Jersey People Cant Drive in "Snow"

[Fasckira]

I say "snow", but 1cm isn't really anything yet it still prevented massive jams here in Jersey this morning.

Theres a 45 degree slop to get out of the car park I use and I had to wait for 3 people carriers to be pushed up (all woman drivers....) by the parking attendants. The guy turned to me and said if you think you can get enough speed up then to go for it - so I did, big time. Had the punto up, round, and onto the main road and in 3rd gear before the guy had finished walking to the next car behind.
Saw a Jag getting pushed up a 20 degree slope which had me in fits of laughter but then I turned onto "Les Varines" (a windy narrow country road thats full of blind corners) and saw a BMW M5 (Woman driver) on the corner. I thought, "****, the traffic must be right round the road" till I saw that the road ahead was empty - she just didnt know how to get her BMW up the gentle slope in all the "heavy snow".
An XR3i in front of me then decided to over take her so I followed once he was safely past but cringed as he stayed in 1st gear up the whole road, smoke belching out the back of his car.

Even now Im in work, about 80% of the office is missing and the ones who did make it in are all gossiping about how bad the snow is. I think Jersey drivers seriously need to learn how to drive in wet conditions (which is pretty much all it was) or not drive at all.

</bitch_rant>

 

[imported_Darkwave109]

love the bitchy rant but if any women see your rant i can see you getting a bitch slap lol

 

[Fasckira]

My rant was entirely factual

 

[Andi9386]

LOL so an XR3i (Ford) stayed in 1st gear while you went ahead in 3rd.

Just shows that Fiat's are superior to Fords. (LOL)

 

[muppet42]

I'm just glad I've got ABS for when any snow hits my area

 

[mrcinquecento]

I'm just glad I've got ABS for when any snow hits my area

abs and snow generally don't mix well

abs stops the wheels locking, great when the tyres can grip the road enough for the brakes to slow the wheels and the abs can hold them on and off enough to make it effective, the tyres need more bite on the road than the pads do on the discs to make it effective.

if theres no traction on the road how are the wheels supposed to stop if they are neither locking up or getting the grip to slow down?, the wheels will lock in a slide on slippy stuff, the abs will let the off a touch, the wheels still cant grip the road, they remain locked up because teh brakes have more bite than the tyres, so the brakes are let off even more, so much so, to stop the brakes locking up, the brakes need to remain so lightly applied they are almost incapable of slowing the car down at all.

Abs imo is as big a cause of accidents in snow as driver sillyness is. most abs systems are so dim witted, they are a danger in the snow and drivers dont realise this.

candence braking is more effective as it does allow a certain amount of lock up and gives the tyres enough time try to bite into the road. for that reason alone, id much rather drive a car without abs in the snow than one with tbh

 

[muppet42]

Hmm, just I remember a test where Tiff Needell drove an X-Type in some Scandinavian country and ABS was used with great effect in an avoidance test. Though thinking back, it may have been coupled with EBD, which would've made things easier.

Have to say, I've not yet driven RGZ in truly snowy weather. In icy conditions I've certainly noticed ABS working pretty well. I dunno, maybe I drive too cautiously to warrant the systems to kick in

 

[mrcinquecento]

and another point, anyone who has toyo t1-r's on their car, FFS, don't drive it in the snow!, i know this from personal experience last year on the punto. the snow sits packed in the grooves and you are driving basicly on slicks with no water clearance at all, go above 10mph, you will not be able to steer or brake. i live 6 minutes drive from the town centre, last year in the punto, it took me 45 minutes to drive home, and there was no traffic.

Fantastic tyres in the dry, very decent in the wet, deathtraps in the snow when they cant clear their tread. you have been warned toyo owners!

 

[mrcinquecento]

Hmm, just I remember a test where Tiff Needell drove an X-Type in some Scandinavian country and ABS was used with great effect in an avoidance test. Though thinking back, it may have been coupled with EBD, which would've made things easier.

Have to say, I've not yet driven RGZ in truly snowy weather. In icy conditions I've certainly noticed ABS working pretty well. I dunno, maybe I drive too cautiously to warrant the systems to kick in

tbf, the x-types system is probably far more advanced than anything fiat have fitted up until the latest generation of models, most systems are deadly dangerous in the snow

it also depends on the type of snow...if its freshly fallen, there will probably be road underneath to bite onto, if its compacted snow, you're in trouble

 

[M21MFS]

Hmm.. Just found out the hard way the Hgt really doesnt like snow. New tyres the morn!

 

[ABZSTILO]

abs and snow generally don't mix well
....................candence braking is more effective as it does allow a certain amount of lock up and gives the tyres enough time try to bite into the road. for that reason alone, id much rather drive a car without abs in the snow than one with tbh

I'd agree with that.

There's been several times I've cursed the ABS in the Stilo in the snow and ice, even more irritatingly you can't left foot brake properly in the Stilo without the ecu going f*ckin nuts as it doesn't like the input from brake and accelerator at the same time
What idiot programmed it that way :nutter:

The right tyre choice is critical at this time of year, there are very few of the commonplace tyres that are truly all weather and that's what you need at the moment - or a full set of winter tyres on a spare set of alloys :idea3:

If you've got deepish pockets try the Vredestein Quatrac 3 tyres, I've fitted them to the Stilo and they're bloody great. I'm actually looking forward to some decent snow to give 'em a proper try out

 

[Andi9386]

Ooops, well at least you didn't crash thats the main thing Martyn.

 

[Gregry254]

I still have "snowtrack" tyres on my car from when I bought it so they can stay untill after the snow has passed

I don't understand why people cant drive on the snow :S there was a p reg almera went past me as I was getting the snow off my car and she was bouncing the car off the limiter in 1st gear, wheel spinning like an idiot and managing to hit about 3mph and she looked sooooo confused as to why she wasn't moving!

There was also an MG ZR impaled on the back of an astra down the parkway beside the carvery place! Then an Audi a4 was rammed at the rosehill round about on my way back too. How does it happen? dont people realise ITS SLIPPERY!!!!

 

[flyingscot]

I still have "snowtrack" tyres on my car from when I bought it so they can stay untill after the snow has passed

I don't understand why people cant drive on the snow :S there was a p reg almera went past me as I was getting the snow off my car and she was bouncing the car off the limiter in 1st gear, wheel spinning like an idiot and managing to hit about 3mph and she looked sooooo confused as to why she wasn't moving!

I hate when folk do that. Use 2nd or 3rd gear and the car would find it much easier muppets!

We had a guy do that at a speed hump at my old work which he couldn't get over. My Dad went down to him and said try 3rd, which he did under protest- car went up and over. He was speechless!

I work in East Kilbride which if the Central Belt has snow it defo has it. In all honesty it is rare to have many problems at all.

 

[ABZSTILO]

Trouble is, in East Kilbride, there's so many bloody roundabouts you're always going around in circles and going nowhere quickly...... so a wee bit of snow isn't going to make too much difference

 

[Stuart]

and another point, anyone who has toyo t1-r's on their car, FFS, don't drive it in the snow!,

dont have a problem here with them

 

[mrcinquecento]

dont have a problem here with them

Must just be on Fiats suspension geometry then....although, having said that, i technicaly had the Calibra out tonight for the first time in the snow, had a play in a car park that hadn't been cleared..it was damn near as bad on the Calibra as they were on the Punto last year...still, it was good fun

 

[Stuart]

more likley to be that i have a nice big weight on top of the front wheels