Salt on Roads...

[piscola90]

Last night I took the Tamora out for a run, seeing as it was nice and dry (fair weather driver). Little did I know it was to be the hairest drive I've had. Pulling up behind a black S3 (the car I used to have) I entered the roundabout in second and started to very gingerly ease ahead of the S3 on the outside (inside of the round about) after exiting the first exit the road turns into dual carriageway... Now along side I put the power down knowing that I was in the power band.

Without warning the back snapped out so far that it both rear wheels where in the lane to the left of me, narrowly missing the S3, as I had just got infront of him. The rear slid into a car shaped hole as the left lane was busy and the right was empty. I have noidea how I caught it but I did and it swung from left to right desperately fighting for grip. It was like driving on ice and I couldn't understand it. Even when I recovered it having lost speed I very slowly put my foot down only to have the rears spin up. I returned to have alook at the road and It seems there was alot of fresh salt... having just turned off a country lane and onto a dual carriageway I didn't stop to think, if anything I was expecting better road holding as its a better surface. I would normally ring its neck down there and than god I didn't as I would never have caught it.

Apologies to the driver of the S3 if you are out there...

[TGJR]

I recall a similar experience (though not quite as hairy!) when I was driving my Griff on wet-looking roads on a sunny winters day and found myself applying a bit of opposite lock whilst overtaking a car on a straight road!! The real skill involved in the manoeuvre was trying to stay cool and composed looking when the driver of the car I was passing looked out of his side window with a concerened expression......

[morebeanz]

I think part of the problem is the material they add to the salt, which is great for when it's freezing, but makes it very tricky when it's just wet...

[Road Hog]

in certain conditions salt is more slippy than ice.

salt and a little dampness = very slippy.
I work in a salt mine extracting the stuff,
and we find that the salt roadways are very slippy if we get a fresh water burst on them.

Edited by Road Hog on Tuesday 11th December 15:25

[piscola90]

I never knew that... I had always asumed that it improved grip for the weather conditions it was spread, wet, damp, ice and snow.

I'm driving it round like a glass egg... and if you look inside you will see a scared boy just trying to get home on a winters evening.

[Hongkongfooi]

I bet it didn't touch the sides after though!!!! (and I don't mean the car!)

[earlyriser]

Road Hog said:

I work in a salt mine

Edited by Road Hog on Tuesday 11th December 15:25

Blimey, that can't be nice?

[piscola90]

Which one do you work at??? Did you hear about that peanut that was beaten up? Police said he was a-salted.

[Spawn]

piscola90 said:

Which one do you work at??? Did you hear about that peanut that was beaten up? Police said he was a-salted.

thats so bad its good!

[GV]

Did exactly the same in my Wedge one sunny January morning - did a 180 and was lucky not to get t-boned by other cars following me off the same roundabout....you live and learn eh?

[Road Hog]

its not so bad ,teeshirt and shorts all year round ,temps in the upper 30ies. and we get to run round in landys and transits.

www.clevelandpotash.ltd.uk/

if you were wondering where it all came from.

Edited by Road Hog on Tuesday 11th December 18:51

Edited by Road Hog on Tuesday 11th December 18:58

[brogenville]

(I was always told that)

salt lowers the surface tension of the water, and hence salty wet roads are slipper than wet roads.



To be honest, I couldn't really explain how that actually works, but I guess it sounds intellegent!

[bigdods]

It doesnt need salt, just stupidity (in my case). Driving through MK this AM to work, decided to give it some down a DC. in 2nd , totally dry road no salt, just cold. Tyres should have been warm after driving 20 odd miles to MK. Come off roundabout in 2nd ease onto DC, lined up straight thinking how clever I was being then booted it at 3k revs. Holy arsewipe batman I'm being overtaken by the rear end ! quick left and right with the wheel , straightens back up ease off the gas... and breathe. I've had the chim for 3 years now and you'd think I would know better. I agree with those following behind me who I am sure muttered 'twat' under their breath.

[cloggy]

bigdods said:

It doesnt need salt, just stupidity (in my case). Driving through MK this AM to work, decided to give it some down a DC. in 2nd , totally dry road no salt, just cold. Tyres should have been warm after driving 20 odd miles to MK. Come off roundabout in 2nd ease onto DC, lined up straight thinking how clever I was being then booted it at 3k revs. Holy arsewipe batman I'm being overtaken by the rear end ! quick left and right with the wheel , straightens back up ease off the gas... and breathe. I've had the chim for 3 years now and you'd think I would know better. I agree with those following behind me who I am sure muttered 'twat' under their breath.

It's very easy to become a 'twat', trust me.

[yellow peril]

We were coming home around 10 last night and saw the salt truck coming towards us.......you just KNOW that any minute it's going to sound like your going through a stone car wash.

This time, thankfully, we weren't in the TVR, but does anyone else get that 'Oh No' feeling when seeing those trucks coming toward you?

YP

[Zippee]

piscola90 said:

I never knew that... I had always asumed that it improved grip for the weather conditions it was spread, wet, damp, ice and snow.

Unfortunately it's something that a lot of people don't know and many find out the hrd way - myself included though just brown trouser moments rather than actually crashing.

[piscola90]

yellow peril said:

does anyone else get that 'Oh No' feeling when seeing those trucks coming toward you?

YP

The red mist builds up inside me and I oftern find myself trying to burn a hole in the drivers windscreen with my look of fire. I think that bikers work night shifts in gritters to see how many cars they can damage. I'd like to drive pass one shooting golf balls at them, then we can see who finds it funniest (not bikers, gritters).

[Miss Pitstop]

yellow peril said:

We were coming home around 10 last night and saw the salt truck coming towards us.......you just KNOW that any minute it's going to sound like your going through a stone car wash.

This time, thankfully, we weren't in the TVR, but does anyone else get that 'Oh No' feeling when seeing those trucks coming toward you?

YP

I had my windscreen cracked by a gritting lorry many moons ago (only in my 1 litre Ford Fiesta though!) Despite a car full of witnesses the council said there was no way a gritter could throw the salt out at that height...

...they've obviously never been out on road at this time of year then!

[optimax sniffer]

Apparently a compound is added to the salt to make it last longer, but this can make it a very slippery substance. Don't know if this is still the case though. Motorcycle news mentioned it a few years ago.