What not to do when stuck in the snow...

[Alex_G60_Fanatic 0]

Agreed, nlau1. We only know because we choose to know. There are a lot of people out there who know feck all about cars other than they put a key in the ignition and it will drive them places. I do find it difficult to empathise at times because I do wonder how people can be so oblivious and actually uninterested in something they depend on so much.. but that seems to be the public at large!

 

The driving test / lessons taught me NOTHING of mechanics, how the car works, etc. Anything I've learned has been since the driving test!

 

In bike tests and CBT's the first part of the test (in my experiance) was learning about the bike... how to check the chain, oil, tyres etc. Making sure it's safe before you set off. Driving lessons teach you nothing of those things...

 

seems silly doesn't it.

[Jon_vr6 1]

Agreed, nlau1. We only know because we choose to know. There are a lot of people out there who know feck all about cars other than they put a key in the ignition and it will drive them places. I do find it difficult to empathise at times because I do wonder how people can be so oblivious and actually uninterested in something they depend on so much.. but that seems to be the public at large!

 

The driving test / lessons taught me NOTHING of mechanics, how the car works, etc. Anything I've learned has been since the driving test!

 

In bike tests and CBT's the first part of the test (in my experiance) was learning about the bike... how to check the chain, oil, tyres etc. Making sure it's safe before you set off. Driving lessons teach you nothing of those things...

 

seems silly doesn't it.

 

In my driving test you got asked certain mechanical questions, how to check and fill the oil, coolant, power steering check etc that was in 2004 so they have been doing that in car tests for sometime

[Alex_G60_Fanatic 0]

 

In my driving test you got asked certain mechanical questions, how to check and fill the oil, coolant, power steering check etc that was in 2004 so they have been doing that in car tests for sometime

 

could it be that i'm just out of tune with the young-uns? and that my old and decrepit mind is out of touch with current testing methods! :confused4:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Sorry to disect your post like this but you've raised some excellent points....

 

I think its to easy for us on a motoring forum to take this p!ss out of your average joe (with minimal motoring knowledge) in situations like this. For starters, the guy videoing it could have offered to help.

 

Indeed. I can't see the video because work block Youtube but how far away from the subject was the videoer? Could it be a setup? I just find a lot of things on Youtube to be faked "You've been framed" type stuff. Any normal person would offer help to someone struggling in snow. And if I saw someone videoing me in that situation and not helping I'd be pretty annoyed about it. At the end of the day, if a car is blocking the road, it's in everyone's interest to get it moved.

 

I mean, nobody is an expert at everything and I'm sure some of us have made a complete mess of something in our lives!

 

Yep. I lost control of my car several times last winter and I thought to myself, "how can I stop this from happening?", so I researched winter tyres. There's nothing expert about that. It's basic education. Sorry if that sounds condascending, not intentional. I just think some people lack initiative these days and expect technology to do everything for them.

 

Personally, I think our British driving test is highly flawed and lacks a lot in terms of teaching us to understand the car and how it works. How much of your knowledge in cars is from the driving lessons/test rather than being self taught through interest?

 

100% in agreement with that and a damn good point. I know most cars have brightly coloured caps and dipsticks these days, but it's not enough. Basic knowledge of tyres, brakes and suspension should be part of learning to drive imo.

[AlgarveVR6 0]

Kev mate, you just put everything I was thinking into one. As for the woman in the BMW, nuff said.

Basic knowledge is a life saver, and not just in motoring.

[nlau1 0]

Kev, The guy was filming from an upstairs window with the woman down in the street right outside his house. She was trying to drive her car up onto her drive and was struggling to get any traction in a 1-series. He was just there with his phone laughing?! Tool.

 

I think you've expanded on the subject really well and you're right about the initiative. In extreme conditions like this people should be using their common sense an initiative a bit more. So many times I've seen people thrashing their cars in 1st gear trying to pull away in these conditions, if they'd done a bit of research (or had been taught in driving lessons) they'd know that there are easier and more efficient ways to drive in snowy conditions.

 

I think as a nation, we're just not prepared for the extreme weather conditions, be it hot or cold.

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

I personally think that people should definatly not be buying wheel socks for the front wheels on a rwd car, that is just comical and i bet they cost a bit too.

 

Id watch and laugh, why not?

 

Thats what people would do to me, ive broken down with no one asking to help me push it etc, times change ay in the winter the car heads know the score why am i epected to help the ugs who cznt hellp themselves?

 

My car is crap in the snow but i seem to get about fine, just dont go down any hill you may end up having to come back up.

 

Also, if people dont know what wheels are being driven, their foolish idiots who i have no sympathy for.

 

Plus if he had helps none of us could watch and laugh.

[joebloggsVR69 0]

Here's something just as hilarious...

 

Best bit happens about a minute in :lol:

[Toad 0]

Kev said some things

 

I completely agree. End of the day some people will struggle, even people who know what they are doing (I've run myself over in the past).

 

Personally I couldn't sit around and watch someone struggling like that. I've had to get out of the car while in gear and push like that in the past, only way to get going by yourself. As for the guy who was videoing and laughing, I do hope it's your house that she drove into.

[fla 9]

i must admit the Corrado is really very good in the snow - fwd and a big ol' 2.9 lump over the driven wheels. That said, i did get stuck coming out of a friends drive and going uphill in about 5" of uncleared snow. Had to go down hill and drive the long way round. Dont think any 2wd would have made it though...

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I said some things :lol: I was just expanding on things other folk already said :wink:

 

Kev, The guy was filming from an upstairs window with the woman down in the street right outside his house. She was trying to drive her car up onto her drive and was struggling to get any traction in a 1-series. He was just there with his phone laughing?! Tool.

 

Cheers, good description! Yeah that is a bit sad imo. He should either be out there helping her or finding himself a hobby of some sort!

 

I guess in that situation where you have a sloped drive, a few bags of rock salt in the garage would help. I think B&Q sell it.

 

So many times I've seen people thrashing their cars in 1st gear trying to pull away in these conditions, if they'd done a bit of research (or had been taught in driving lessons) they'd know that there are easier and more efficient ways to drive in snowy conditions.

 

I think as a nation, we're just not prepared for the extreme weather conditions, be it hot or cold.

 

I think some of it is also down to having mild winters for so many years and people have either forgotten how to drive on snow/ice, or just don't have any experience of it at all. Now that winters appear to be going back to normal, it's giving people a much needed wake up call to not be so blasé about winter driving.

 

No doubt the eco warriors will blame our recent couple of cold winters on global warming, but speaking to my Grandparents, they suffered far worse winters than this one......and with no central heating or loft insulation! Oh, and cars which needed a lot of preperation to run properly in winter, if they actually ran at all!

 

As a nation, we seem to be reactive instead of proactive. Look at last year's salt debacle as an example!

 

Still, not to want to put us down continually, according to winter tyre sales at the moment, it would seem us Brits are cottoning on at last :D

[Toad 0]

I didn't want to quote the whole thing. :wink:

 

You'd have thought that after snow 2 weeks ago, and plenty of forecasts predicting the current snow people would have gone and bought some salt or gravel (Preferably a mixture of both) to get some traction on their drives. Oh well. :)

[Veearrhsix 0]

:| Most of the time we learn from our mistakes. Some will stick when learned the hard way. Hopefully she will understand what she had done there. But more often than not...

 

Anyhow, just take one stop at a time and no panicking because like here, it was this that clouded her correct logic I hope. :eek:

 

:nono: Know Your Car.

[VR6 Lee 0]

bmw's are bobbins in the snow but they are great for dougnutting in tesco car park when the misses has gone in to do the shopping. lol

[Yandards 0]

It's just another example of the transistion of the motor vehicle to a utility as opposed to an aspiration.

 

Rewind 40 years and the owners handbooks used to contain all the info to carry out a service yourself as a home mechanic, the Triumph GT6 manual even states that you can take it to the main dealer to get your self service stamped!

 

Driving is a skill but most road users don't look at it that way, driving on snow and ice requires a different set of skills and an understanding for how the car behaves (wet grass is similar and good to practice on). The amount of folks that don't seem to understand that on an empty, straight, snow covered road with good visibility means you can happily drive along at 50mph instead of 10mph is beyond belief. Couple that with an inability to use engine braking to slow down, excessive corner entry speeds and a lack of understanding about general car control in skid conditions and you have a disaster.

[fla 9]

i dont think people realise that driving/controlling a fwd is very a rwd in differing condition and under different road angles. Should really be part of the driving test.

[nlau1 0]

i dont think people realise that driving/controlling a fwd is very a rwd in differing condition and under different road angles. Should really be part of the driving test.

 

Car control should definitely be part of the driving test. The scope of our UK driving test is so narrow its unbelievable. Basically we are taught how to drive under perfect conditions with the car in full control. Why not utilise a skidpan or gravel tracks to teach car control and what to do to regain control of the vehicle in certain conditions.

 

I've heard of driving tests being cancelled due to the weather conditions we've been having lately. That says it all really, if these provisional drivers aren't considered to be well equipped enough to do a test in these conditions then they'll have a cat in hells chance when they do get their licence.

[Marshall936 0]

Here's something just as hilarious...

 

Best bit happens about a minute in :lol:

 

Carnage!! :clap:

[corozin 0]

That really is a quality clip. What's kinda funny is that the person who filmed it realised early enough to get the camera out, seemingly in the sure fire knowledge of what was going to ensue.

 

And don't forget, the video is admissable to the insurance company as well.

 

What a total klutz.

[1xshaunx1 27]

amazing :clap:

[Skimask 0]

The guy is a tool. rather than helping her - he just laughs and takes the footage. It is his house she hit - serves him right!

Lessons learned, she won't do that again.

[colinstubbs 0]

seen that second clip before but it is funny, tow point next time instead of bumper methinks :lol: :lol:

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

2nd video is quality.

 

Gotta love americans.

[timmaaah 0]

The first vid has been pulled - anyone got an alternative link?

[Owen VR6 0]

The first vid has been pulled - anyone got an alternative link?

 

http://biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=24838

 

For your viewing pleasure!