A96 Inverurie - Huntly

There are several things that really bug me about this stretch of the A96.

Trying to get information from any other traffic or news website about why this section of road is closed is at times virtually impossible. It is 'the' main route between Aberdeen and Inverness and yet back in October when it was closed for 10+ hours - yes over 10 hours due to an accident near Inveramsay Bridge, there was nothing about it on the television news.

Again yesterday (6th January 2010) there were jackknifed lorries at -yet again Inveramsay Bridge - and the Traffic Scotland website was showing as an incident between the Oyne Fork and Colpy. Completely the wrong information if you were trying to plan your route. As if the roads aren't bad enough just now anyway with the levels of snow we are experiencing without false info about where incidents are actually located. Now admittedly, there may also have been an incident at the location they had marked on the map, however that means that again the Pitcaple stretch was completely ignored.

Why does it matter so much? Well because being the only main route between two major cities in Scotland that has a single file bridge with a set of traffic lights on it that I'm aware of you need to know before leaving Inverurie if you can't get along that stretch so that you can take the alternative route and you need to know before the turn off to the left at Colpy if coming down the road so that you can avoid any problems.

So many local MP's have said "If I get voted for, I will campaign for improving this section of the A96" even our current heedy man Alex Salmond and yet still nothing has been done about it.

Yes it's snowing!

Good God, of course there is snow and ice all around, it might surprise you to know it's winter!

Why is it that every year a certain element of society seems to get a surprise that in the 'winter months' (here in Scotland - October to March) we get snow and ice and proceed to complain like hell that no-one told them about it?!?

Here's some tips for those living in the UK.

• Spring - mixed weather - frost, wind, rain, some sun and still occasionally snow.
• Summer - mixed weather - as above but in different ratios
• Autumn - ditto above
• Winter - ditto above - but more emphasis on the snow side of things

OK so now that we have established the above - what is there to moan about. Yes after snow, travel will be affected......that's a fact of life - live with it. Don't look around for people to blame if you are late for work. Remember in adverse weather conditions, someone elses husband, wife, son or daughter has to fight through the elements to get to their work in order to get the plough out to clear the road to let you get to your work...be reasonable in your expectations.

Learn to drive properly in the snow - 2-3 inches of snow on a road does not make it impassible!!!! Where I live, that's just a hairy frost....lol Six inches (that's a womans measurment - not a mans or we're back to 2-3 inches again) becomes difficult driving conditions.

You will, sorry to say, have to drive SLOWER. Set out giving yourself 3 times more time to cover your journey and still get to work on time. YES.....I said 3 times - at least!

Pre-snow Driving Tips - self reliance

1. Warm up the car before you set off
2. Clear all windows AND roof of car of snow (slides off roof onto windscreen when car gets hot)
3. Put spare gloves, wellies, and Jacket into the car along with a shovel or brush, a travel rug, jump leads, small bag of salty/grit (yes you can buy them too instead of sitting waiting for someone else to take responsibility for you), a torch, bottle of water (to drink or use on the windscreen) and or a flask of tea and a choccy bar or something to eat in case you get stuck.
4. Go and have another pee - this will be a long journey in cold weather.....lol

Snow Driving Tips

You should be relying on your gearbox not your breaks to drive in snow. The less you break, the more chance you have of staying on the road and less chance of a skid.

1. Forget 1st gear unless you are going down a slope/hill - forget 5th gear unless you have a death wish.
2. OK - from the starting position - select 2nd gear a bit of throttle but not too much and if you cant feel grip (traction from the ground not your buttocks in fear) select 3rd gear. You will need a bit more throttle and a bit of clutch to prevent a stall but you should get enough traction to set off.
3. Once moving - no more than 10-20 miles an hour until you have got a feel for the conditions and given your tyres a chance to start getting a thaw out - cold tyres don't give you any grip. (cold rubber slidey - warm rubber tacky).
4. If you needed to go into 3rd gear to set off, just stay in it for now cause at the speed you are doing there is no need to go up a gear.
5. Up and Down Hills/Slopes - use your engine instead of breaks. Going up a hill - High gear for better traction. Going down a hill - Low gear and foot off throttle to slow you down (less power to engine)

Ignore other people - not in general in life....lol, but on the roads in winter. Some people will try to push you along the road - IGNORE THEM. Drive at a speed that you alone feel comfortable with and that you feel you can control. If you feel any sideways movement at all while driving, then your car is at its top speed for you controling it in the current conditions. If Mr or Mrs 4X4 or ABS braking is in a hurry, let them pass you. You can read all about their slide off the road next day in the papers. Your responsibility is to you and your family only.

And if all of the above fails.......don't moan about the weather or the authorities not nannying you. Stay at home if you don't HAVE to go out. Have extra provisions in the house pre snow just in case of emergencies and if you do get stuck out on the road, blame the person at the front of the queue who isn't following the above...........HAPPY SNOW DAYS!!!! :o)