Black Ice - Dangerous roads

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 3:30 pm

Watch out on the roads! Cattle can slip on it as well!!!

We have had two crashes on our farm drive this morning, it is a fairly steep downhill and tarmac but we have never had this much of a problem.

As we were about to go and grit it we heard a car coming to the brow at speed, the driver tried to break, just before the brow - no chance and skated to the bottom and through the fence. A half hour later our tenants driver with a tractor and trailor with a load of silage bales came over the brow as we were removing the first vehicle - of course we still hadn't had a chance to grit!!! He jack knifed the trailor when he braked and went through the other fence and into the field, no harm done, except the fence! Perfect.

Stephanie

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 5:30 pm

I took a full trailer load of lambs to market just before Christmas, early in the morning, got to a little steep downhill section and realised it wasn't gritted and I was on sheet ice with no way of changing my mind. Luckily, nothing came the other way.

Off subject, but I got nearly £90 per lamb!!!

Edited By Broomcroft on 1262536303

Basil · Post by **Basil** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:03 pm

happy new year.
we in the fens are used to slippery roads. we have lots of americans here, who leave the road frequently.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:10 pm

Yea, but at least it's flat by you if you're in the fens Basil......mind you, you'll have those big dykes to fall into, that would be fun

domsmith · Post by **domsmith** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 11:36 am

our last abattoir run last week was fun. we live on a hill. 3/4 of the way down the hill is a railway bridge that you would call hump back.
our private road is sheet ice nearly 1 inch thick at the moment!.
dad does the abattoir run and loaded 2 bulls and 6 lambs set off down. the trailer kept pushing him down and trying to jack knife. he went part way down with the pickup in reverse all wheels spinning. until he managed to get it all off the road into the field. he then got to the bridge got up onto it then stopped and rang me for help. when we got there he was not stuck just not willing to go further!!

we put the brake on the trailer and i set of down with 2 wheels on the grass verge. the trailer tried to go side ways but the pickup had enough traction to keep straight. once on the main road he was fine.

dom

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 11:41 am

I'll have to go to market again next week, so I'm going to use the tractor to tow the trailer. It's only 12 miles so not too far.

bjreroberts · Post by **bjreroberts** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:12 pm

I had planned to move some gates and the crush to the current field where the cattle are located, but abandoned my plans when I saw all the black ice.

Having said that it has not been that cold yet, the tap on the field normally freezes but has been fine until now.