Fell victim to the snow this evening

[Stealthy]

Managed to bend the 2 in the snow!
I was driving home, changed lane on a one way system and the back end lost traction in the process, tried to bring it back but ended up in a four wheel slid.
Scraped down the side of a parked car and smashed the front end into a parked sprinter sized van at around 20mph.
Bent the bonnet, bumper and offside wing.
Absolutly gutted!

[raptor95GTS]

bummer bud. Hope you get it fixed soon though I fear you will be the first of many

[Andytoyota]

Really feel for you mate, had exactly the same, was on the way to Essex from Bath, was fine till get to the north side of the M25, (took a little diversion to get a dumpvalve off Chris, cheers by the way mate ), nearly brown trousered so many times, had a que of traffic behind me at some points but no way i was going any faster, no traction, backend everywhere!
Got onto the M11 at around 10 and it turned into a joke, and not a fuuny one, was crawling along at around 10mph in the slow lane , so dangerous, but never seen so many idiots on the road, people flying past, had at least 3 cars spin not far in front of me, crawled to the nearest service station and got the last room in the inn, lucky! Proper scary though, would certainly advise anyone to avoid the roads in your '2, just not worth it, and you have the added danger of other people crashing into you. Be careful out there guys

(Anyone here with a red MR2 pulled into the service station on the M11 just before the stansted junction? Brave man heading back onto the motorway!)

[craig]

Gutted for you mate

All the best for a speedy repair. I don't drive my car in these kind of conditions.

[Stealthy]

Cheers for the comments people.
Wouldn't have usually dreamt of taking the car, but when I went out it was dry as a bone, I made it through the twistie roads (putting the first tracks in the snow) then stack it in a straight line practically. Frustrating or what.

[slipping clutch]

thats bad luck mate, hope you get it sorted soon-just dont ask these guys to tow it in
http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h117/ ... Mishap.flv
Hope it puts a smile back on your face

[Munnsy]

mate realy feel for ya,i had the same thing last yr although i wasnt in snow
chin up, atleast your ok mate,

[Greddy-Matt]

Can sympathise mate, binned mine backwards into a hedge this morning too although only @ about 2 mph.

[Stealthy]

Can't see the pic as i'm on my phone, will have look later.
Hopefully the damage isn't too expensive to sort, gonna have a look properly when the weather is better.
Looks like those wheels are staying in the shed a little longer Dave lol

[Peter C]

Bad luck mate. Hope you get it sorted soon.

I use my MR2 mostly as a dry weather weekend toy.

Having seen the snow this morning:



My MR2 stayed on the drive:

[steve b]

Drove to work this morning in the MR2, 20 miles of country roads without issue, passed several stranded cars on some hills (BMW & Merc's all of them).

Will be pulling the ABS fuse on the way home this afternoon as I did have to stop the car on the handbrake at two junctions, abs refusing to allow the car to stop.

p.s. Stealthy hope you left a note on the parked cars you hit

[Stealthy]

Of course Steve.
I'd fuming if someone had hit mine and not left details.
Spoke to my insurance company earlier, unfortunately I'm only third party fire and theft.
So the damage is coming out of my own pocket.
Shall be in the wanted section soon lol

[Leon.]

Sorry to hear that Stealthy, its so easy to lose traction out there! Hopefully you can get it sorted at not too much cost?

I had to drive 10 miles back from somewhere last night at about 20.00 - walked out the door before heading off, saw about an inch of snow and thought **** better get home quick! Did 20mph all the way back and even had the back end stepping out up a hill (A road) at 20 in 3rd! Does amaze me how close people drive to bumpers in the snow

Can sympathise mate, binned mine backwards into a hedge this morning too although only @ about 2 mph.

Much damage?

[Andy F]

A bit of snow and you southern boys start to bin your cars...
Lots more practice UP north


Only messing lads

[nikaiyo]

Sorry to hear about your mishap Stealthy

I was at virtually 90deg to the road this morning going down hill at about 10mph= brown trousers

[Leon.]

A bit of snow and you southern boys start to bin your cars...
Lots more practice UP north


Only messing lads

I know you're messing but we are much less prepared for these types of conditions, with no doubt less budget for gritting etc. There was NO salt on the road last night at 20.00 when I was driving, but did pass 2 salting lorries on the way back - bit 'ing late

For sure, we are also less used to driving in these conditions too - the Fins are pretty good though

[ChrisT]

Sorry to hear that mate. Is treacherous out there at the moment. Hope you get it fixed up asap.

[marc GT Turbo]

bad news hope you can fix it soon .

[fearless]

lucky you guys could use your 2 mine is sick and wont go possible immboliser problem have dash lights but wont go has 12 volts and had to walk 3 miles still i suppose she is nice and safe on drive way though

[Ian Geary]

I know you're messing but we are much less prepared for these types of conditions, with no doubt less budget for gritting etc. There was NO salt on the road last night at 20.00 when I was driving, but did pass 2 salting lorries on the way back - bit 'ing late

For sure, we are also less used to driving in these conditions too - the Fins are pretty good though

Hmm I can see where this is going....

Get in a slide in the car = blame Council's for lack of salt. Job done.


To be fair Leeroy, you've hit the nail on the head in your second paragraph - the UK drivers just aren't ready for snow.

Driving too fast, too close, too low gear, too many revs, summer tyres, no chains, no idea how to engage 4x4 - complete complacancy. (the last one was some bird in a vitara - she hadn't a clue about her front hubs and I ended up pushing her out of a drift)

Range Rovers charging down the uncleared section, drivers relying on TC or ABS to get them out of a slippy patch. And when they get stuck? It's the Council's fault for not gritting.

Blaming lack of gritting is simplistic: Sunday night the snow just settled on the salt, or the salt blew off. The ploughs can't clear that much snow that quickly, despite being out 24/7 since Sunday afternoon.

The Fins though - there's only about 500,000 of them - their country is hugely rich compard to ours (per capita), and their driving test takes ages! Our DVLA can't even manage to send a plastic wallet back - how would they cope with implementing such a varied and challenging test?

I left the MR2 and motorbike at home, and instead rode 28 miles on my mountain bike, so I feel I have a bit of a high horse today (and sore ar$e)

To the OP, you have my complete sympathy - it sounds like you were just caught out by the weather pure and simple.

My comments are more at the people I passed this morning, and the subsequent battering my work's been taking from the Daily Mail crowd, who manage to ignore common sense and expect a Canada like response to snow but without taking any responsibility themselves.

Ian