Gritters

[944cabby]

Went to my sisters today in the cab - lovely day - sun out etc,but just as i started home it began snowing quite strong, within a couple of miles though it had turned to pouring rain.
On the way i passed two council gritters obviously on route to where it was snowing, the second one though was gritting in the rain.
Mine and the 4 or 5 cars in front promptly got sprayed in grit down the drivers side (can't see any damage on mine but will check closer in the morning).
Now i know they're only doing their job but does anyone know if they have guidelines to stick to when out gritting.Surely they're not supposed to do it where they're in close contact with traffic and doesn't it defeat the object if it's done in the wet?
Anyone know 'cause i feel like giving someone a right rollicking first thing.[]

 

[Alan Woods]

I can see where you're coming from kinda. I timed a trip perfectly to coincide with "Gritting in Progress" all the way to Bristol late last year M6>M5 - took is over 5 hrs (normally 3 1/2). Frustrating but surely better than the alternative. We'd be up in arms if they didn't do it. Imagine the carnage/negligence claims against local councils...

 

[Fred Hindle]

The grit most councils use nowadays isn't 'grit' as in stones etc but salt (admittedly in lumps). It shouldn't damage your paintwork as far as chips are concerned, I assume you washed the car to get rid of the salt. Gritting when it is raining does seem a bit crazy though.
Your comment about stopping gritting when cars are about I assume was tongue in cheek.[]
Cheers,

 

[Alpine]

i was sprayed with grit down the side of my car a week or so ago, and i touched up the damage with a paint pen yesterday. There were 4 or 5 chips down the side but only small and they touched up ok

 

[db@944s.co.uk]

Came away from my first Club meeting on Thursday and decided to take the long way home to give the car a run. Coming off the motorway slip road I came up too quickly on a gritter and my badge panel, bumper and front PU got shotblast with grit.

I say shoot them.

 

[sawood12]

Gritting in the rain is a complete waste of time so if you want to complain to the council about something you could always complain they were wasting your hard earned Council Tax money on wasted salt. I remember a couple of years the gritters had been out the night before but it rained in the morning and then froze in the afternoon. The chaos caused around Derby was unbeleivable - it was like a scene out of some sort of movie as people were desperately trying to get home via roads that had turned into ice rinks. I remember watching a Lotus Elise trying to get out of the car part at work. It was so slippy he couldn't even drive the car in a straight line and it took him a good 10 minutes and several piruettes to get onto the road and after realising the road wasn't much better he abandoned the car. It took me one and a half hours to get home that night which is usually a journey of 15 to 20 mins. So even though gritters are a pain in the backside, unfortunately they are vital. I just wish they would lower the distributer so the grit doesn't bounce up from the road as much.

 

[Big Dave]

Fred,,,
"It shouldn't damage your paintwork as far as chips are concerned,"..

.Have you driven past a gritting wagon lately..???????
I drove by one on the M6 + it pebbledashed the side of my car....[][][][]..
I then looked in my rear view mirror + the DAMN wagon came off at the junction "we,d" just passed....
I shouldve known better NOT to drive past the wagon.....[][][][]