Has this weather made you question your driving?

Stevie Dakota

I consider myself a good driver, accident free after 25 years in the car and 9 years motorcycling, no points. I got away with a few 'moments' in my youth but now drive with what I feel is a high sense of awareness of the conditions and the moving environment around me.

BUT, in the last few weeks on snow I have had two moments where the car skid out of control, both times on a downhill slope, the car slid for about 5 meters, the longest 5 meters of my life, brake pedal mashed to the floor, ABS pumping in slow motion. In one it was into a quiet junction, if there had been someone there it would have been an accident, albeit at slow speed, for sure. They were 'passenger' moments and to be honest were real 'heart on mouth' scary situations.

Bit of an eye opener, I know we are not used to these conditions and I'd say a lot of us are adjusting our driving and learning more day by day. But having been caught out twice in as many weeks certainly made me think about my abilities behind the wheel and to take nothing for granted.

El Guapo!

Ok at the risk of sounding like I'm blowing my own horn here, I think I've done quite well in the recent conditions. Yeah I've had a hairy moment or two but I think I've handled it fairly well. If anything its made me lose confidence in the driving skills of other road users. Some of the driving I've witnessed over the last week has been appalling. People are supposed to be capable behind the wheel of a potentially lethal weapon but from what I've seen, some of these people shouldn't be in charge of a shopping trolley.

bmw535d

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

I consider myself a good driver, accident free after 25 years in the car and 9 years motorcycling, no points. I got away with a few 'moments' in my youth but now drive with what I feel is a high sense of awareness of the conditions and the moving environment around me.

BUT, in the last few weeks on snow I have had two moments where the car skid out of control, both times on a downhill slope, the car slid for about 5 meters, the longest 5 meters of my life, brake pedal mashed to the floor, ABS pumping in slow motion. In one it was into a quiet junction, if there had been someone there it would have been an accident, albeit at slow speed, for sure. They were 'passenger' moments and to be honest were real 'heart on mouth' scary situations.

Bit of an eye opener, I know we are not used to these conditions and I'd say a lot of us are adjusting our driving and learning more day by day. But having been caught out twice in as many weeks certainly made me think about my abilities behind the wheel and to take nothing for granted.

tut tut.

Fiskar

Ditto, 25 years of driving has really helped. No major spills, no damage, seen plenty of speeding muppets, learner driver spills and unfortunately too many people driving through snow with a moby stuck to their ear :eek:

Berty

This weather has made me realise how bad other people drive. I mean, jesus effin christ, why do people believe that driving slow will help them in dry, non icy and now snowy conditions.

EVERY YEAR I SAY THIS. Just because YOUR driveway and estate is icy does not mean the national route is the same.

I'm not encouraging people drive outside of their comfort zone but if THAT is their comfort zone then they need to reconsider whether they should be driving or not. :rolleyes:

I'm sick of coming up to a potentially steep icy looking hill and people in front of me slow down. MOMENTUM YOU EFFIN MORON!!! :mad: Dropping your car to first or second gear WILL NOT help you up the hill.

My driving, frankly, stays the same as it always has. I drive in accordance to the conditions. One minute I could be doing 100kph and going around a ,normally 60kph bed, I could drop to 30-35kph because the corner/conditions deserve it.

Like I say. I haven't questioned my driving. I have serious doubts about other peoples abilities.

bbam

Actually I think the standard of driving has improved greatly in Ireland in the last 5 years... Considering the number of additional drivers there were much more weather related accident 5-6 years ago....

There'll always be muppets :rolleyes:

Wasn't that bad down here in Cork, anyday it was slippy I went really really slow, just crawled along. Wouldn'y worry about one or two incidents you had, live and learn and all that.

caseyann

Dean09 wrote: »

Ok at the risk of sounding like I'm blowing my own horn here, I think I've done quite well in the recent conditions. Yeah I've had a hairy moment or two but I think I've handled it fairly well. If anything its made me lose confidence in the driving skills of other road users. Some of the driving I've witnessed over the last week has been appalling. People are supposed to be capable behind the wheel of a potentially lethal weapon but from what I've seen, some of these people shouldn't be in charge of a shopping trolley.

It is without a doubt scary to say the least the amount of idiot drivers i have seen aswell. I had people tailgating me in this weather.

Stheno

I've had one slide turning off a main road onto a side road with black ice, and was happy enough that I didn't panic, or wallop the brakes, and came out of it ok.

I've taken to keeping the radio off so that I can hear engine noise etc from the car and I've found it helps me concentrate better on my driving.

Biggest thing is keeping attention on the road and what other drivers are doing.

Have found it frustrating on clear well gritted roads when people crawl along, and on hills where people slow down and get into grief.

Overall it's been good for my confidence, I would be tempted to take a lesson in weather like this to get feedback, but need to figure out a good driving school, I used get lessons from one in Naas, but that's not much good being based in Swords now

Edit, that last post behind me just reminded me, the fupping tailgaters!!!! Hello????? Why are you doing this???? Especially you fuppers in your giant jeeps!

Biglad

The recent cold weather and subsequent road conditions are very demanding on all drivers and only those who can adapt their style best will come through it without damage to their vehicles or worse themselves.

I had a moment where I simply drifted of the road side ways, the week before I got my winter tyres delivered and fitted. Since that time everything has been OK, some slipping and sliding at times but always felt i was in control. We need to choose different gears at different speeds and learn how to get the maximum out of engine breaking etc. Some people braving the bad conditions have never heard of engine breaking and these people could be in front of you or behind you, that is my main concern. Slow down on time when having to go down hill, select the right gear on time and allow the car to slow down on the engine before you start going down the hill. Up here I usually go down most hills in second and let the engine do 90% of the breaking. If I think I'm picking up to much speed I might gently apply the brakes, gently I said. Up hill normally means trying to gain some momentum and let the momentun carry you up hill as much as possible steady on the throttle, about 2K revs in my car, and work your way to the top in the same gear you started the climb.

But that's the way I do it, something else might work for somebody else with a different vehicle. Main thing is to always be aware of the conditions and travel at speeds appropriate to those conditions. Give yourself loads of time for slowing down and remember, everything you do needs to be controlled and nearly in slow motion, no sudden movements at all.

After every drive I clean the snow/ice build up from behind the wheels in the wheel arches and brush or kick it to the side so they don't become an obstruction the next time you're heading of.

I could go on for another wee while but by doing those things and more it gives me the confidence that i can drive in a safe manner in the current conditions.

dudara

Had a fun experience today taking my car out of the driveway. As I tried to straighten on the road, the car ended up at a 45 degree angle, moving forward like a crab. Anyhow, I kept the power on, gently and she straightened eventually.

I saw a ferocious amount of tailgating today, and people driving far too slowly.

cjmcork

Stheno wrote: »

I've had one slide turning off a main road onto a side road with black ice, and was happy enough that I didn't panic, or wallop the brakes, and came out of it ok.

I've taken to keeping the radio off so that I can hear engine noise etc from the car and I've found it helps me concentrate better on my driving.

Biggest thing is keeping attention on the road and what other drivers are doing.

Have found it frustrating on clear well gritted roads when people crawl along, and on hills where people slow down and get into grief.

Overall it's been good for my confidence, I would be tempted to take a lesson in weather like this to get feedback, but need to figure out a good driving school, I used get lessons from one in Naas, but that's not much good being based in Swords now

Edit, that last post behind me just reminded me, the fupping tailgaters!!!! Hello????? Why are you doing this???? Especially you fuppers in your giant jeeps!

ditto - plus I tried to travel outside of rush hour, so went to work SUPER early and left a little early so as to avoid driving in the dark.......

Stheno

dudara wrote: »

Had a fun experience today taking my car out of the driveway. As I tried to straighten on the road, the car ended up at a 45 degree angle, moving forward like a crab. Anyhow, I kept the power on, gently and she straightened eventually.

Same with my driveway it's on an uphill slope, it's probably been the worst part of driving in this weather, getting out of the driveway, needs to be taken in three parts, get off flat, onto slope, turn on slope and out.

Yakult

Dean09 wrote: »

Ok at the risk of sounding like I'm blowing my own horn here, I think I've done quite well in the recent conditions. Yeah I've had a hairy moment or two but I think I've handled it fairly well. If anything its made me lose confidence in the driving skills of other road users. Some of the driving I've witnessed over the last week has been appalling. People are supposed to be capable behind the wheel of a potentially lethal weapon but from what I've seen, some of these people shouldn't be in charge of a shopping trolley.

+1
If anything, this snow has snowed me that I can handle hairy situations well and not to panic when something does go wrong. Nothing near an accident or serious slip. And couldnt agree more with the loss of confidence in other drivers. I have a major fear that I'll get rear ended due to idiot drivers tailing me.

Iwannahurl

Berty wrote: »

My driving, frankly, stays the same as it always has. I drive in accordance to the conditions. One minute I could be doing 100kph and going around a ,normally 60kph bed, I could drop to 30-35kph because the corner/conditions deserve it.

Like I say. I haven't questioned my driving. I have serious doubts about other peoples abilities.

Just as a matter of interest, how do you allow for black ice? Do you have some way of telling that it is, or could be, present?

While out pushing my daughter in a buggy recently, I came across the scene of a collision that had occurred just moments previously. It was on a residential road with a 50 kph limit. The motorist had skidded on black ice (which I could not physically see while standing at the spot), crashed into a wall, spun around and finished with the rear end of the car up on the footpath on the opposite side. The road had a mild incline and a slight bend.

Made me wonder, especially since I could have been passing during the incident. Me and my daughter would have been wiped out.

Stheno

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Just as a matter of interest, how do you allow for black ice? Do you have some way of telling that it is, or could be, present?

All the reading I've done on these conditions indicates that black ice will decrease your engine noise, hence my switching off my radio when driving after that slide I had. (I may be wrong though!)

I found a new use for the adjustable suspension on the OH's C5 today, raising it higher than normal helped stop the lumps of snow on the road clattering off the under carriage of the car a little.

El Guapo!

R_H_C_P wrote: »

+1
If anything, this snow has snowed me that I can handle hairy situations well and not to panic when something does go wrong. Nothing near an accident or serious slip. And couldnt agree more with the loss of confidence in other drivers. I have a major fear that I'll get rear ended due to idiot drivers tailing me.

Ah I see what you did there!

BostonB

People need to practise how to drive when its slippery. Not get hysterical with the brakes when they feel a slide.

I need better tyres. My sisters car was like a 4x4 in comparision to both of ours simply because it has better tyres.

-Corkie-

I havent questioned my driving one bit but I have questioned others. TBH OP any person that frequents a motoring forum with topics like this will be a fairly good driver. I dont think the Micra brigade of useless drivers frequent here.. I have done a lot of driving since I started to drive 13 years ago.

Stevie Dakota

bmw535d wrote: »

tut tut.

You've highlighted "brake pedal mashed to the floor".

Care to elaborate? You're heading for a junction slowly, the brakes ABS lock, what do you do? Try and pump faster than the ABS?

Obviously braking that bit earlier is no longer an option.

caseyann

-Corkie- wrote: »

I havent questioned my driving one bit but I have questioned others. TBH OP any person that frequents a motoring forum with topics like this will be a fairly good driver. I dont think the Micra brigade of useless drivers frequent here.. I have done a lot of driving since I started to drive 13 years ago.

The key is in not been to cocky driving,alot of those people are cocky and think they are invincible.Then skid and have idea how to get out of it.I was lucky i learned to drive in snow lol.
People crossing roundabouts and not giving indication to where they are going also not giving right of way has been driving me mad.They skid out on to the roundabout because they are not slowing down knowing its slippy.Luckily enough i am slowing down or i would have been in a few smashes by now.

peasant

I did my driving test in blizzard, white-out conditions 27 years ago

I think I'm used to these conditions by now

-Corkie-

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

You've highlighted "brake pedal mashed to the floor".

Care to elaborate? You're heading for a junction slowly, the brakes ABS lock, what do you do? Try and pump faster than the ABS?

Obviously braking that bit earlier is no longer an option.

TBH he is only having the craic with ya..:) I wouldnt put you down as a bad driver from that post. Everyone fills the pants at some stage of there lives..:pac:

antomorro-sei

I was perfectly confident in my ability to drive in these conditions, except today, which scared the bejaysus outta me. Was in me Ma's car, and when I was tryna slow down, but I the car wouldn't go into 1st Gear for some reason. Was coming to the corner at the junction, so had to try slow down, (still not going into 1st!), so tried to break and then the car started a slide/skid. Just managed to stop less than a foot away from the car in front of me. Scared me ****less.

Well hung

Would anyone else argee that the handbrake has helped in some situations in these conditions.

unkel

I'm pretty much like the OP, with one major difference. I learned to drive in continental Europe. So taught by a professional instructor and used to the winter conditions. No "moments" when I was young and no moments during this cold spell either even though I drive the worst possible car for these conditions: a RWD car with ridiculously big tyres.

That said, the one and only time I nearly needed a change of underpants was when I hired a van to help my girlfriend move house the day after I passed my driving test in 10 inches of snow

Nforce

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

You've highlighted "brake pedal mashed to the floor".

Care to elaborate? You're heading for a junction slowly, the brakes ABS lock, what do you do? Try and pump faster than the ABS?

Obviously braking that bit earlier is no longer an option.

You raise an interesting point.

Personally...I prefer to pump the brake pedal (in rapid succession without being too firm and causing the wheels to lock) in my ABS equipped cars...though ideally I try to avoid being in a situation where I need to brake quickly in icy conditions at all.

bob50

caseyann wrote: »

The key is in not been to cocky driving,alot of those people are cocky and think they are invincible.Then skid and have idea how to get out of it.I was lucky i learned to drive in snow lol.
People crossing roundabouts and not giving indication to where they are going also not giving right of way has been driving me mad.They skid out on to the roundabout because they are not slowing down knowing its slippy.Luckily enough i am slowing down or i would have been in a few smashes by now.

And they ignore the traffic lights and yellow boxes as if they didnt exist

Cant understand these micra ford fiesta mechants is it just panic

GTE

I only got my full license in back in Jan, the first day that these conditions cleared up in Mullingar. The test centre was closed due to ice for a week or two. I had a lot of lessions in this weather with my instructor which was useful.

So considering I don’t have a year of Full License driving under my belt I am still learning the car in some respects in "normal" conditions. This year has seen so many firsts as you can imagine and I have tried to be as attentive to these as possible such as what the difference is from having full tread to near legal minimum, dealing with aquaplaning etc. I am not so set in my ways like my parents for example in terms of how I drive and my open mind to how things work and new things.

In all honesty in this weather I started off slowly, learned and reached the limits of the car. Found that I was on the limit of grip just trying to get going which was very unnerving. Got winter tyres and really paid attention to the differences on how the car reacted to that. Relearned where the limits are gained so much confidence in how far away the limits now are and confidence in the general handling of the car.

This let me think more in a focused way about looking ahead on the road, watching out for other people and reading the situations better and things like that. I now have the added confidence that the car under me is reasonably well within the limits and this lets me focus on situations without worrying about the car suddenly fecking off the road very easily. In a word, observation.

An example is seeing a car slide out from a junction or something similar, realising that I need to make a move to avoid the problem and instead of knowing that my car wasn’t going to react well to this regardless of the speed I can now say to myself with confidence that the car will do what I want for the most part. Having the ABS kick in almost instantly on occasions doesn’t help with your thought process when dealing with a fast moving situation as you can imagine. This doesnt happen now.

Now I can read that situation, know the car will decelerate in a controlled fashion even with a rather hefty bit of braking in certain situations. Also I know the car will react fine to sharpish cornering.

I like to think I have done well. I haven’t unintentionally lost control of the car yet though I have not driven over black ice as far as I know.
The main thing I have learned this Winter is that the right confidence in your car goes a very long way in your quality of driving and I saw it today doing a round trip into Dublin. If you are on the road you have to have confidence in you driving skills but I feel confidence in the car is essential. You need both IMO and both feed into each other in many respects. For me, confidence in the car reinforced the confidence in my driving. Or in other words having the confidence in the car let me just get on with the job of driving which I knew was something I could do well.

On my trip today under confidence caused major hassle in the simplest of situations. Over confidence caused arguably worse conditions. Then you had me trundling up the road, faster then most in places, slower in others but in control because I have learned how the car reacts.
That has been my Winter driving experience so far.

In relation to Stevie Dakota's experience that he told us about I feel that it could easily have been me before I made the tyre switch. Without this turning into another mess of a Winter tyre thread all I am talking about and all my main point in this paragraph is that once the car is fundamentally sorted for the conditions it lets you learn in a safer way, at the very least for me which is all that matters.
I can now learn how to react to a situation and not have my first reaction result in all hell breaking loose!

teednab-el

BostonB wrote: »

People need to practise how to drive when its slippery. Not get hysterical with the brakes when they feel a slide.

I need better tyres. My sisters car was like a 4x4 in comparision to both of ours simply because it has better tyres.

In fairness it doesnt matter what tyres you have when snow gets trapped between its grooves and freezes, giving you vertically no grip whatsoever especially on steep hills.

GTE

teednab-el wrote: »

In fairness it doesnt matter what tyres you have when snow gets trapped between its grooves and freezes, giving you vertically no grip whatsoever especially on steep hills.

Interesting.
I have had snow frozen in the grooves but it just slides out with my finger or a key and even at that it doesnt stand a chance when the car starts rolling as the tyre rubber moves around with the weight. For me anyway.
I think the rubber compound in the individual tyre is more an explanation of this.

john t

Irish roads and some drivers on our roads are what makes good drivers have too alter good driving practice too accomodate bad drivers doing silly things. I have driven on scottish and english roads during heavy snowfall and ice no problem, this week at 9pm left swords goin to aughrim wicklow with a car trailer and 500kg and went up hills and down and twisty dark icy/ snow covered roads no problem, today 4pm swords too rathcoole than black rock back too swords again car trailer with weight on it. Driver knowing how too drive and react on slippy icy roads and using ur cop-on gets you too destination safely. But their is sum clowns on our roads who spin out at lights/corners and small inclines due too excessive acceleration and lack of momemtum... Also salt spreaders are not doing there job..

teednab-el

bbk wrote: »

Interesting.
I have had snow frozen in the grooves but it just slides out. I think the rubber compound in the individual tyre is more an explanation of this.

Funny enough that doesnt happen on my tyres, wish it did. The tyres seem to collect snow and it compacts and freezes then.

Stheno

Gritters are not out on e.g. the R125 around Swords.

In fairness Fingal have had Snowploughs and gritters out pretty continuously on the main roads in this weather.

Even Dublin Bus are not covering the back roads in Swords at the moment.

amacachi

I saw more red lights broken in 20 minutes today than I usually would in a month. I don't drive but it really was taking the piss, not just speeding up for an amber but only reaching the junction as the lights for the others went green.

Nforce

Nforce wrote: »

You raise an interesting point.

Personally...I prefer to pump the brake pedal (in rapid succession without being too firm and causing the wheels to lock) in my ABS equipped cars...though ideally I try to avoid being in a situation where I need to brake quickly in icy conditions at all.

All your doing is a much much slower and less effective version of what the abs does. Let the abs do its job and concentrate on steering the car would be a much better option.

john t

M1 today very icy and slippy, airside like ice rink but amusing too watch adult attempt burnouts, fingal may have staff out but dublin in general is bigger than small area like fingal. fingal council based in swords and cars struggled too get up church street today .....they need too be out 24hrs at present and have small lorrys with workers spreading frm back of lorry at corners, inclines, lights etc...

Nforce

Misael Large Underachiever wrote: »

All your doing is a much much slower and less effective version of what the abs does. Let the abs do its job and concentrate on steering the car would be a much better option.

In what way is it less effective? I can stop the vehicle in the same distance without the ABS lockups.
As I stated..I personally find this a better way of braking in snowy/icy conditions though I'm sure others will not agree.

CiniO

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

BUT, in the last few weeks on snow I have had two moments where the car skid out of control, both times on a downhill slope, the car slid for about 5 meters, the longest 5 meters of my life, brake pedal mashed to the floor, ABS pumping in slow motion.

Just to clarify few things.
In slippery conditions (snow, ice, etc.) skids are normal.
Only thing what is wrong is uncontrolled skids.
So in short words to be safe driver on slippery surface, you have to know how to control skids.

CiniO

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Just as a matter of interest, how do you allow for black ice? Do you have some way of telling that it is, or could be, present?

What I do, is if the conditions show that there might be a chance for the black ice (f.e. low temperature, mist, etc.) while driving when it's safe I just slam on the brakes every while, to see how good the grip is.

2 things :
1. never do it, when there's someone behind you.
2. Make sure first, that if while braking car starts side skid, you are 100% sure you can control it.

Senna

Haven't had any large moments, but about a 1001 little moments. The primary roads (or any) in Donegal haven't been gritted since we had heavy snow last week. They are now compact ice with some driving tracks/groves worn in places, the problem is these tracks are the width of a tyre so every few yards the tyre hits off the edge of the ice and the car sides an inch to the left or right. Nothing major, but can really put you on edge for the whole car journey.

One thing i have learned, even if the driver in front is going 2mph, let them. The roads are so bad, i really cant blame the driver, its Christmas week and people have to drive. I'd be the first one to say "if you cant drive, get off the road", but after a week of no gritting, its the councils (and NRA's ) fault, not the drivers.

john t

Yes council and nra are too blame, how can this country in xmas week be still waiting on salt shipments too arrive/ or they arrived in cork last nyt and will take tym too arrive in donegal/ mayo or dublin... salt can or should b stock pilled.. not have couple thousand tonne`s arrive xmas wk. it should be here all year and used when needed....

teednab-el

The head guy from the NRA should simply retire. I heard on the radio yesterday that there was a shipment due in the next few days. Far too late altogether. We had a scare in 2009 and early 2010 and we still havent learned the lessons. Where are the county councils? Roads are not half treated by them. If the same weather was to arrive again in the future would we be any better prepared than that of now?....I bet we wouldnt. Anything can bring this country down. Its a joke.

Cartel Mike

It has only reinforced 2 things.
Ignorant people make ignorant drivers.
Lost count of the times i have gratiously pulled in on narrow country roads to let the opposite driver right of way often to my own detriment .
Too many times i just get a dirty look from them as the drive past .
Yesterday i actually pulled in on an incline to let a female driver in a 4by4 saunter down the middle of the road past me(wasn't as if she was gonna stop anyway) and yip you guessed it - for my troubles a dismissive look as if i was a 2nd class citizen,a mere inconvience.
Y

RayM

A couple of comments on this thread (and on other similar threads too) have made me wonder - do I drive too slowly on ice/snow? What exactly constitutes 'too slow' in these conditions anyway? Moreover, why should I actually care? I've had one or two occasions where people have tailgated me, while I was doing around 30km/h in a (very slippery) 50 zone. I can understand these drivers being impatient, but when I did my driving test, three years ago (and I don't think it's changed since then), the most difficult section involved reversing around a corner in a quiet housing estate. No opposite lock. No Scandinavian Flicks. Just a few basic manoeuvres on a sunny day. Therefore, I have to confess that I don't have 100% confidence in my ability to avoid going backwards into a hedge, after hitting a patch of compacted snow.

Similarly, I've got stuck behind others going even slower than me. To me, it definitely felt as though they were being too cautious, but I'd never be so arrogant as to assume that they shouldn't be allowed to drive. Not least because their only alternative - Dublin Bus - has decided that the very same roads are currently too dangerous to use at all. People still have to get around... alas, even those who drive Yarises and Micras and don't post on motoring forums.

Even at very low speeds, coming up to roundabouts and junctions, there have been a couple of times where I've felt like I was on the verge of 'heading straight to the scene of the accident'. I might have done ok to avoid hitting anything, but how much of that is down to luck (and ABS), as opposed to skill? This is only the second icy winter since I started driving, so yes, I've definitely questioned (and altered) my driving a few times this month.

Senna

I love all the yaris and micra comments (in all of the forum), two great cars in the snow. Small tyres and light weight, drove the missus yaris up our hill earlier, it flew up:D










i do get the "point" behind why their always mentioned, but thought i better stand up for the micra and yaris drivers who can actually drive

JerCotter7

I question other people's driving. Not the ones who are nervous. The ones who get it and act like maniacs just because the Irish aren't used to this weather. I got stuck at a hill the other day for 2 hours because an idiot like that cut off another driver. Needless to say people don't understand winter driving yet. Felt like leaving the car there.

gondorff

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Just as a matter of interest, how do you allow for black ice? Do you have some way of telling that it is, or could be, present?

It generally occurs in cold weather.

angeldelight

I have to say I have been totally delighted with my Yaris in this weather! Despite having to go up some very steep hills and through some incredibly deep snow at one point when I took a wrong turn it hasn't let me down at all.

When driving recently I have turned off the radio too - has really helped with concentration and also predicting things that were going to happen that little bit quicker.

As with many others I was amazed at the stupidity of other drivers - the amount of people who start braking on a hill was driving me mad. Also was driving up a fairly steep but 2 lane hill one morning this week when a tool in a Merc decided to pull into the overtaking lane which was full of frozen slush that everyone else was avoiding. He then flew by me, wheels spinning like crazy and slush flying everywhere before totally losing control of the car which did a big diagonal skid across in front of my car, missing it by inches and ended up on the kerb facing the direction we had just come from. I genuinely wasn't going that slowly - hope he did some damage either to tyre or underside of car as he deserved it

cbmonstra

Yes, it definitely has.

I only began driving last February, and passed my test in August.

All my driving experience was in pretty good weather, long, bright evenings, so I've been back to public transport since the bad weather began.

I've had lots of people, advising me to just go out there and drive in it, get used to the conditions, and lots of tips from well meaning folks.

I don't have the confidence to drive in these conditions, however.

I would have been really confident before, having passed my test first time, and I thought I was good for someone who hasn't been driving very long.

But feck that, tbh. I don't want to be the cause of an accident, by driving too slow, or panicking when I inevitably get into a skid.

Thanks to Bus Eireann, taxi drivers and the other public transport providers. I think they've done a great job considering.

I do miss my car though... A month off the road now, and can't wait to get back in the driving seat when the ice and snow clears up

Anan1

angeldelight wrote: »

As with many others I was amazed at the stupidity of other drivers - the amount of people who start braking on a hill was driving me mad.

This seems to be a very common cause for complaint these days. My brothers house is halfway up a long hill, and visiting requires stopping on the hill, waiting for the gate to open, and then reversing in. More than once i've had to push cars unable to get going again after stopping to wait. Which begs the question - is it safe to drive in conditions where you're afraid to stop for fear of getting stuck? Or where you might slide helplessly down a hill? Taking unnecessary risks is not good driving in my book.