I am well aware of this. However, my summer tyres are more than adequate for the conditions we get over winter here, other than snow and ice.

On a separate subject. I've never seen rain on ice before. We had a really cold night and woke up with it grey, not too cold and raining heavily. I was quite surprised to find there was ice under all the standing water, I nearly killed my self on the garden path and driving my wife's MX-5 was quite an experience.

No, they're not.

Just because something's currently legal doesn't make it safe or adequate.

Yes they are.



That's obvious, look at alcohol and tobacco.

The breaking distance in the cold and wet for summer v winter tyres is probably increased by about the same amount as the reaction time of someone over the drink-drive limit.
I think I can drive perfectly fine after 2 pints, therefore I think summer tyres are fine?

I bet my reaction time after two pints would be better than some of the old codgers with licenses after none. My summer tyres are adequate, and apart from in snow and ice, have never caused me a problem. That's not to say that winter tyres would not be better.

This infuriates me in a way. Some peole are just better drivers without bringing alcohol into question, and then a tee-totaler drinking their first unit would have a lower BAR than the drinker with their second unit, but who would be the safer driver?

I'm not condoning drink driving in any way, but am (dare I believe it) somewhat in agreement with the US police performing a sobriety test before even considering a BAC test. I've seen the damage caused by wreckless and careless driving (6 lives over 2 incidents) in my time where alcohol has not been a factor.

Worst accident I've been witness to was caused by an ambulance running a red light. The idea that if you're sober and doing the speed limit you're 'safe' is possibly the most dangerous assumption any driver could make.

Jon

Agreed.

On Monday I watched a man in a Merc sashay and fishtail his way down the steep hill opposite my house with his mobile to his ear.

His stupidity was trounced in swift fashion by the lady I watched the day after who did the same thing in a whilst texting. And as if you couldn't guess she was in a bright yellow Seicento.

Especially if you're wearing the wrong tyres for the conditions

I read "trousers" instead of "tyres"

I have slick tires on my scooter, so there.

Jumped into the car this morning, drove the 15 mins into work thinking 'Oh, it's all thawed. It's just wet and boring now.'
Discover that at 9.30am, I was one of a handful of people who made it in to work. Someone's crashed written off their car on the way in, none of the buses are running, the taxis have all decided they're either too busy or it's not safe (depending on who you spoke too) and other people couldn't leave their villages.
Why?
Because at about 7.30, it rained. An hour later, it had all frozen. The whole area around Torbay was brought to a stand still until it thawed out enough.
It's been raining all afternoon, and it's predicted to be 0°C tonight, probably well into the morning. And I've got to get to work, collecting someone on the way.

Call your local Police station for a weather and travel update. You may find that 'got to' be at work has become 'scheduled' to be at work, and therefore been advised against. Your work has no chance of giving you trouble whatsoever. I appreciate that your circumstances may encourage you to go to work, and that you may be perfectly able to do so, but it is the other idiots on the road who cause the problems.

In the last wo days I have one cousin who hit another car after they had lost the back end in front of her (insurance says tit for tat ) and a third cousin who's been back ended by a 4x4 on country roads in Hamshire, with witnesses saying the other driver was acting like a loon. 4 hours waiting to be cut out of a car and weeks of whiplash hell to enter the new year. Ho Ho Ho.

I'd be surprised if the road to work is that bad - we're right next to the sea, and it's more or less a straight hill from my house to there. Even with the detour to collect my friend, I have to drive along, next to the sea, then make a right for a couple of blocks. It's all main roads really, and about 75% of them are right next to the sea, so between that and (I presume) the grit lorries tonight I should be fine.

its raining here and has been since 5pm
the overnight temps are forecast at about +3C

apart from a power outage everything is returning to normal …