Gardai have arrested a learner driver who went way over the speed limit on icy roads.
For the last few days Ireland has seen weather advisories issued by Met Eireann as winter bites, with snow falling across the island and treacherous driving conditions as a result of overnight frost.
The status yellow warning remains in place until the weekend.
But one driver will no longer have a vehicle to spin around in after they went at nearly 200km/h on an icy stretch in Kerry.
A spokesperson for Kerry gardai explained: "Kerry Roads Policing Unit discovered this vehicle driven by an unaccompanied learner last night. 170km/hr in icy conditions. Driver Arrested - Vehicle Seized
"Speed Kills, Slow Down."
The advice from the Road Safety Authority when it comes to icy conditions is fairly straightforward.
The RSA advise drivers to:
- Clear windows and mirrors before you set out, use a screen scraper and de-icer. Do not use hot water on the windscreen as it can crack the glass.
- Remove all snow from your vehicle before commencing your journey. Snow left on the roof will become loose and can drop onto the windscreen during braking, thereby causing sudden and severe restriction to your vision. It can also fall off during your drive and cause injury to pedestrians or a reflex action by another driver.
- In snow and icy conditions slow down, use all controls delicately and leave extra distance between you and the vehicle in front. Avoid over steering and harsh braking and harsh acceleration. Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. Select a low gear when travelling downhill especially if through bends.
- In snow or sleet conditions, visibility will be reduced. Do not drive on the tail-lights of the vehicle in front (Target Fixing). This can give a false sense of security and you will be too close to be able to brake safely. In heavy snow, use your fog lights, turn off your radio and open your window a fraction, so you can hear other traffic, especially at junctions.
- Use dipped headlights at all times in heavy snow to ensure you are seen by other motorists (but don’t forget to turn them off afterwards).
- Watch out for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists and allow extra space when overtaking them.
- Drivers of high sided vehicles like trucks and buses are particularly at risk from both the dangers posed by ice and snow but also from the high winds associated with strong winds.
