Had a lesson at 7.45 this morning… there was a dusting of snow last night, and the temperature was fixed on 0°C (it still is, even at 10.30am with the sun shining). But I noticed a couple of things…
First of all, the number of roads which hadn’t been gritted. I took my pupil past the Chalfont Drive Test Centre and the road was slick with black ice and compacted snow (we may have had only a slight dusting, but it was a little more in some places). I don’t think for a moment that any of the 8.10, 8.20, or 8.40 tests went out – but they could have done if the gritters had done their job.
It’s annoying, because this cold weather has been forecast for a week – and especially seeing that last year, the biggest hazard on the road was the grit! They were shovelling the stuff on in lorry-loads full. I sometimes wonder what the Nottingham City and County Councils (and whoever their bureaucracy says is responsible for gritting) actually do for a living, because whatever it is it is rarely the appropriate thing. I should imagine they were all in meetings this morning discussing where to grit.
The second thing I noticed was the number of drivers who – as usual – haven’t got it into their heads yet the two most important things:
- snow + cold = slippery
- slippery + crap driving = accidents
They are driving too close, too fast, braking too harshly… it’s no wonder so many accidents occur. And there were plenty on the radio to listen to.