Motorway driving in recent weather

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Mon 20 Dec 2010 08:39
Motorway driving in recent weather - kentdave1973

Whats a safe speed to travel on the motorway in this weather? I was travelling home on a high speed train (itself limited to 100 mph) and there were some cars keeping nearly keeping pace with us on the adjacent motorway!

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Mon 20 Dec 2010 08:48
Motorway driving in recent weather - mrnikko

It all depends on the conditions prevailing at the time you drive at the speed you fell is safe at the time. As an example I travelled to Liverpool and back from Cumbria early Saturday morning 18th December. Travel reports had the motorway blocked by traffic trapped behind a jacknifed lorry and all other sorts of blockages and hold-ups. Both there and back no problems as the first and second lanes were open and later on in the morning the third lane was open, the worst bit of motorway was the M62 into Liverpool.My speed on the journey varied from 40 m.p.h. to 70 m.p.h. depending where I was.

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Mon 20 Dec 2010 13:00
Motorway driving in recent weather - Sofa Spud

You just have to judge for yourself according to the conditions. One time that is very scary is when it's started to snow on a cold dry road and there's a light dusting. Cars start to lose their grip before heavier vehicles, which bite through the snow more and also have hotter tyres. I've been in a situation where I was struggling to control a car on a main road at 25 mph with a loaded lorry tailgating me. Eventually he overtook, leaving completely melted tracks on the road.

This transient effect passes as the snow gets deeper and heavier vehicles start to lose grip too.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 20/12/2010 at 13:02

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