What's the best way? Pass quickly so the least possible grit hits your car? Or pass slowly in the hope that the grit that does hit you does less damage?
When it's in the middle of a three lane carriageway, which side? Offside or nearside? Which way does the grit go?
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the best way is in a company car
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Highways Agency motorway gritters tend to have the spread pattern set at an equal angle either side of the vehicle so when they're spreading from lane 2, both lanes 1 and 3 get even coverage. The central reserve and hard shoulders tend to just get a light covering.
Therefore passing on either side will result in pretty much the same coverage.
I hate passing them, some people don't think it does the car paintwork any harm but I can't see how.
The gritters travel at around 44mph, the rocksalt is thrown backwards and then you drive at the oncoming spray which makes a hell of a noise as it bounces off the bodywork, how can it not do damage?
It's best to stay well back in lane 1 but in reality how many of us have the time to see how far Mr gritter goes before he runs out?!
I did see a car a few weeks ago pass one late at night by moving from lane 3 across to the hard shoulder, I suppose in theory he would have got less of a bombardment in that lane, but there's always the risk of running into someone or something on the shoulder.
PP
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Some years ago I was on the M40 and came up behind two gritters driving side by side at about 25 mph. There was already about 6" of snow and it was blowing a blizzard, so didn't want to hang about.
Being in a LandRover I overtook on the uncleared hard shoulder.
It's the incontinent people I feel sorry for!
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Imtil you've been overtaken by one whilst cycling in shorts then I don't think anyone has the right to complain.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Imtil you've been overtaken by one whilst cycling in shorts then I don't think anyone has the right to complain.
Oooh I know that one.
Back to the original question; on motorways and trunk roads the gritters normally only stay on for one or two junctions before they turn around to do the other carriageway. Try sticking behind them for a few miles?
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>> until you've been overtaken by one whilst cycling in shorts thenI don't think anyone has the right to complain.
Have to confess not a shorts wearer in the winter months. Wimpish I know. Difficult enough to keep sou-wester in place without freezing. Are you still commuting to Telford ND?.
Happy Cycling Phil I
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So what's the solution if one is coming in the opposite direction on a single carriageway?
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I visit a vehicle dismantlers quite often and almost all of the vehicles are not in there because of rust. So, I wouldn't worry about the salt from a gritter. The days of the Vauxhall corrosion problem are long gone.
Clive.
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I visit a vehicle dismantlers quite often and almost all of the vehicles are not in there because of rust. So, I wouldn't worry about the salt from a gritter.
It's not the corrosive effect of the salt that concerns me ~ you're going to drive over the stuff anyway. I'm primarily concerned about the pebble-dashing of the car's paintwork.
Incidentally, the "grit" I see nowadays in East Lindsey looks like 100% large salt crystals.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Are you still commuting to Telford ND?.
No, Milton Keynes these days ::shrugs::
Seems I'm destined to visit the new towns of the UK for all eternity.
Spent several muddy hours out in the Purbecks on an Orange 5 demonstrator yesterday courtesy of my local bike dealer. Bloomin' marvellous bike, and no I didn't wear shorts!
Back on topic, I jetwashed the car yesterday. Would it shift 1000 miles of accumulated salt and road grime? Would it 'eck. What on earth is it that sticks to paintwork like that?
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"What on earth is it that sticks to paintwork like that?"
Been asking that question myself. The sides of my car look like someone sprayed WD-40 on it and my tyre treads look shiny as if it had a dose of Back to Black. The car park at work looks greasy also, but I can't blame it on whatever they use as a de-icer at work as the tyres are still shiny after an 11 mile motorway trip back home. I don't detect any loss of traction, but I know as a motorcyclist I would be filled with dread if I saw my bike tyres looking that greasy.
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Imtil you've been overtaken by one whilst cycling
You just have to grit your teeth ~ the oldest jokes are the best!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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(Groan)
The grit can certainly damage your paintwork - several years ago, I passed a gritter and discovered chips in the paintwork down to the metal the following morning. Ok, it didn't say much for the quality of the paintwork, but that didn't stop me being very annoyed that it happened.
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andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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having received a holed radiator many years ago from a gritter going the opposite way on narrow A road up in Scotland, I go by very carefully. It's amazing how many people hang about in the spray patern so I hang back rather than get stuck behind them while being salt blasted, wait for the lane to clear, then go past pdq.
John
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Stay at home if the weather's that bad...:-)
Or exercise patience until the right opportunity arises - it's not a pleasant experience overtaking gritters in full flow whether on a motorway or ordinary roads.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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8< snip 8<
Puerile non motoring comments deleted. DD
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Try to induce somebody else to pass it first, and watch; the road the gritter is coming to may be slippery.
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Try to induce somebody else to pass it first, and watch; the road the gritter is coming to may be slippery.
Probably so. In which case, why do gritters shed their loads out the back and not the front, in front of the wheels?
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<< In which case, why do gritters shed theirloads out the back and not the front, in front of the wheels?
It would probably be too expensive to have a gritter which deposits the grit at the front.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I would say DONT pass a gritter on a motorway, the damage they can do makes it not worth it and following at 40mph for a max of two junctions means you have only lost 5 or 10 mins from you journey.
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