True grit, German style

BLIZZARDS giving Britain's roads a battering is snow joke but it seems our continental neighbours have been having the last laugh throughout the big freeze.

I've just got back from a New Year's party in Solingen, near Cologne, and I'm amazed that while our German friends have had to cope with just as much snow as we have, they've just gritted their teeth and got on with life.

That's right, no tabloid-style ROAD CHAOS whatsoever, and not a single story of cancelled buses, councils warning they're running low on supplies, or multiple car pile-ups on the autobahns. In fact, mein host just got into his BMW, backed out onto a stunningly snow-free road, and floored it. No drama whatsoever.

I love the German attitude to motoring, which dictates that every motorway, regional route and town thorougfare must be kept completely spotless at all times, even if it's minus 16 outside and snowing the sort of snow which causes politicians to go all frosty. I'd be lying if I said every Wolfgang and his dog were out powersliding Porsche Caymans, but at least people were still getting to work.

Even the pavements got the gritting treatment; it seems an alien idea in Britain but if Uwe slips on snow outside your house, he can call in the lawyers and have you sued. So it's a second nature to buy your own grit, keep it handy when things get icy, and keep the German equivalent of Claims Direct at bay.

I've been lucky enough not to get behind the wheel of anything during the worst of the winter weather but I know if I did, I'd rather be piloting something on roads that haven't been turned into ice rinks. Even if it's a rear wheel drive executive express that's doing a completely legal 120mph.

Given it was New Year's I was expecting a little too much Currywurst and continental ale but the real holiday was from the chaos a bit of snow had plunged panicky Brits into.

I don't think it's a case of there being wildly political failings over here, but that over there they just know more about coping when things get slippy. They did give us the Audi Quattro, after all.