Icy Roads this morning

A lot of accidents this morning due to ice.

http://www.staffordshirenewsletter....al-icy-roads/story-20439484-detail/story.html

I don't think any of the roads around us had been gritted; there were some real idiots driving too close for the conditions.

 

Very nearly came off my bike this morning, back end slid out on a corner and clipped a car that was very luckily stationary at the time. No damage to either side but god it woke me up!

 

Wildwood perimeter was lethal. The road looked ok just wet, but going round the bend after Wildwood playing fields - I'm surprised nobody went into the railings - I was slip sliding at 15mph.

 

One of my colleagues came off his bike this morning, riding normally and suddenly went straight off sideways and slid out across the road - luckily no injuries.

Also saw an ambulance on Cull Ave on the way in this morning, which I'm told was for a cyclist who'd come off at the Tixall Road junction hopefully not too serious

Apparently a 4x4 went off into a field on the Tixall Road too, between Blackheath Lane and Tixall

The footpaths were so slippery at the top end of the Tixall Road and around Avon Rise this morning, I was sliding round all over the place on the walk in to work - it's black ice too, completely invisible until you hit it...

 

A motorcyclist came off on the Wildwood perimeter road at the junction with the Cannock road by the Wildwood pub as well about 7.30am. (Husband saw an ambulance turning down the other Wildwood exit soon after, so don't know whether it was on it's way to that accident.)

 

At least we didn't have a speeding Ostrich to contend with

 

I see there was snow over Cannock Chase way
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/...falls-in-staffordshire-as-freeze-hits/snow-7/

 

Apparently was a woman in her 40's, taken to hospital on a spinal board .

 

When Harry Met Bernie​

 

Roads were very scary on a bike this morning.
Have the council given an explanation for not gritting ?

 

Nearly bust an alloy this morning pulling onto priestly court on the tech park. It didn't look icy at all.

Anyway, I gave the ice the finger and sped off like a maniac so all was well.

 

When i went out about 8:10am to turn onto the Cannock Road at that junction there was still an ambulance sat in the middle of the road, i thought it might have skidded on ice and ended up there as i almost lost control at the top of Lansdowne Way and i was only doing about 20mph.

I hope the lady concerned is ok.

I dont know why there was no grit out, i knew it was going to be icy from the weather report yesterday but all the way to Lichfield on the main road i could see no signs of any being put out.

 

Looked like she had skidded on ice, rather than being knocked off, as the bike was on the floor but a car and van had stopped a bit away on either side of it when hubby went past at 7.30am.

I never like walking past the end of Lansdowne way , especially if it's icy ,I always worry about cars skidding off the road on that bend. (Seems worse since the central reservation has been put there)

 

Reply from an email I sent to SCC Highways today:

"Having had a couple of similar reports in regarding gritting around the County, we have had confirmation that all the routine gritting routes were gritted last night by the overnight team. Having said this, a combination of factors such as rainfall following the gritting not long afterwards, resulted in the gritting being less effective than normal. By the time the first lot of gritting had been completed, the temperature had risen."

 

I assume they gritted the main roads in Stafford today but when driving this morning it did not seem that a lot of grit had been put down.

Yesterday morning I had to leave the house at 7 am to deliver somebody to Manchester. The Newport Road, town and Eccleshall Road were not gritted! The motorway was fine and Manchester was gritted.

 

Roads around Eccleshall very icy and dangerous even by 11am in bright sun. No sign of grit. Most drivers just didn't seem to realise.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...nd-start-spending-20-billion-in-reserves.html

 

There are an awful lot of people who seem to believe that if they think a road has been gritted, they don't need to change their driving habits.

There are a number of reasons grit might not work including rain washing it off the road and the temperatures being too low for grit to be effective.

I know the gritters have been out because they drive past my house several times a day. I still drive carefully. Increase your gear, slow down and try to minimise breaking. The speed people were driving past my house yesterday morning, even with slush all over the road, was astonishing.

Disclaimer: Yes, I'm sure in that in your particular instance your accident had nothing to do with your driving and was entirely down to ice on the road. Yes, I agree that your accident in particular couldn't possibly have been avoided. Yes, its entirely 'the council's' fault. Let's assume that if the assertion that your driving was probably at fault offends you, then you're the exception to the rule, OK?

 

Lots of drivers were dumping piles of snow on the cleared main roads today ,as they couldn't be @rsed to clear it off the car roof before starting off and it was sliding off as they went around corners.While we were waiting at the crossings by Asda, one car had the bottom half of his windscreen completely blocked off by snow.
Just can't believe the stupidty of the people down our road, which is a bit of a skid pan in parts. One car parked up at the side of the road as I was approaching ,despite their driveway being clear. I let the bloke get out of the drivers door before attempting to squeeze through the gap. He walked to the back of his car and just as I was inching through he goes back and opens the back passenger door. Stupid git

 

Our road (I live on a corner) is treacherous, a lad came off his motorbike in front of our house only a few days ago. We used to have a yellow container of grit on the road provided (I think) by the councilthat we could spread when needed - but its gone....not sure if the council took it away, or it was just vandaised...

Anyhow, anyone know who I would email or write to about it?