’TIS the season to be cautious out on the roads as icy and wet conditions are likely to lead to motoring mayhem.
Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist has issued a raft of advice as heavy snow is predicted for many parts of the country during the festive season.
It is urging people to listen out for weather updates and not to travel unless they really have to if it seems dodgy – as emergency and recovery crews are likely to be at full stretch.
Those making trips should ensure their cars are properly prepared for the circumstances and take essential items.
These include a shovel, fully charged mobile phone, torch, ice scraper, food, water, first aid kit, warm clothes and a bag of gravel to help wheels gain grip if they are spinning.
As well as keeping your speed down and leaving a big gap between yourself and other traffic, it’s important to take breaks as you are likely to become tired more quickly in snowy situations.
A spokesman said: “This could prove to be a challenging Christmas and New Year, with severe weather threatening to make travel extremely difficult.
“Ensuring you are properly prepared for winter can make a big difference to keeping you safe on the roads.”
Major automotive group MotorEasy is reminding motorists that splashing pedestrians when driving through puddles is illegal. Its experts have issued five wet-weather driving tips to keep everyone safe on their travels in the coming months.
Firstly, drive slowly in built-up areas as reducing your speed improves your hazard perception and means you won’t splash pedestrians. Speeding is especially dangerous in wet conditions as hitting puddles at a high speed can make you lose control of the car.
Secondly, it is important to consider that a puddle or larger section of water might be deeper than you think – especially if you are approaching at speed or in the dark.
Thirdly, if your visibility is less than 100 yards, turn your headlights on and even your fog lamps if you’re really struggling to see. Fourthly, after driving through standing water, it is important to test your brakes to ensure that they are still functioning effectively.
Finally, if the water appears to be very deep or flowing, it is likely to damage your car and be dangerous to drive through, so it’s be best to make a U-turn and find an alternative route.
Meanwhile, research by Leasing Options has uncovered the regions in the UK with the best and worst drivers in bad weather, with London being the accident blackspot and drivers in the north-east of England least likely to be involved in a crash.
Official data shows that London had 4846 accidents when the weather was poor last year – nearly double the 2629 crashes that occurred in Scotland and Wales put together.
But there were just 806 reported incidents in the north-east of England in wet/flooded or snowy/icy situations.
Across Scotland, the total number of road accidents in treacherous conditions was 1598. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the large urban populations, the cities of Glasgow, with a toll of 246 crashes, and Edinburgh – at 132 – topped the table.
Orkney – with a tally of four – Shetland and the Western Isles (with five each) had the least number of accidents in Scotland.
The crash data comes as a study into young driver confidence by vehicle insurance broker Adrian Flux has revealed that 34 per cent of Britain’s young drivers, aged between 17 and 24, lack confidence in wintry weather.
Ice was the least favoured condition among those surveyed – causing anxiety for 48 per cent – while snow, a concern for 35 per cent, was the second most challenging situation.
Additionally, some of the young people questioned were also apprehensive about driving through other poor weather circumstances, including 29 per cent in thick fog, 23 per cent in hail, and 12 per cent in heavy rains or strong winds.
Scott Goodliffe, product and underwriting manager for Adrian Flux said: “It’s so important to draw awareness to the dangers of driving in these conditions.
“That’s especially the case among younger drivers who may be encountering winter weather for the first time or have limited experience.”
