Slip Sliding Away....

[gears]

After all the recent posts of crashes and shunts (plus my own experience when I wrote off my previous Lexus in the ice last year), I'd just like to give a couple of bits of advice to everyone driving around in the snow and ice. But first, a story of last night.

Yesterday it started snowing. Pretty heavily. Check out this picture of the snow. And, as you can see, it stuck to the ground pretty well. Here's my Lex (near the bottom of the picture) parked up at work. I didn't think it'd be too much of a problem to get it out. I thought going backwards might help. However, after 20 minutes of digging and reversing, sliding sideways and pushing it still wouldn't budge. The traction control was off and everything, but the minute it hit the snow it wouldn't budge. I took this picture on my phone just as I was going to give up. I couldn't go forward because the railings were in the way, so I had to keep digging (no gritters on our car-park!)

In the end about 5 blokes pushed me out, at which point the whole car pirouetted around and amazingly I did a perfect turn toward the exit and away I went.

Moral of the story...

1) Stick "Snow mode" on when you're driving in the snow and ice. It stops you being daft and it does wonders for your fuel consumption!

2) Stick something heavy (like a couple of bags of sand) in your boot. OK, so that kinda ruins the fuel consumption, but it'll keep the light back end planted more firmly on the road.

[IanB]

Yes, my IS200 used to be the same.

This year I have seen the light , and have just taken delivery of a set of 16 wheels for winter tyres. I'm sure this will be better, with a paving slab in the back, of course!

Your previous crash looks spectacular. No injuries to you I trust!

Cheers,

IanB :D

[gears]

Yes, my IS200 used to be the same.

This year I have seen the light , and have just taken delivery of a set of 16 wheels for winter tyres. I'm sure this will be better, with a paving slab in the back, of course!

Your previous crash looks spectacular. No injuries to you I trust!

Cheers,

IanB :D

←

The Black IS2000 I had previously was a bog standard model. I'd put 17" alloys on it about 2 months before, then I'd had it serviced 1 week previously (£600 with brakes and stuff!) and at 4 o'clock in the morning I'd driven through freezing temperatures up the M6 and M6 Toll.. THEN, after coming back along the M6 and going back to bed, I went up to the shops. I was just pootling up the local road the back end slid out, I corrected it, and again, and again.. However before I knew it the thing fish-tailed and I ended up going side-ways into a tree. Nasty.

I called the coucil, who confirmed over the phone that "the road you were on is between two local county councils and we take it in turns to grit. In this case the gritter was out of service and it wasn't gritted between 6 AM and 3PM." I had the crash at about 2.30PM. I've been trying to get this in writing but, of course, they weren't eager.

[swfcdan]

*Note to Self*

Lock IS up all winter :D

[IanB]

Don't know the legal position about gritting. I know you can sue councils for damage caused by not repairing potholes (assuming they have been previously told about them), but I don't know if you can sue them for not gritting.

Up here it's not grit anyway. It's just salt they spray, and only on main roads. Rural back roads round our way are best avoided, although that's difficult when you live in an old farmhouse!

Hence my desire for snow tyres!

[lex-mike]

Yes, my IS200 used to be the same.

This year I have seen the light , and have just taken delivery of a set of 16 wheels for winter tyres. I'm sure this will be better, with a paving slab in the back, of course!

Your previous crash looks spectacular. No injuries to you I trust!

Cheers,

IanB :D

←

That's a lot of wheels Are you really going to need that many :D

What width are the rims, and what tyres are you planning on fitting?

[IanB]

I've used standard 16" Lexus IS wheels, and have just today fitted standard size Michelin Pilot Alpins 205/55-R16's. Not the cheapest option, but they came highly recommended by Rob (fluff) in Switzerland.

On the way home I tried some hard braking on slushy backroads, and what a difference! Like chalk and cheese compared with my 17" alloys.

I'll never look, back now!

Cheers,

Ian B :D :D

[IanB]

Forgot to mention, yes you do need 4 wheels. The IS doesn't drive or steer in my experience, so you need winter rubber at both ends!

[lexicon]

Forgot to mention, yes you do need 4 wheels. The IS doesn't drive or steer in my experience, so you need winter rubber at both ends!

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It would be a real bad idea to mix n match on any car

[Rob]

Ian, thanks for the PM - glad that ur sorted so u shouldnt have any probs this winter.

Regarding the gritting - if the council contact person was switched on they could deny ALL responsibility for your accident - it is YOUR responsibility to ensure your car is capable and suitable for the conditions - ie had summer tyres on