I was amused to read an article in the News & Star earlier that according to Andrew Moss, the council’s assistant director of highways, they have topped up the 10,000 grit bins and roadside grit piles. Funny that, we’ve been asking for the grit piles on our road to be topped up for weeks and our requests have fallen on deaf ears. The hill down past our lane looks more like the Cresta Run these days than a road, and we’d probably be better off buying a toboggan than wasting money on road tax.
To date I have made numerous requests to Cumbria County Council for the grit piles to be topped up, I’ve had assurances from Tony Markley (Cumbria County Councils cabinet member for highways and economic development) that the lack of grit issues had been passed to a highways officer who would get in touch with me directly – that was a week ago now. I also contacted my local parish Councillor, who did not respond, a local County Councillor who would look into the matter, never heard from again; and my local MP Rory Stewart, who is obviously too busy to respond 😉
So, here’s an invitation to Andrew Moss and all the other Councillors who believe the grit piles and bins are all topped up, come and drive around some of the minor roads in a normal car and see how far you get without sliding along at 45 degrees to the road before hitting the verge.
I know they’re all busy at this time of year, heck, I’d like to be busy to, but not busy trying to free my car from roads that are untreated and are untreatable thanks to the lack of grit. This is the second bad cold snap in twelve months, and the second time the Councils have left us high and dry.
I meant to comment earlier, been busy and a bit ill.
I’m afraid that grit will not help much. In town it works because the surface isn’t as big. They have to grit the roads at least twice a day, and much more for the main roads. The problem is that the grit quickly melts into the ice and a new layer of ice is formed.
Around here the roads in places similar to yours are being cleared 2 or 3 times a day (and salted) when it snows but they never use grit, or maybe just in the steeper places.It would simply not be possible, that would be hundreds of tons.
In town, for pavements, they are now using an invention that was made here. Wood chips impregnated with magnesium chloride. they last much longer than grit as they don’t heat up as much as stone when the sun shines or from the pressure of vehicles.
Just saying that the only solution for you would be winter tires. It feels almost like driving on normal roads when you have them. Of course it’s silly to buy them if there never is any snow and it’s a problem when you have them and the roads are clear (they wear down and can’t be used anymore on snow). Here they are compulsory and you get fined if you don’t have them.
All in all it’s a weird situation places like yours under snow when places like mine that are used to this, have nearly no snow at all!
The sent the snow plough over when it was thawing – perfect timing really 😉 We have to find out if they’ll charge us more on insurance to use winter tyres, some companies are classing them as modifications and increasing premiums :-/
Typical!
I don’t know what our insurances do, as I’ve never owned a car. But it would seem unfair to charge us for something compulsory, and in a country where snow can last 6 months.
I’m really glad I don’t have to drive too much during the Winter. I’m ok on snow but others drive like mad people and don’t take care at all, it’s really dangerous. There were several bad accidents last week