On 21/11/2012 07:49, Bill Wright wrote:
Nightjar wrote:
On 20/11/2012 23:50, Bill Wright wrote:
The best thing to do is stay at home.

Which would rather defeat the object of fitting winter tyres (required
in Germany in winter conditions) and carrying snow chains (required in
France if driving on snow).

Colin Bignell

No it wouldn't. The object of those things is to reduce accidents. By
not making non-essential journeys accidents would be reduced even further.

They would be completely eliminated by never making any journeys at all,
although staying at home is statistically even more dangerous.

Winter tyres are a legal requirement when driving in Germany in winter
conditions and I don't know where you can get accurate weather forecasts
for the whole of a two week trip. In any case, winter tyres are superior
to summer tyres whenever the temperature drops below 7C. Not an unusual
event, even in the UK, in winter.

I think people need to get a sense of proportion about this. In the UK
there are only two or three days in the years when snow makes driving
more dangerous.

On average, it gets 16.5 days of settled snow every year - 27.7 days in
Scotland. In 2010, Germany, which is of rather more interest to me, had
80-120 days of settled snow in various parts.

To simply not go out on those days is a very good
defensive driving technique.

If possible, but certainly not practical two and three winters ago.

Most people can employ themselves
profitably at home for a couple of days.

However, not so much when abroad and scheduled to be travelling on those
days.

Surely you'd agree that unnecessary driving in thick fog, or when you've
got the flu, is just plain daft.

I have radar for the fog and if you have real flu, you won't even be
getting out of bed.

This is only the same.

Not really. You can train to drive in winter conditions - there is an
excellent school in Austria - and, if you have taken the proper
precautions, driving in snow is no more dangerous than driving in heavy
traffic.

It's actually a public duty to stay at home on bad days. It avoids
accidents, each of which costs the taxpayer a fortune. It helps keep the
roads clear for essential users. It reduces stress, which helps the NHS.
There's no point in being stubborn and setting off for work when the
journey is obviously going to be a nightmare and might end in disaster.
Stubborn stupidity doesn't make you a hero.

You seem to have missed the point that I was talking of being abroad on
holiday, not driving to work, which I don't have to do on a good weather
day.

Colin Bignell