This picture on the BBC news site reminded me to share this rant.

Why do people clear the bare minimum of snow from their cars in this weather. Usually enough for them to see forwards only, many not to see what is to the side. Why do people utterly neglect other road users by not clearing the lights (front and rear) of their car. It takes seconds to do and benefits everyone.

I think they should have left the plate visibile!

Police gave her an ice scraper, oh how nice, driving ban would have been more in order, stupid cow.

it only takes a few minutes to brush the snow off with a soft brush or soft broom, so there is no excuese for driving with the car in that state.

I would have made them clear it with something they already had on them... teach them to use their initiative.

I have seen cars like this but I would not put it past the BBC to deliberately stage that indecent as they have done things like this before to make it more newsworthy or sexy.

I think some people want to know what it would feel like to drive a tank

I like it when people think there windscreen wipers can clear 3 or 4 inches of snow off the windscreen. Watched an old neighbour do this once, the wipers moved about 6 inches and stopped, so he got out cleared the snow off the windscreen and they still didn't move, so he drove off down the road and when he got the end he stopped and all the snow on the roof slid onto the windscreen and he had to get out and clear it again

I've actually seen the police stop cars for this locally. Some people aren't used to driving in snow...

Its very easy.

Step 1 - Start car

Step 2 - turn on heated screen and wait 3 minutes

Step 3 - drive forwards, and perform an emergency stop. All snow will slide off the front of the car.

Failing that, I find 80mph+ great for clearing snow off the car very quickly.

HTH.

Its very easy.

Step 1 - Start car

Step 2 - turn on heated screen and wait 3 minutes

Step 3 - drive forwards, and perform an emergency stop. All snow will slide off the front of the car.

Failing that, I find 80mph+ great for clearing snow off the car very quickly.

HTH.

Yes, wonderful.

Method 1 leaves lots of ice on the road, usually near junctions.

Method 2 throws big blocks of compacting snow off the back of the car.

I had to do a very rapid stop on a slushy road early this week, due to this method.

Somebody pulled onto the road, without seeing me approaching and booted it as it was clearer, then a huge lump of snow, at least a foot long and as wide as the car, just came off the back of the car and towards me. hitting the road probably a couple of feet in front of where I was, and exploding sending bits of ice/snow everywhere.

Imagine what would happen if it his the windscreen of another car, of the bodywork. The would be a cracked screen and quite a dent too.

Also your screen might clear itself, but if you don't clear the roof, at some point it will slither down the front of the car, over the screen and prevent you seeing anything in seconds.

I won't even get onto doing emergency stops or 80+ in the weather conditions around at the moment.

Its very easy.

Step 1 - Start car

Step 2 - turn on heated screen and wait 3 minutes

Step 3 - drive forwards, and perform an emergency stop. All snow will slide off the front of the car.

Failing that, I find 80mph+ great for clearing snow off the car very quickly.

HTH.

Ha Ha, I thought only buses did this, often leaving several feet of snow at traffic lights.

Really annoys me too. It's the same whe n it's frosty too. Nearly had a guy pull out on me today because he had only bothered to scrap a patch the size of your fist on the drivers window....

I always make the time, if need be not have breakfast, to clean all the windows and lights and clean off the most of any snow on roof and bonnet.

I'm disappointed you thought I was serious Mark :(

Mine gets a quick brush over with a soft dustpan and brush type brush, takes seconds!!

I'm disappointed you thought I was serious Mark :(

Mine gets a quick brush over with a soft dustpan and brush type brush, takes seconds!!

Not sure I really did, but having had to drive around and avoid people like this a lot over the last week or so I obviously lost my sense of humour

Looking back on it and bearing in mind that you sometimes run gritters, it's kind of obvious really. Sorry

I have seen cars like this but I would not put it past the BBC to deliberately stage that indecent as they have done things like this before to make it more newsworthy or sexy.

Not staged by the BBC.

From a Devon and Cornwall Police press release

http://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/NewsAppeals/Pages/NewsItem.aspx?Release=10070

I'm surprised they're not towing a caravan too.

If there were more police around they might catch people like this and be able to do something to make our roads safer. Relying on speed camers does not do this - they only pick up people who are speeding and not those driving dangeoursly or without due care and attention.

Over here (Belgium, I know, I know), after an accident with a pedestrian killed due to the fact that the windscreen wasn't cleaned at all, police claimed they would be taking cars with such windscreens out of traffic immediately. Looking around (certainly early in the mornings), one wonders how some people drive around in their cars hardly seeing anything at all. Are they brave or just utterly stupid and irresponsable? How ever did they get their licence and how on earth can they keep it? I'm starting to believe in 'the nut behind the wheel'.

Are they brave or just utterly stupid and irresponsable?

The latter

Edited 14 January, 201016 yr by Raglits

I think both.

Yes, wonderful.

Method 1 leaves lots of ice on the road, usually near junctions.

Method 2 throws big blocks of compacting snow off the back of the car.

I had to do a very rapid stop on a slushy road early this week, due to this method.

Somebody pulled onto the road, without seeing me approaching and booted it as it was clearer, then a huge lump of snow, at least a foot long and as wide as the car, just came off the back of the car and towards me. hitting the road probably a couple of feet in front of where I was, and exploding sending bits of ice/snow everywhere.

Imagine what would happen if it his the windscreen of another car, of the bodywork. The would be a cracked screen and quite a dent too.

Also your screen might clear itself, but if you don't clear the roof, at some point it will slither down the front of the car, over the screen and prevent you seeing anything in seconds.

I won't even get onto doing emergency stops or 80+ in the weather conditions around at the moment.

Haha, now theres an over reaction if ever I saw one!

I can't imagine how any amount of snow or ice sliding off the back of a car is going to do any damage, let alone put anyone in danger.

It was meant in gest, lighten up!

Really annoys me too. It's the same whe n it's frosty too. Nearly had a guy pull out on me today because he had only bothered to scrap a patch the size of your fist on the drivers window....

I always make the time, if need be not have breakfast, to clean all the windows and lights and clean off the most of any snow on roof and bonnet.

I wouldn't dream of driving a car that doesn't have ALL of windows cleared, whether it's thick snow, light frost.......whatever. Don't see the problem with taking an extra 10-15 minutes (if that) to make sure you've got full visibility.

Corsa drove past me today with only the windscreen cleared by wipers, with snow covering all the others - t@sser !!!

I have to clear all the windows of my car, would drive me insane if I could only see out of the windscreen.

had a car nearly pile into the back of me last weekend doing the same thing, not clearing the snow from the roof he started to slow down, all slid forwards and his windscreen wipers couldnt move it, i had to stop and he carried on towards the back of me, luckily stopping inches when he heard my horn blast. its illegal and perhaps the police instead of sliding down hills around here on their riot shields should be at the side of the road pulling these idiots over.

Haha, now theres an over reaction if ever I saw one!

I can't imagine how any amount of snow or ice sliding off the back of a car is going to do any damage, let alone put anyone in danger.

Have you ever seen 2" thick of snow that has been sat on a car for a couple of days come off? It isn't soft like snow, it's hard like ice.

There is a reason you legally have to remove it from your car in many countries.

It's very dangerous and could injure a cyclist or pedestrian or damage a car etc without too much effort.

As for a reaction, yes but if you read my post above, I realised he was pulling my chain later rather than sooner.