any - Driving Snow Covered Cars

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 12:35
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Cyd

Just been out to town. There's loads of folks driving about with snow covered cars. Fools! A woman was killed in the last snows when she braked and the snow on her roof slid off over the screen - the wipers couldn't cope with the weight and she had a crash unable to see.

Not only that, but the snow blowing off the roof effectively means the car behind is driving through a blizzard!

Don't become a statistic. It only takes a minute with a soft brush to clear it all off.
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Sat 23 Mar 2013 12:58
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Collos25

You have said it "It only takes a minute" a long time in peoples hectic lives.Here in Germany you dare not drive with snow on the car if the police dont stop you a pedastrian will report you and is quite a large fine.

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 13:56
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Cyd

.Here in Germany you dare not drive with snow on the car if the police dont stop you a pedastrian will report you and is quite a large fine.

As it should be.

Driving in the snow is tricky enough already. Why make it even harder for yourself and risk yours (or worse, others) lives as well???

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 14:12
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - jamie745

The Police will stop you here in Blighty for it as well if we've got any left.

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 15:06
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Collos25

Plenty of snow in my mothers city but not many if any police.

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 15:12
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - unthrottled

I just clear the snow from the roof by braking sharply to a halt at the first T-junction. Works every time.

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 15:27
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - madf

I employ a man to drive my car out of my heated garage when I want it. No snow on me. or my car.

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 15:39
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - John Boy

I just clear the snow from the roof by braking sharply to a halt at the first T-junction. Works every time.

Then you have to drive over it. I do a wheelie to get rid of it and then someone else has to drive over it.

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 15:58
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - hillman

It is indeed ludicrously careless to drive with a snow covered car. I've seen a car with just the windscreen cleared of snow where the driver had operated the wipers. The near side and rear windows were still obscured.

During the last snowfall I saw a Land Rover coming down the steep hill from Taxal into Whaley Bridge. As the LR approached a side street the driver braked gently to slow down for emerging traffic and six inches of snow from the roof slurped onto the screen and bonnet. I don't think the wipers could have cleared that.

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 18:08
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Andrew-T

I just clear the snow from the roof by braking sharply to a halt at the first T-junction. Works every time.

If you are able to do this safely (on snow) might it be better to accelerate hard, leaving the roof snow behind instead of in front? And still being able to see where you are going ...

Edited by Andrew-T on 23/03/2013 at 18:09

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 21:54
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Cyd

I posted the same message on my facebook and my Uncle-in-Law from London, Ontario reported back that the Police over there are red hot on this issue. You'd be stopped and issued with an on the spot fine.

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Sat 23 Mar 2013 23:50
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Smileyman

Clearing the snow off the is a pain - I live in the south east and have had to do this 5 times this winter, fortunately only in the morning, but that's more luck than anything else.

I won't drive off with a mountain of snow on the car roof - apart from being illegal I think it presents a danger to others, as other posters have stated.

So what is the secret - well, recently found cine film from 1982 of me in my late teens clearing snow off mother's car roof using a garden broom, these days I keep with me (in the boot) a rubberised broom, it's detachable from a telescopic handle .... does the job! If I'm expecting snow I carry with me a hand held window wiper so to clear the snow off the door / boot etc to prevent the car filling with snow (eg drivers seat) when opening the door.

However if driving and snow is falling I will not stop to clear snow off the roof.

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 14:50
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Hamsafar

I leave the snow on my car apart from lights and windows. I have never had any problems.

It snows sometimes, deal with it. Do the Bedouin shovel the sand from outside their gio?

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Tue 26 Mar 2013 22:11
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Ed V

Could be deemed dangerous to others, and not great for m.p.g. either!

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 14:56
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - hillman

During bad weather I keep a yard brush in the front porch and I use that to sweep snow off the screens and roof. My theory is that the bristles are stiff and won't bend so the wooden brush head won't scrape the roof as it would if I were to use a soft bristled house broom. I stand to be corrected.

During bad weather I carry a garden spade and a couple of strips of carpet in the boot in case I get stuck (wrong word) on bad surfaces, but have never needed to use them.

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 15:12
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Bobbin Threadbare

If I flip my roof mechanism back fast enough it will fling the snow off.

There is an old lady who lives in my road who clears just enough windscreen to peek out of, and then sets off. I've never been able to catch her to ask if she wants a hand making her car road legal....

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 15:44
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - John Boy

I'll be interested to hear her reply if you do!

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 18:19
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - daveyjp
Cars are nothing. Having just been on the M1 be wary of HGVs in this weather. Sheets of ice flying off and one wagon was a foot higher on one side due to quite an impressive snow drift on the roof.
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Sun 24 Mar 2013 19:07
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Bobbin Threadbare
Cars are nothing. Having just been on the M1 be wary of HGVs in this weather. Sheets of ice flying off and one wagon was a foot higher on one side due to quite an impressive snow drift on the roof.

Agreed - that is off-putting!

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Mon 25 Mar 2013 11:56
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Sofa Spud

I just sweep the car with a broom.

Of sourse, in a blizzard snow sometimes builds up on the car while you're driving, and that can be just as dangerous, but there's not much one can do about that.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 25/03/2013 at 11:57

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Tue 26 Mar 2013 21:05
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Hamsafar

Does anyone else pat snow onto their numberplates to defeat the regime?

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Tue 26 Mar 2013 21:20
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - unthrottled

Yes!

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Mon 1 Apr 2013 18:06
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - John Boy

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2302249/UK-Weathe...l

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Mon 1 Apr 2013 21:46
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Smileyman

now there is a good idea ... it has happened to me before - on autoroute in slushy snowy conditions and the front of the car was covered in snow / ice including the headlights which did not please me (bring back Volvo headlamp wipers)

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Mon 1 Apr 2013 18:34
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - Brit_in_Germany

In Germany, the service stations on the Autobahns have a sort of scafolding where the truckers can climb up and reach to clear the tops of their vehicles/trailers from snow and ice. Anything similar in the UK?

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Tue 2 Apr 2013 11:48
any - Driving Snow Covered Cars - FocusLgd

I have seen some shocking drivers going around with lots of snow on their cars. Not a thought for what can happen.

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