Advertisement
Ice misery continues as drivers slide to work
Reporter: DAWN MARSDEN
Date online: 22 December 2009
MOTORISTS faced another day of misery as plummeting temperatures transformed the borough’s roads into treacherous ice rinks.
Temperatures dropped to -8.1C last night causing snow that fell over the weekend to freeze over.
Oldham had around 10cm (4in) of snow on Saturday and Sunday with temperatures plunging to -8.7C — the coldest since December, 1995.
Motorists were forced to abandon their cars and the emergency services saw a stark rise in the number of call-outs as Oldhamers struggled to cope with the extreme conditions.
Oldham Mountain Rescue Team dealt with around 30 incidents over the weekend including 13 yesterday.
Most of the call-outs involved assisting ambulances that couldn’t reach their destination.
The team were called to Stoneswood Road in Delph at around 11am yesterday to help a team of paramedics who had got stranded in treacherous conditions.
Chronicle weatherman Damian Rodgers has predicted a slight rise in temperatures and an end to the snowfall later in the week — meaning Oldham has little chance of a White Christmas.
He added: “It will slowly start to get milder.
“What we have already will start to melt and there will be some left around on Friday but I don’t think we will see a true White Christmas.
“Oldham will get cloudier and murkier but temperatures will rise and the next five to six days should be snow free.”
Police have issued a stark warning to motorists after six cars were stolen in just one morning in Greater Manchester.
The thefts occurred as the owners left the keys in the ignition when defrosting their cars.
Chris Kitson from the Vehicle Intelligence Unit said: “People can be tempted to leave their car engine running on a frosty morning while they keep nice and warm inside their house. However, it only takes a few seconds for a thief to steal a car when the keys have been left in the ignition.
“Motorists should also remember that insurance companies may not pay out if vehicles are stolen after being left unattended with the keys in the ignition.
“It is not only high-powered vehicles that are targeted and so our advice to all drivers is to stay in their vehicle when defrosting and if at any time they need to leave the car, to make sure they lock it, remove any valuables and take the keys with them.”
Comments
It makes me laugh - year after year, the Police issue warnings to drivers ot to leave cars defrosting on driveways, but, year after year, we read reports of drivers having their cars stolen in these circumstances!
Hopefully, they will learn their lesson when their car goes, and they find out that they are not insured, because their car was left insecure with the keys in the ignition and the engine running!
mountain rescue service are doing a great job unpaid. its not there fault we have a council that leaves things until the worst has happened.
the people in charge of this department should resign or they should be scrapped. either way someone with some brains or that wonderful thing called COMMONSENSE should be employed to do this job
Oldham Resident - I know who the two people were - I work with them, they had gone to sort their own cars out and just sayed to help other who had got stuck. I have shown them your comment - so Thanks :-)
again Oldham council take note several readers have now passed comment on the lack of gritter's in this extreme weather we cant all be wrong !!
Tut tut Mr Alcock....whats the story here, Mr Alcock needs to double check on his grit truck drivers and why their sat navs only took them round the corner to a cafe for tea and donoughts and back to base.
Those who are stupid enough to leave their keys in the ignition and leave them deserve to get them nicked. Warnings go out every year not to do this but they don't listen.
Oldham resident- main roads have been gritted, several times. Trouble is, it snows again soon after. i drive for a living so I see a few more roads than just the one to B & Q
We are now 2-3 days away from Christmas day and today it has snowed as hard as ever here in central Oldham!If the 9 inches of snow on the road outside my door melts by Christmas I'll eat my hat!
Oh and by the way, what is a gritter? Ai'nt seen any round here!
This is just not true! the roads were gritted, someone told me they hadn't been when I went & picked up the grit from the road they couldn't explain what it was! Obviously you don't have a clue what gritting looks like, or what the roads would be like if there hadn't been any grit laid. The sheer amount of snow sometimes is too much for one gritting. I think the gritting services have done very well.
Don't worry Alcock will be along telling us it was all OK. Just wait for there to be a serious accident thanks to the council . You would think it has never snowed in Oldham!!
The trouble is everyone's looking for a Rolls Royce service from a service with a Skoda budget.
Have Your Say
It is appalling to see that hardly any of the main roads in Oldham have been gritted. This is dangerous. On anther note, I would like to personally thank the two gentlemen who assisted me and the other drivers out of the former B&Q car park on Monday evening. Such wonderful people and we need more folk like that!
By oldham resident 100 @ 22/12/2009 13:59:38