King of the icy road? My 1955 Austin A30!
I WAS singularly unimpressed by the reaction of drivers to a few inches of snow. I took my car out and went for a drive as buses weren’t available, even though local bus companies have skilled staff who are perfectly capable of driving in snowy conditions. All the major roads had been gritted and with care side roads were passable, though there was no sign of salting. The supermarkets, with no milk left on sale and empty shelves straight out of Soviet Russia, had closed their car parks. Sadly, the skills of driving in snow and ice have been lost — I saw much skidding around at inappropriate speeds and flashy cars with spinning wheels failing to do a hill start. I passed quite a few of them in my 1955 Austin A30 at a steady 10mph. I know it’s different out in the countryside, but in a city centre don’t be affected by the inhibitions of those who insist on listening to government baby talk warnings instead of making your own risk assessment.
JOHN HEIN, Edinburgh.
THERE is a skill in driving in extreme winter conditions. Commuters, police, train and bus operators would be wise to re-acquaint themselves with how to manage in snow and ice. On TV news reports, we saw car wheels spinning as a vehicle slowly slid across the road. As a former police advanced driving instructor and examiner for the Australian Institute of Advanced Motorist, my advice is to start off very slowly. If the road is clear, try braking to find out what your vehicle’s sliding point feels like and then avoid doing it again! Be gentle with the steering wheel, brake and accelerator pedals. Leave at least three times the normal safe braking distance. Common sense by drivers would keep the traffic moving in winter weather.
R. M. ORMSBY, Abergele, Conwy. THE all-electric Jaguar car has a range of 298 miles (Mail), but what happens in bad weather? How long will the power keep you warm if you’re stranded on a motorway in a blizzard? How will you be rescued if the batteries go flat? These are the questions that need to be answered before we turn our backs on petrol and diesel vehicles.
PHIL SOSKIN, Rickmansworth, Herts.