Steve Hignett
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 08:35 AM |
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Driving Advice wanted:- Should I be driving 234 miles in this weather in two days time???
Hi All,
A bit of advice needed please!
I have a family (Wife, 9month old boy and myself) trip booked on Wednesday.
We are intending to go from Middlewich, Cheshire (Junction 18 of the M6) to Edinburgh.
It's jsomething like 142 miles on the M6 then 48 miles on a Aroad/Motorway road, then 36 miles on a A road, and then obvioulsy a couple miles
either side to get to and from...
We decided to spend Xmas in edinburgh to get away from the family and to have a nice time just the three of us together.
The hotel is already paid for with no chance of refund.
SO:- Is it a stupid idea to be taking a 9 month old baby on a road trip like this in this weather?
Cheers for all opinions...
Stege
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marcjagman
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 08:39 AM |
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I would say that it depends on the weather at the time. Check what it's like in Edinburgh before you set of. It's going to be a long trip
regardless because of the volume of traffic. Try an alternative. The road you take at Scotch Corner (A38 or A66 can't remember) is very exposed
and is often closed when it snows.
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femster87
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 08:39 AM |
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My personal opinion is that its quite dangerous for the baby. but see what the weather is doing before you set off.
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franky
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 08:40 AM |
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Not at all, I've been working all over the country where the snow is bad and where it isn't.
Part of the problem is the media over reacting and over hyping.
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Humbug
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 08:49 AM |
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No - 233 miles should be your limit 
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pdm
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 08:52 AM |
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I wouldnt want to get stuck in traffic on motorway with a 9 month old - I don't think it's dangerous to drive it but there seems to be
quite a few times people have had to abandon cars recently.
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tegwin
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 09:01 AM |
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Just make sure you are properly prepared with enough warm clothes, perhaps a little camping stove for making warm drinks etc, a shovel etc.... so if
you do get stuck you can look after yourself and the sprog!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
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bitsilly
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 09:22 AM |
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What about the train?
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jabbahutt
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 09:23 AM |
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If it was adults only travelling then I'd be happer to give it a go. Having a little one whose just turned 1 I'd be more concerned mainly
due to the rule of SOD. No matter how prepared you are you need to factor in the things you have no control over and then think how you'd
manage with a 9 month old.
Please don't think I'm being negative, just think through a few situations that might happen like a break down and if you have a good
contingency each one go for it. Main thin is for your wife to be as happy to travel as you are as the last thing you want is a festive barney in the
car.
Whatever you decide have a good Christmas.
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mcerd1
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 09:23 AM |
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the motorways will be your biggest problem, edinburgh isn't that bad unless your going down the wee roads they don't bother to clear (as
Mango...)
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norm007
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 09:29 AM |
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I suppose a couple of considerations.
What car are going in???
Is it a 4x4???
How good/confident are you in snow???
And last but not least, if its something you have had planned/been looking forward to for a while, then I would say go for it, I would!!!
Something about this, so very wrong.....I have to laugh out loud, I wish I didn`t like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 09:48 AM |
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It may, just may, be worth beg/borrow/steal a set of snowchains, that way you won't be needing them (see earlier reference to the rules of
SOD)
And yes, make sure you have stuff in the car, really it is just common sense, but plenty of blankets etc just in case, as well as a flask or two.
I recently did a jaunt with a couple of other cars around Scotland. One of the other chaps is unwell, and has pressure on his back when sitting, so
finds a hot water bottle useful. Every time we stopped, the places had no problem filling it with boiling water when asked, so that is an idea too.
But I guess the obvious thing is to keep an eye on the forecast, if it looks liek it will be bad, think extra carefully, but it is your (or
SWMBO's) decision.
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russbost
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 09:49 AM |
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If car is rear wheel drive & front engine I would forget it - far too easy to finish up stuck!
Other than that I'd say as long as you're well prepared, full tank of fuel & food/drinks/blankets/shovel etc with you, mobile phones
fully charged etc you should be fine
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 09:58 AM |
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Golf V6 4Motion
Scootz has kindly offered to give me a shout via U2U weather wise from the Edinburgh side closer to the time, hopefully tomorrow.
I'm aware of stuff I'd have to pack should I get stuck. We have 4 or 5 flasks that can keep water hot for 24 hrs, and a dozen fleece
blankets etc, so with a full tank of fuel I should be able to keep us all warm. The only thing the baby needs to get through a day is two parents to
shower him with attention...
I feel relatively confident about it to be honest, but pride always comes before a fall...
Where can I get snow chains from? I honestly only thought they were available in Norway, which to be honest is quite far from here 
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T66
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 10:19 AM |
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I am in Morpeth - Northumberland.
Yesterday afternoon we had 8" of snow in about 3-4 hours , the town centre had a major powercut taking out all the traffic lights. cars trying
to avoid Morpeth town centre continued north on the A1 and used the north slip road, this soon gridlocked and caused standing traffic on the A1 -
Whiteout conditions with stranded/stuck cars everywhere.
I drive a Lada Niva (yes Lada) which copes well with the snow, only because of this have I managed to recover the wifes Focus back home, and remain
mobile.
This morning the A1 was very slow moving north & south. I have used the minor backroads to get the wife to work , taking me approximately an hour
to do 17 miles.
I dragged a BMW out of a ditch yesterday afternoon on a treated road, then last night picked up a family wearing crap clothing pushing a buggy and
carrying another child on a rural back road, walking home having abandoned their car in the town centre.
The current forecast is very sketchy, I would assume this chaos will continue, so unless you drive a Lada or a Unimog , I wouldnt look to travel !
If the forecast is giving settled weather, consider that anywhere on your route this can changed rapidly, leaving you stuck with your family somewhere
unpleasant.
Once you leave your home patch, you have no local road knowledge and are committed to major routes, which quickly come to a stop.
[Edited on 20/12/10 by T66]
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blakep82
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 10:35 AM |
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M6, M74, M8 would be my advice. motorways should be fine, A roads haven't been up here. no way of saying what the weather will be like then,
might be perfectly clear. i'm driving down to nottingham on xmas eve so hope thats the case
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don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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GMPMotorsport
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 10:36 AM |
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As all previously said reaaly, make sure your car is in tip top condition, take plenty of provisions- warm clothes food shovel etc. Allow loads of
time for your journey, keep to main roads, make sure you have a fully charged mobile phone have a great time
www.gmpdevelopments.co.uk
www.gmpmotorsport.co.uk
ARDS Instructer.
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 11:08 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
Where can I get snow chains from? I honestly only thought they were available in Norway, which to be honest is quite far from here
I doubt you will be able to buy them at the moment. usually available all over the place, we get ours in the supermarket in france when we need to
change size, usually about £25, but they are only for emergency use. plus you need to protect alloys (bit of carpet or suchlike cut to a disc?
Anyway, phone up any friends who go skiing and take their cars. Remebre chains are size specific, so don't get caught out. My missus bought out
some snowchains so we could get about a couple of weeks ago, I froze my fingers, and failed to get them on as they seemed too tight. Yep, they were
for the old car defrost fingers, correct size and fitted in 5 mins
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Irony
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 11:24 AM |
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You probably wouldn't get anywhere on snow chains anyway. You would be constantly taking them on and off. They just don't work unless
you have complete coverage of snow.
I live in Lincolnshire and we have had more snow (now mostly gone) than I have ever seen in Lincoln. Literally 2ft worth. I drive a Mk 4 Golf GT TDI
with barely legal front tyres (now changed) and I have not been stuck at all. Driving style is the most important. Go slow, scan the road ahead,
some corners on back roads 20mph is to fast. There is nothing more cheering than tootling past some people stuck at the edge of the road in their 4x4
in a Golf GTI.
If I was you I would leave plenty of time for the journey, take some warm cloths and snacks. Possibly a shovel. Make sure you don't let your
car get below half a tank of fuel. However it has been worked out that my golf can be left at idle for 7days on a full tank without running out of
fuel. Probably less with the heaters going.
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mookaloid
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 11:32 AM |
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another vote for the train here
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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scootz
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 11:35 AM |
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We got a dumping of the white stuff again yesterday Steve.
Not as bad as last time, but probably still 8cm or so. Hard to say if it's going to last... nice bright sunshine out there, but still pretty
damn cold!
As others have said, the biggest concern is probably the main roads up... it just takes a couple of wagons to get stuck and no-ones going anywhere for
a while!
I'll give you an update later tonight and tomorrow morning!
It's Evolution Baby!
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RazMan
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 11:36 AM |
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Possibly a better solution than chains are snow socks
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fix-Go-Tex-Snow-Socks/dp/B004EF3DG0/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1292844861&sr=1-2
As already said, if your car is rear wheel drive then forget it.
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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02GF74
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 12:18 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
M6, M74, M8 would be my advice. motorways should be fine,
Really?? I was stuck for FOUR AND A HALF HOURS on the M1 on Saturday.
It was an obstacle course as 3 lanes filtered down into one to get round stuck lorries.
There is predicted more snow later on (I should have heeded the warning on Sat) so difficult to advise but look into alternatives - I am planning to
drive to Birmingham and haven't got round to getting MOT for my Land Rover but there still is time ...... 
I still plan to attempt it but will decide on the actual day.
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mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 01:12 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by marcjagman
I would say that it depends on the weather at the time. Check what it's like in Edinburgh before you set of. It's going to be a long trip
regardless because of the volume of traffic. Try an alternative. The road you take at Scotch Corner (A38 or A66 can't remember) is very exposed
and is often closed when it snows.
its cumbria that is the problem
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 01:28 PM |
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Right, just changed my "slicks" for four brand new Goodyears and even in the ice here it feels a lot better (Yeah, I know that's a
pretty obvious statement as I was on the TWI's on goodyear eagles).
Cheers Scootz for the update.
I'm also going to pack what I'd consider essential for camping out in the car for a couple of nights with a baby, in case the worst does
happen.
I'm keen on going if I was being totally honest, but I don't want to be a risk taker where the baby is concerned.
The ironic thing is, the clothes, blankets and food are stuff we are actually packing because of where we're going and stuff we'll be
doing there! So not actually packing stuff that's not needed (albeit, maybe taking 10 fleece blankets instead of 2!)
Thanks for the advice so far - please keep it coming!
At the end of the day, the decision to go will be based on the weather on Wed morning. We'll be setting off early and we're in no rush
etc. Will have TomTom satnav that I have quite a bit of faith in, so if I need to get odd the motorways etc, then that should allow me to continue
without the local knowledge as pointed out above.
Cheers,
Steve
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