I'm from Wisconsin and we're just ready for the snow overall. There has been snow here every year for as long as I can remember and this is my 20th winter and I know there was lots of snow here way before that. The city owned vehicles are ready to come out and clean the snow off the streets by the first snowfall of the year usually. Sometimes the snow plows can't keep up with the snowfall depending on how much we get in a certain amount of time, so driving anywhere takes a really long time. It does differ in other parts of the U.S. since the southern and some western states aren't used to snow either and will shut down for what we consider hardly any snow (like an inch or so), although I'm not really an expert on how other places handle snow either. We're lucky here if the school systems are shut down for over a foot many times. I think we expect lots of snow and long, harsh winters here just because we have a history of that kind of weather while other places just haven't had that same experience with snow. Blizzards do complicate things here as well, but I'm not sure if our definition of a blizzard here is the same as what it is in other places. Last year or the year before that we got about three feet of snow in a few hours time and that's when the problems started with the streets being cleared and things got messy. When it was done snowing, we went outside and cleaned it up and life went on as usual, just with more snow.
And I agree that the budget and priority of what the most important things to spend the budget on could definitely have something to do with how different countries, or even different states, deal with snow. Maybe it just isn't seen as a very big issue in some places until it becomes a common thing that happens multiple times a year. It does seem like a good investment though since chaos could be avoided and everyone could be prepared for it, whether it snows a lot or not.
It snows quite a lot here in Iowa. We have a pretty good snow removal system going for us so it usually isn't a problem to get rid of the snow. There are snow plows that work night and day to make sure major roads are cleared. There are exceptions of course. The last few years have been pretty harsh winters for us. We've had plenty of blizzards that halted pretty much all traffic in the area for a day or two.
Maybe the UK gov thinks the problem of snow is not so big for them and they feel like taking a gamble every year saying, "oh it's not going to be a big problem"
Maybe the reason why is money. If they set new regulations that means there will be a need for people to upkeep those regulations (plows, inspectors, or whatever else) Jobs, equipment, and maintenance of vehicles all cost money. I am also ignorant because I don't know much about foreign govs (or mine for that matter) but I would think that those costs are something the gov would like to avoid for whatever reason.
I know right now the U.S. is being, I won't say careful I'll say strict, in their spending.
Last year or the year before that we got about three feet of snow in a few hours time and that's when the problems started with the streets being cleared and things got messy. When it was done snowing, we went outside and cleaned it up and life went on as usual, just with more snow.
And I agree that the budget and priority of what the most important things to spend the budget on could definitely have something to do with how different countries, or even different states, deal with snow. Maybe it just isn't seen as a very big issue in some places until it becomes a common thing that happens multiple times a year. It does seem like a good investment though since chaos could be avoided and everyone could be prepared for it, whether it snows a lot or not.
Maybe the UK gov thinks the problem of snow is not so big for them and they feel like taking a gamble every year saying, "oh it's not going to be a big problem"
Maybe the reason why is money. If they set new regulations that means there will be a need for people to upkeep those regulations (plows, inspectors, or whatever else) Jobs, equipment, and maintenance of vehicles all cost money. I am also ignorant because I don't know much about foreign govs (or mine for that matter) but I would think that those costs are something the gov would like to avoid for whatever reason.
I know right now the U.S. is being, I won't say careful I'll say strict, in their spending.