Snow clearing appeal

rdwarr

I was clearing the snow from my car this morning and reminded of a nasty incident I had a few years ago. I was driving on the M25 and got hit by a massive block of ice which destroyed my windscreen but fortunately didn't make it through. Had it done so I might have been killed.

The car in front had not had the snow cleared from its roof. This turned to ice and then just flew off. So, please, when clearing snow, please remove ALL of it from your car, not just the bit over the windows! I use a soft brush.

Strider590

The density of snow versus ice makes this hard to believe, especially that it could form such a large chunk on the roof of a car. At most i'd expect maybe 10mm of ice..... A bucket of snow is about 1/4 bucket of water.

Trying to brush the snow off is likely to compact it, thus creating a higher risk. When you compact a snow ball what do you get?

I'd be more inclined to think your incident was ice falling from an overhead gantry or bridge..... Or possibly from the roof of a truck that's been parked up over night (water doesn't drain too well from a flat roof).

spiro

rdwarr wrote: »

So, please, when clearing snow, please remove ALL of it from your car, not just the bit over the windows! I use a soft brush.

If you don't clear all the snow off your car (bonnet, boot, roof, windows) the police can pull you over and issue you with a ticket.

Strider590

spiro wrote: »

If you don't clear all the snow off your car (bonnet, boot, roof, windows) the police can pull you over and issue you with a ticket.

There's no specific legislation regarding snow on cars. But prosecution could occur if an accident resulted from failure to clear it.
Think about it, how does a wheelchair bound disabled driver clear snow from their car?

There was a hoax text message sent out some time ago, claiming that the Police could fine you £60 and give you 3 points on your license. Just like the other hoax's, this one does the rounds every now and then.

System

Strider590 wrote: »

3 points on your license..

I'm safe then. I have a British licence, not a license

cyclonebri1

It's not only the car behind. Again last year I'd cleared the car and driven probably 10 miles or so, enough to warm up the car anyway.
What I hadn't done was clear the 5 or 6 inches of snow off the roof.
I braked fairly steadily at about 35 mph as a car pulled out of a side road ahead, The hole lot slid down the windscreen and stopped there:eek::eek::eek:.

Not an experience I want repeated, lesson learnt.

Strider590

!!!!!! wrote: »

I'm safe then. I have a British licence, not a license

And I have a UK English spell checker (essential on internet forums, full of grammar Police), which complains if I try to use British spellings and thinks I should use Z instead of S in certain words.

rdwarr

Strider590 wrote: »

The density of snow versus ice makes this hard to believe, especially that it could form such a large chunk on the roof of a car. At most i'd expect maybe 10mm of ice..... A bucket of snow is about 1/4 bucket of water.

Trying to brush the snow off is likely to compact it, thus creating a higher risk. When you compact a snow ball what do you get?

I'd be more inclined to think your incident was ice falling from an overhead gantry or bridge..... Or possibly from the roof of a truck that's been parked up over night (water doesn't drain too well from a flat roof).

I'm not here to make up stories. I saw the ice come off the car as did two of my passengers. And how on Earth can the snow be compacted if
it's all been brushed off????

TrickyWicky

Strider590 wrote: »

The density of snow versus ice makes this hard to believe, especially that it could form such a large chunk on the roof of a car. At most i'd expect maybe 10mm of ice..... A bucket of snow is about 1/4 bucket of water.

Oh well naturally that makes it ok then. 10mm of ice on top of a car doing 70 down the motorway I live next to and use every week.. 10mm of ice flying backwards into my windscreen isn't a problem at 70mph huh?

Strider590 wrote: »

Trying to brush the snow off is likely to compact it, thus creating a higher risk. When you compact a snow ball what do you get?

Yep, best not bother then. Seriously where to you get this gibberish from? - Grab a soft broom, push sideways. Snow falls off the side, job done. Only if you've not cleared it for a few days will it compact down into ice. As someone who clears the top of their car of snow when it snows, i can assure you that you're very wrong about it compacting down when scraping it off.

It doesn't take much to see you're one of the selfish drivers on the road who thinks only of their own convenience rather than the safety of others.

savemoney

I believe you are suppose to clear snow on roof if its likely to cause an accident

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/849809-drivers-face-60-fine-for-driving-with-snow-on-car-roof

rule 229 of the Highway Code




229 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069859


Before you set off

• you MUST be able to see, so clear all snow and ice from all your windows
• you MUST ensure that lights are clean and number plates are clearly visible and legible
• make sure the mirrors are clear and the windows are demisted thoroughly
• remove all snow that might fall off into the path of other road users
• check your planned route is clear of delays and that no further snowfalls or severe weather are predicted

Flearoy

lisawood78 wrote: »

I can't reach the roof on my car to clear it off.

Would it not be possible to stand on a small set of steps and use a broom with a long handle? You really don't want to leave the snow on, if it falls off at speed it could cause problems for drivers behind (like stopping them from seeing!).

If you are physically unable to do this due to a disability then I apologise, but you should get some help from someone.