too late to stop drivers getting into trouble.
As Andy implies, many drivers simply don't understand how to drive in winter conditions.

Nothing to worry about, just natural selection taking place, just make sure you stay well out of the way and let 'em get on with it. :lightbulb: All the clues are there, some people never learn.

Could that be because you were driving at the same speed or even less than that of the gritter so logic says you're not going to see one?

Why would ANYONE go on the A66 when the weather starts to dip? You don't need the gates to close to steer clear. Obvious exceptions for people who live off it but for those crossing east to west and vice versa, just don't do it. Not a good road unless the weather is gentle.

I was driving down to Newcastle around 7pm last night, snow flurries in the main, the odd short stretch were road lines were not visible. Nothing at all like the experiences described already though. An Audi Q7 was driving up a slip road joining the A1. No rear lights on. I flashed the car, nothing. Flashed again, nothing. I over took, he had not built up any speed still, tried to motion to the driver but he wasn't looking. Dangerous, very dangerous.

Had to drive the A57 back into Sheffield yesterday night, couple of inches of settled snow and very poor visibility - the regular speed limit is 50 and there was no way I was going more than 25 even on CrossClimates (which are pretty good on snow). About every 5 minutes somebody would be three inches from my bumper, many of them flashing their lights and aggressively trying to pass. I let them go - natural selection will do its job. Saw a lot of stranded and bumped cars in the city too - why people would still try to go out on a Saturday evening in thick snow on summer tyres is beyond me. I barricaded myself back in the house as soon as possible.

Also, both in the snow and in the recent fog - lots and lots of people with no lights!

Get winter tyres; then you won't have to follow in the tracks on the inside lane. Anyone on Summer tyres that tries to follow you will soon get back into the "slow" track lane, if they are able !

I'm surprised British insurance companies haven't cottoned on to the fact that Winter tyres are financially better for them during Winter than Summer tyres ( not just on Snow and ice). I became a convert to using Winter tyres when I lived in Switzerland from 1985 to 1989 and all our car have had winter tyres ( apart from my V60 Polestar, but it will have them from late Autumn)

Problem I found in mid Wales was drifting of snow off the fields. I failed to get to Devl's Bridge to collect a nurse and turned back on the information given by a plough driver. Then towed a 4x4 towing a golf out of a drift as I passed. Drifts were 2ft deep and building rapidly, the plough had been driving back and forth all day just trying to keep the road open. As my pick up was 4 miles off the ploughed route it was deemed preferable to leave the nurse safe at home as there was no way I was getting back out of the dip even if I got in.

Hasten to add I was in the landrover not the Volvo.

Paul.

I drove to Newcastle and back last Sunday (over the North Yorkshire Moors) stopping for refreshment on the return journey in Helmsley.

It was cold (below 7) and evidence of heavy snow, quite a few on the roads, overtaking me, oblivious to the conditions - guy in a Mini overtook me at speed and he was off the road 20 minutes later !

So many fools on the roads.

Jon.

N.B been using winter tyres for nearly a decade now.

I have winter tyres but am happy to tootle along come the snow. A couple of weeks ago I was going up the M6 through The Lakes in the snow. Only the inside lane was cleared. I could have gone up the middle or outside lane but it is amazing how your perception falters when you can not see the lane markings. Rather than be a hero I was happy to tuck in. I get that it gives you the option but it does not mean that you always have to take it.