Take care on the roads drivers warned

15 December 2011

Motorists are being warned to take extra care on the roads as changing weather conditions make driving difficult.

Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership is alerting drivers to the potential dangers following a week of unpredictable weather which has made gritting the county’s roads difficult.

Partnership chairman Mike Ashworth said: “We’re dealing with really difficult conditions at the moment and we want drivers to be aware they need to take care – even on major roads.

“The weather has been changing from quite heavy rain showers at times, which washes away grit on the roads, to plummeting temperatures which means water on the road freezes and turns to ice.

“People tend to take more care when there’s snow on the ground but ice is harder to spot.”

The partnership is issuing the following advice for driving this winter:
• Only travel if your journey is really necessary. Could you use public transport instead?
• In icy conditions slow down, steer gently and avoid harsh braking. It can take up to ten times longer to stop in icy conditions compare to being on a dry road
• Use dipped headlights if driving during snowfalls and slow down
• Check your lights are clean and working and your windscreen washer is full
• Make sure your windows are free of frost and ice. Check your wiper blades and replace if they’re worn
• Check your tyres have plenty of tread and have the correct amount of air in
• Check your radiator has the right mixture of water and anti-freeze and that your battery is in good condition and fully charged
• Make sure you have more than enough fuel to complete your journey
• If going on a long journey take a shovel, torch, boots, warm clothing, food and a hot drink and charged mobile telephone
• In ice, snow or slush use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. When braking, to prevent locking your wheels, get into a low gear earlier than normal and allow your speed to fall and use the brake pedal gently. If you do skid, ease off the accelerator but do not brake suddenly
• If you break down, abandoned vehicles can hold up rescue vehicles and snowploughs. Stay with your vehicle until help arrives so the road can be cleared as quickly as possible.
• If you do have to leave your vehicle, make yourself visible to other road users and tell local police of the location of your vehicle if it has the potential to cause problems for other road users

For more information visit www.derbyshire.police.uk (opens in a new window)

You can also visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/snow (opens in a new window) to find information from Derbyshire County Council including winter driving tips, maps of gritting routes, where to find your nearest grit bin or report them empty or damaged and advice on gritting and clearing snow from driveways, paths and pavements.

For details about Derby City Council’s winter gritting programme, visit www.derby.gov.uk (opens in a new window) and type ‘gritting’ into the site search engine.