People trapped in their cars in Troodos due to snow

[Paphos Life]

Police and locals are trying to help people who have been trapped inside their cars in Troodos-Platres road on Friday morning, CNA reports.The people were trying to access the area without using anti-skid chains and are now trapped on the left-hand side of the road.Also, a jeep vehicle rolled over and fell into a ditch.No people were injured....

Read the article and chat about it below...

[cyprusmax47]

"People trapped in their cars in Troodos due to snow" is just another sensational journalism, typical for the local press. If you look at the ski lift webcam at the highest point of Mt.Olympos, one can clearly see how little snow is there now 8.30 AM 29.12.18.



If people get trapped in their cars it would look more like that photo from Bavaria/Germany


Max

[Dominic]

No, when the road is iced up, it doesn't take much actual snow on those hills to make them impassable to 2 wheel drive cars. I have driven past many abandoned ones in the past.

[WHL]

No, when the road is iced up, it doesn't take much actual snow on those hills to make them impassable to 2 wheel drive cars. I have driven past many abandoned ones in the past.

Back in London a few years ago, we were in Highgate, which is very Hilly , no snow but the roads were iced up, we had to leave the car up there for two days, until they gritted the road, the cars were just sliding all over the place going into other cars that were parked up.

[cyprusmax47]

No, when the road is iced up, it doesn't take much actual snow on those hills to make them impassable to 2 wheel drive cars. I have driven past many abandoned ones in the past.

If the road is icy it does not matter 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive, it will be difficult. If a 4 wheel drive is out of control in icy conditions it is even more difficult to get the car where you want it to go. I was driving on iced up roads many years ago while living in St.Moritz and many times I had to leave my car, equipped with a shovel to put grit on the road when necessary. Every so many meters there was a pile of grit on the side of the roads to help yourself.
The only way is to drive extremely slow when icy and even that is sometimes too fast....I had many episodes...

But my point was: I would not call that "trapped in the car"....

Max

[Jim B]

I spent many years driving off road working in oil fields in both the desert and steppes of Central Asia and as Max said 4X4s are not all they're made out to be, once you lose control with a 4X4 they are very unforgiving as shown in the horrific accident in Iceland over the weekend.

Jim

[Devil]

Having lived in Switzerland for 35 winters, I can make the following comments re Cyprus:
1. Few, if any, cars have snow tyres
2. Few, if any, drivers know how to drive safely on snow
3. Few, if any, drivers can recognise different snow conditions, requiring different techniques
4. Many cars, includin 4WD, have worn ordinary summer tyres
5. A well-tyred 2 WD car with a competent driver is as good as, if not better, than a summer-tyred 4 WD with a Sunday driver

[cyprusmax47]

With Front-wheel drive (Fiat Punto) I had the best experiences on snowy icy roads, when everybody else got stuck up mountain passes in the Dolomites using 3rd gear only and very very little open the throttle.... I loved it

Max

[WHL]

But in fairness Devil, you'd expect the Swiss to be competent at driving on snow and ice, just like you would Norwegians or Canadians. Reason is they spend half their year doing it. You'd expect their cars to be better equipped/tyred too.

Why on earth would you expect Cypriots to have snow tyres? Some years Cyprus has little if any snow...and even then for a few short weeks only. And even that's assuming you live up the Troodos.

I was going to post the same exact thing,,,, why would you expect Cypriots to be as experienced in snow conditions as Northern Europeans. not one of your best Devil.

[Devil]

Why on earth would you expect Cypriots to have snow tyres?

If I lived at altitude, I would certainly fit snow tyres for the winter. Conditions can be dire as I found out in 1952, being driven in a LandRover, in early December, from Troodos in a blizzard (freezing snow) with drifting to 30/50 cm (my estimate). It was bad as far down as Amiandos and wet from Kakopetria. We had gone up earlier in the day in sunshine. Hats off to my driver as the road was narrow and not well maintained in those days -- and no crash barriers! I had to get out of the car several times to find where the road was! That trip is an everlasting memory (nightmare) of how rapidly conditions can change.

[William Morris]

We spent Xmas in the Troodos and returned before the snow due to work commitments (boo hoo) but have been up there many times and rescued idiots countless times with our trusty 4x4, tow rope and good old fashioned comon sense - just like we do on the beach in the Summer!!

You certainly do get about!!

Cyprus is lucky to have you.