Scottish Sporting Car Club

February Rant

This month I was going into more Motor Sport mode and I had even written half of the piece, but I was overtaken by events, as they say in politics “events dear boy, events”. These events were over-eating, seasonal illness and then “The Weather”. Lets forget about my problems, but folks, the weather!!! , or should I say the reporting of the weather. Perhaps it is just me, I have seen a few summers and winters you know, but really is this recent “cold spell” just as bad as the media / Police / Local Authorities would have us believe. Now before any one thinks I am heartless, the cold and ice and snow conditions do bring difficulties to the vulnerable in our society, but in regard to motoring issues, just where has common sense and self- responsibility gone. Equally, where has the planning and organisation, by those we pay to keep our arteries of commerce open, gone.

In my everyday life I cover many hundreds of miles each week for business and pleasure, I have done so for many years. I travelled all over the country and experienced all types of terrain and weather types. I have also had the opportunity to experience Eastern European, Scandinavian and Canadian winter conditions and boy are those extreme by our standards of the “British norm” , yet for the motorists of those lands, life goes on. Are they a special breed? Do they have the right kind of snow? Do they have special vehicles or equipment? Is it experience? Well in the words of the Sage: “maybe yes and maybe no”. I have travelled extensively in Scandinavia in heavy trucks (weights in excess of 60 tonnes gross), in temperatures below -20C, on ploughed but not treated roads. The trucks travelled at “normal, everyday” speeds for most of the journeys, the windscreen washers worked, traction was maintained and the evidence of weather related accidents and incidents was minimal. Lets compare and contrast this to UK conditions.

The television media carries weather reports and predictions of low temperature and snow to the masses, so we could reasonably assume the authorities get this info sooner and in more detail. The knowledge of seasonality of this is so banal that it should not require questioning, but is the road network made ready ? No. Are grit boxes in place and filled? No. Are the ploughs and gritters on standby? No. So what happens on Day 1 of the first “Freeze Day”? We all know, don't we?

You may recall a TV public information film of some years back concerning poor driving practice, in regard to parking/overtaking/ exiting junctions or some such, featuring Reginald Molehusband , the epitome of low key fecklessness. You know the type; “looks as if his Mammy knitted him”. Strange as it may seem he appears (in the Biblical sense) to have “gone forth and multiplied” and the fruit of his loins has infiltrated the general motoring public to an alarming degree. So what do we get? Hordes of unprepared vehicles, driven by generations of Molehusbands and did I mention British Norm, yes he is there too. You combine this with an unfamiliar environment and mayhem breaks out. Cars with frozen washers , bald tyres, dirty lights, or none at all. No knowledge of “safer routes”, no plans to leave earlier for that appointment, no common sense, no defrosted brain.

Just too many people seem to have watched the various documentaries on penguins or the film “Happy Feet”. This new breed of motorist thinks that by slowing down and bunching up like a flock of penguins, they will be safe. What sets in is as follows, driving at under 20 MPH, 3 feet from the car in front transfers ALL responsibility for ANY action to someone else. So that takes care of the blame culture. We all know, don't we that speed is dangerous (the Polis keep telling us this), therefore anything under 20MPH , that is, under the urban speed limit is by definition safe, so that takes care of the anti speed culture. Following the man in front means that you don't have to be able to see, make a decision or steer, taking care of the Nanny State culture. Then what happens? Someone gets stuck – no traction, blinded by windscreen crud or whatever and then it starts. We get collisions, people trying to escape the pack get stuck, lanes get blocked, need I go on.

When the roads stay blocked because the ploughs/gritters can't get access its the motorists at fault. To some degree yes, but why were the gritters not out BEFORE the mayhem. Another question, why do the Highways Agency , Councils, Traffic Scotland not have some all-wheel drive trucks? While on the subject of AWDs or WMDs as Gov and Council would have us believe in the way they demonise and over tax the owners – light flurry of snow and its “please will the 4X4 owners come out and help us”; oh, so you need us now ! Well on your bike chum, should be the response , but as usual its not the authorities who would suffer its the poor man in the street.

So happy motoring, and like a good Scout, be prepared.

Yours aye,

Y. Cant