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Wednesday, 4th November 2009 Change Date Latest Issue

Road warning as ice sparks safety fears

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Published Date: 03 February 2009
DRIVERS across the Lothians were warned to take care today, with icy roads expected across the region.
Temperatures plummeted below zero last night and, with surfaces wet from earlier rain, sleet and snow, widespread ice affected untreated roads and pavements.

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for widespread icy roads in Edinburgh and the Lothians, predicting "with 80 per cent or greater confidence" that severe weather is expected.

heir advice is to take extra care and refer to Traffic Scotland for further advice on road conditions.

After fine sunny spells during the day, further snow is expected from around 6pm.

Council gritters were again out in force to help minimise the risk of accidents.

Edinburgh Airport warned that flights could be disrupted, as a knock-on effect of the problems on Monday, when 84 flights were cancelled.

However, there were no problems with the first few flights out of Edinburgh this morning and several arrivals were actually expected to land ahead of schedule.

Passengers are still being advised to contact their airline before leaving for the airport as schedules may be subject to change.

Scotland largely avoided the worst of the weather at the start of the week, with expected heavy snow showers failing to materialise.

The long-range forecast is for a bright but cold weekend, with sunny spells, a sharp frost night and morning, and a chance of snow showers.

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  • Last Updated: 04 February 2009 9:00 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Weather
 
1

Amenemhat,

03/02/2009 12:03:50
What Snow!!!
2

allknowing,

03/02/2009 12:04:40
"were abandoning their cars by the side of Hailesland Road."

Say goodbyt to it then. Probally already broken down for parts and shipped to africa!!!!

Anyway, just 3 cars pulled over and the rest managed??? Goes to show how bad some people drive.
3

florence f,

Edinburgh 03/02/2009 12:09:39
Oh, get a grip. It's February, it snowed yesterday and melted overnight, and now the temperature is going to drop below zero overnight. Big deal. What are you journalists, Londoners or something?
4

Sarcasm,

03/02/2009 12:15:36
Lorraine Grzybowski, driving through Wester Hailes said "There were three abandoned cars and one van on the side of the road"

See, nothing out the ordinary.

You should have used the "I went to bed and nothing happened" draft article instead.
5

FrankGallagher,

03/02/2009 12:23:13
I woke to at least a large patch of slush this morning, it was positively dangerous. I went to tiso on the way home last night and bought a ice hammer, so I was able to let the dog out and put rubbish in the wheelie bin without any fatal accidents.



6

Foo,

03/02/2009 12:25:11
Its funny reading comments by people complaining about articles about snow.

They open the web page and go 'oh no! another article about snow!!!!'.

Then they click the link, wait for the article to load, read it, then spend 5 miutes complaining.

Why not just click the link for a story you would like to read?

7

Paddy McGuire,

03/02/2009 12:30:03
Does anyone know where I can buy a snow machine?
8

Sarcasm,

03/02/2009 12:30:23
Its funny reading comments by people complaining about comments complaining about the story.

They open the web page and go 'oh no! probably another complaining comment!!!'.

Then they click the link, wait for the article to load, read the comments, then spend 5 minutes complaining.

Why not just read the comments for a story you would like to read with no complaints?
9

elayne,

03/02/2009 12:30:37
snow,,,what snow?????was looking forward to seeing some nice pristine crunchy snow and all we got was an easterly wind and p**hing rain!its all wrong
10

Foo,

03/02/2009 12:31:38
#5 - Taking a break = lazy = deinately will fail exams = dole.

Oh, oh! Can I play at assumptions to?

Gorgie_Tony = Gay troll layabout = Dole scumbag?
11

Paddy McGuire,

03/02/2009 12:31:52
#7 Come on Foo, calm down...is it really worth raising your temperature over? Let your hair down, post a joke?
12

reincarnated,

Edinburgh 03/02/2009 12:39:35
Its funny reading comments by people complaining about people complaining about comments complaining about the story.

They open the web page and go 'oh no! probably another person complaining about a person's complaining comment!!!'.

Then they click the link, wait for the article to load, read the comments, then spend 5 minutes complaining.

Why not just read the comments for a story you would like to read with no complaints?
13

Sarcasm,

03/02/2009 12:43:31
14.
It's not funny.
14

Foo,

03/02/2009 12:44:09
#13 - I'd say that right back at you

instead of moaning, and making assumptions about others - you should try to be more positive. It will make you feel a lot better.

Remember, my glass is always 100% badass.
15

Foo,

03/02/2009 12:54:55
#14

Fail
16

Alternative (High-Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 03/02/2009 12:59:40
"Lorraine Grzybowski, 48, a sales manager from Balerno, said her car had skidded three times driving through Wester Hailes."

What do you expect? It's slippery. Learn to deal with it or stop driving---for good.

She said: "There were three abandoned cars and one van on the side of the road. There was one car in the middle of the road with its hazard lights on.

And why was the complete total idiot sitting in the middle of the road in these kinds of conditions? His/her licence should have been removed for good for that piece of stupidity. People who do these kinds of things shouldn't be on the road.

"We were only driving at five miles an hour, but people were slipping all over the place."

So the fact that you were going slowly makes it alright then does it? I drove yesterday, It was a bit slippy but nothing that presented too much of a problem. All it took was a little bit of concentration. There was no need to drive at walking pace. I didn't feel the need to abandon my car, much less the need to park it in the middle of the road. In fact, I quite enjoyed the experience.
17

Peedie Paws,

03/02/2009 13:01:23
I had to tie my badminton raquets to my feet in order to conquer the snow. It worked well until I tried to drive my car. Forgot to take raquets off my feet first! D'oh!
18

mr lover man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,

edinburgh 03/02/2009 13:03:08
It comes as no surprise to me the state of edinburgh yesterday ! watching drivers attempting to get up my street was incredible!1st gear foot to the floor and getting nowhere! not one jot of Common sense!no shock there then. it must be a stipulation of licence to be lobotomised before driving in the snow!!! GET A GRIP!!!
19

Jenny Mac-Mac-Mac-Mac-Mac-Mac-Mac-Mac-MacArthur,

03/02/2009 13:08:10
"Finlay Burgess, 18, took a break from exam revision to make a six foot snow throne in his back garden in Warrender Park Terrace."

If you look closely, this supposedly harmless "snow throne" is in fact a "cathedra" - i.e. the throne of a Christian bishop.

No doubt the next move by this irresponsible teenager will be to install one of his pals as Bishop of Warrender Park.Then we'll all be commanded to "obey" him and stop committing adultery, believing in Darwin, worshipping trams etc.

When on earth is this poisonous nonsense going to come to an end??
20

Foo,

03/02/2009 13:14:40
#21 - hehe, excellent, V funny.
21

D Williams,

03/02/2009 14:05:21
"Lorraine Grzybowski, 48, a sales manager from Balerno, said her car had skidded three times driving through Wester Hailes".

I thought all Balerno up-their-ar*e folk all drove 4x4's ?? Ah, they do but they don't know what that other lever does......
22

Alternative (High-Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 03/02/2009 14:24:13
#23:

Jusdging by her account, if she does drive a 4x4, she doesn't know how to drive it properly.
23

Ima Stoner,

HIGH street, edinburgh 03/02/2009 15:27:06
#13 - I'm positive, my grass is always half full ;-)
24

East at Easter,

Edinburgh 03/02/2009 15:32:59
UK is a joke. Ive flown in many countries when the snow has been 10 times worse. Why is this? The Russians must laugh at this place.
25

tumshie heid,

03/02/2009 15:51:09
Russel Gosman, 57 a council employee but part time enviromental expert said "I've seen global warming in action" Plank.
Lorraine skidded three times, and? Perhaps she wants the roads to have under tarmac heating to prevent any of that skidding in icy conditions nonsense.
26

Foo,

03/02/2009 16:07:55
#26 - Because this type of weather is common enough in Russia to justify the (very expensive) equipment required to deal with such large amounts of snow.

27

Alternative (High-Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 03/02/2009 16:20:51
#28:

What "very expensive" equipment? Your average Russian will get an old bit of rope, tie it tightly around the driving wheels and then drive according to the conditions.

The Russians don't have anything in the way of snow ploughs that we don't have. What they do have however, are drivers who know how to drive their cars in anything less than perfect conditions.
28

Foo,

03/02/2009 16:35:03
#29 - I had rail and air more in mind. However given that roads can be covered in 9 feet of snow regularly in Russia, they do have specialist snow removal machines as well as a far larger fleet. Canada is the same.

Would you be happy them spending an extra £XXXX million just to have them sit unused most of the year?
29

Foo,

03/02/2009 16:38:11
#29 - Would you really be happy Edinburgh council investing in this for use 2 weeks a year?

http://www.plowsunlimited.com/airport.htm
30

Alternative (High-Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 03/02/2009 17:23:18
Foo,

You are missing the point. Everyone knows it is impossible to drive a normal car through several feet of loose snow.

However, the point is that the average British driver cannot drive a car on a slippery surface any further than he or she can throw it. I have driven in Eastern Europe and I have driven in Scandinavia. Drivers there CAN drive in slippery conditions without crashing because they know how to handle their vehicles.

We didn't need huge fancy snow-ploughs in order to cope with the weather we had in Edinburgh yesterday. All it would have taken would have been an acceptable level of driver competance and everything would have been fine. I managed to drive to and from work with absolutely no problems whatsoever yesterday and there is no reason why any other competant driver couldn't have done the same.

But no. They simply have no idea.
31

COLINTON.MAINS,

Oakville Ontario 03/02/2009 22:57:27
that.little.snowplow.in.the.picture.we.use.on.pavements
32

Julian.,

edinburgh 04/02/2009 00:09:41
#9 Sarcasm

Surely you need to read comments before you can decide whether they're people complaining.
33

Julian.,

edinburgh 04/02/2009 00:15:16
sorry, that last comment should have been directed to #14 reincarnated.
34

Lin (From Edinburgh),

Midwest, USA 04/02/2009 02:23:02
Dang, this is funny! We just had 13 inches of snow. Four inches fell in 30 minutes. No problems here.
35

Miss A.,

04/02/2009 04:49:17
Dang, we've had sunny skies, 80 degree weather, hanging out at the beach. I feel for ya'll.

 

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