Dr Steve Ladyman

This year, the Met Office is predicting a colder than average winter for much of Europe. If they are right, then parts of the UK are expected to have temperatures below normal. Any snow, sleet and ice we see will lead to traffic slowing and some extremely hazardous conditions. For example, it can take ten times longer to stop in icy conditions than on a dry road.

Even if a “big freeze” fails to materialise, rain can strike at any time and affect both visibility and road conditions, especially at night time. Many motorists fail to realise the very real dangers of rain and darkness combined, and accidents are often the result. Although the winter months present many unforeseen dangers, some drivers fail to do enough to prepare for the possibility of adverse conditions.

Even basic tasks such as clearing condensation or frost from a vehicle’s windows or mirrors are sometimes skimped, so leaving the driver’s visibility seriously impaired – with potentially tragic consequences. As a matter of course, all drivers should check their tyre pressures regularly and ensure their tyres have the legal tread depth and are undamaged. This routine is not just important, but critical in the winter months. Remember that the more worn your tyres, the longer it takes to stop – more so in wet or icy weather.

Of course, if the weather is very bad then try not to travel by car if you can avoid it. If you do decide to go by road, prepare your route in advance and make sure you have warm clothes and other equipment like a spade, coats and first aid kit in the vehicle. And just because its winter, don’t forget the all-year-round factors that contribute to accidents. Around one third of all road traffic incidents involve someone who is working at the time.

Employees should not be expected to drive against the clock, nor have demands imposed them which could result in them taking risks while driving. Nor should anyone be expected to drive when they are over-tired. Some 10% of all accidents on our roads and 300 fatalities a year are sleep-related. A high proportion of these take place on motorways and other fast roads.

We live in a 24/7 society, but if all drivers made sure that they were not over-tired before setting out on their journey, as well as taking sensible precautions particularly when driving at night and in winter weather, then there would certainly be far fewer deaths and injuries on our roads.

The Government’s Road Safety Bill is now progressing through Parliament. This has a lot of measures to help us meet our targets for improving road safety.

However, my message is that we all have a part to play in preventing accidents by looking after our own safety while driving.