New driver - can employer force me to use my car if it’s snowing

Joe_Horner

SLITHER99 wrote: »

"You weren't driving appropriate to the conditions". I love that one. It's just a neat way of saying "You failed, you're a terrible person and you deserved it"

Sadly, my insurance disagreed with all the shouters on here on that one.

What bollox!

It's simply saying "You made an error of judgement, !!!! happens, what can you learn from it?".

We all make mistakes in all walks of life, including on the road. Learing from those mistakes absolutely requires acknowledging them in the first place,

There's no shame or blame attached to that, but there is blame attached to the idiot who tries to excuse his mistakes and refuses to take the chance to learn from them. As long as people insist that they "did everything right and the accident just happened" they have no hope of avoiding the next one except by blind luck.

In my first post, I mentioned my partner spinning yesterday. She's only had her licence about 4 years and it was only the second time she'd driven in snow. Her reaction was absolutely correct - by the time she got home she'd already identified how the situation developed and how she could (ideally should) have avoided it.

She doesn't have an advanced qualification, yet her reaction was exactly what an advanced driver should do. There's nothing at all for her to be ashamed of in that, and a lot for me to be proud of as the person who taught her to drive in the first place.

vikingaero

Best thing to do is to find a nearby empty car park with no lampposts or bollards and practice. Try slamming on the brakes at 10mph and above and see how long it takes to stop. They try turning and accelerating to learn the limits.

Gilbert2

Splott wrote: »

Should have got them before now TBH. Come November if they've got 3mm or less left its time to change them because you can guarantee if you don't then you'll need to right when you've got the least money and the weather is worst - after Xmas. No vehicle maintenance should be left "until the MOT". That isn't how you run a vehicle. You service it as required, change tyres and blown bulbs as required. Your car will be safer, last longer and break down less. Once you start getting into the mentality that things only need to be done for the MOT, that's when you can potentially spend 11 months of the year driving an illegal deathtrap.

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What?

The OP has stated their tyres are on 2mm, perfectly legal and not at the stage where they have to be changed as you suggest.

Of course it would be ideal to change tyres at 3mm.

In fact, by your logic, it would also be better to change tyres once they are down to 7mm as they are not as effective as new ones at 8mm!

The OP has stated they are not prepared to drive in the snow, are you suggesting, once the snow clears, they should not be driving anyway because their tread is at 2mm?

What helpful point have you made to the OP at all?

Hackman_2

SLITHER99 wrote: »

"You weren't driving appropriate to the conditions". I love that one. It's just a neat way of saying "You failed, you're a terrible person and you deserved it"

Sadly, my insurance disagreed with all the shouters on here on that one.

Gilbert2

missile wrote: »

Get new tyres

Worst post of the year thus far.

So what happens if the OP did go out and get new tyres to get a better grip in the snow but, just by the off chance, many others did not and they block a road the OP needs to use because they get stuck?

Following your advice, the OP would also be stuck but with 8mm tread on their tyres rather than 2mm!

Pretty poor logic hey?

C_Mababejive

My vehicles goes out 24/7/365 regardless of weather due to my work.

I can understand people being fearful of driving in snow and ice.

Some cars handle it better than others and some drivers are more capable and experienced than others.

If you dont /cant drive then the only options are walk/public transport/get a lift.

Presumably if you dont attend work then you either book a days holiday or dont get paid.

Gilbert2

neilmcl wrote: »

And the person driving around on 2mm of tread this time of year isn't?

But the OP has already said they are not going to drive in the snow.

When the snow clears are you suggesting that they should not be on the road because their tread is at 2mm?

You can have the best tyres money can buy, change them every week even, but they will only be as good as the driver is.

New tyres do not magically mean you will never be in an accident!

Ideally, it would be nice to have new tyres all the time but, guess what?, they wear away and the law says 1.6mm is the minimum.

This is for safety reasons, so, as 2mm is above the legal minimum, it is not an issue, just not perfect, and the OP recognises this anyway as they are not going to drive in the snow.

What is the point you are making?

Lum

SLITHER99 wrote: »

"You weren't driving appropriate to the conditions". I love that one. It's just a neat way of saying "You failed, you're a terrible person and you deserved it"

I used to work with a smug git who pulled this one. Claims that you're fine driving on 1.61mm Linglong Ditchfinders in the heavy snow, every driving hazard ever can be solved by "driving to the conditions", nothing else matters.

He's been pretty quiet about it this year after having to get a lift home from a co-worker in last year's snow.

Me? After getting stuck sideways, in 2009, while failing to do a 3 point turn in the Brecons, shortly after deciding I wasn't even going to attempt that hill, then having to get out and manually push the front end of the car around. I decided to stay at home until I got some winter tyres. Screw driving to the conditions, I'd rather adapt the conditions to my favour. This includes staying at home when necessary.


And to those berating the OP for having only 2mm left on their tyres and wanting to wait until payday before replacing them. Please remember what it's like to be young and poor. Be grateful that you are in a sufficiently privileged financial position that you can afford to replace your tyres at short notice when they reach 3mm, but remember that not everybody is so lucky.

The OP is being entirely sensible here, recognising that their car and skills are not up to the job and wanting to stay at home. There are plenty of people in much better positions who are going out and crashing their BMW X5s who genuinely deserve your ire.

Gilbert2

OP, this should really be in the employment section, it's concerned about your employer and work, rather than your driving ability and/or car.

However, you have done the right thing, if only the idiots who do go out in bad snow would do the same then maybe roads would not get blocked and use the resources of the emergency services because they are too thick to realise hazardous driving conditions.

Put it this way, if you got sacked or disciplined for not getting to work in the circumstances described then your employers would be on very thin ice, excuse the pun.

Gilbert2

Lum wrote: »

I used to work with a smug git who pulled this one. Claims that you're fine driving on 1.61mm Linglong Ditchfinders in the heavy snow, every driving hazard ever can be solved by "driving to the conditions", nothing else matters.

.

Well, i'd be more reassured being with a technically astute, alert driver than a poorer driver who just so happens to have nice, new tyres!