This weather! - MINI2

Johnno · #1 (**permalink**) Jan 7th, 2009, 09:29 PM

So i guess all the roads are freezing over this week? anyone had a big scare in this ice?

i had one on saturday on the way to work, Me and a BMW 3 series were doing abit of toyko drift around a tight bend. I have really lost all my confidence in driving in this weather now, Every morning on the way to work i see a crash.

BRING BACK SUMMER!

I love MINI, Laura · #2 (**permalink**) Jan 7th, 2009, 09:34 PM

My friend wrote off her Megane on the way to work yesterday. Poor things really shaken up. Not looking good at the mo is it!

Johnno · #3 (**permalink**) Jan 7th, 2009, 09:38 PM

oh no thats horrible.

Its scary as black ice can catch the best of us out. And there is not much to do about it!

TDLC · #4 (**permalink**) Jan 7th, 2009, 09:49 PM

Driving conditions in Central London are still fine, although off the main streets it can get unexpectedly slippery in the early mornings. With that in mind, I avoid parking the car anywhere near corners for the moment.

adam_Randell · #5 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 12:20 AM

roads in the country are bad!

inner city and outskirts get gritters..and heat, traffic etc to break up the ice but out in the sticks we get nothing

. so watch yourselfs on country roads especially!

AprilWhine · #6 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 01:18 AM

Don't know what you are talking about, the weather where I am is wonderful! Sunny, low humidity, temps in the seventies.

Yuma Arizona

dakini · #7 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 02:05 AM

Sherry, I'm coming out to visit you! we just got our fifth ice storm of the season last night and this morning.

stay safe everyone!

dalboyne · #8 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 04:24 AM

Been well below zero here for over a week, and same for the next few days - but at least it's dry cold, so the roads aren't bad a t all...and folks here use winter tyres

KPKalle · #9 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 05:11 AM

Down here, even though we've had sub-zero temperatures, the major roads have been ok. It's been so dry there's been no ice.

Snowie · #10 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 06:08 AM

Who said Italy is a warm an sunny country - B.....Y Snow and Ice

This was my house at 1430 yesterday afternoon

Italians are worse than English folk at driving in the snow - saw 3 crashes yesterday.

Winter tyres are a must, I have driven 3 cars in the last 2 days, one of them had winter tyres and what a difference.

SoggyCornFlakes · #11 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 07:18 AM

Drive to the conditions and you'll be fine. The brits are useless as we just drive on as normal and are then surprised when we crash.

And if you ever get the chance do a skid pan experience, only about £100 and you learn some invaluable skills for when things get slippy

mini33 · #12 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 07:34 AM

Yeh totally agree on both points soggy

I have done the skid ban training well worth doinng - hoping i will never need it but never know

Not even the mini is perfect in these weather conditions

I travel through the country lanes & have to slow down to aviod rapping my pride & joy round a tree

dalboyne · #13 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 08:22 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by SoggyCornFlakes (original)

And if you ever get the chance do a skid pan experience, only about £100 and you learn some invaluable skills for when things get slippy

Too right! I wonder why we haven't yet arranged a special MINI Skid Pan Experience Day? It all seems to be about going fast, not going safely?

Here the MINI delaer arranged a skid pan day for the launch of the JCW - it was excellent, and a real eye-opener to how important it is to have good tyres, and to drive as the local conditions demand.....all the electronic gubbins on the car might help, but they can't defeat the laws of physics!

And the skid-pan day is also mandatory for all new drivers within 18 months of passing their tests.....

Drive carefully and safely all, and hope that everyone else is just as responsible!

Ian

minicabrio · #14 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 08:25 AM

I took a skid pan and track driving course around 6 months after passing my test - best thing I ever did. Ought to be mandatory, but I guess in the UK we don't have the weather to warrant it unlike the rest of mainland europe.

dalboyne · #15 (**permalink**) Jan 8th, 2009, 08:30 AM

Our instructors started with a classroom session, showing that everything comes down to excessive speed and the state of the vehicle and tyres. They showed lots of shots of accidents that had been caused when the driver lost control (usually no other car involved) and were very concerned that so many new drivers were more likely to spend their cash on better in-car sound systems instead of a set of decent tyres!

But I would say the the UK weather certainly justifies it - wet roads are just as likely to catch people out....