Motortrades Insight Magazine Online
Related Tags: Icy Road, Weather, Snow, Crashes, Weather Forecast, Rain, Winter Tyres, Fog, Families, Tailgating
Drivers warned of 'potentially deadly conditions' in week ahead
WITH Britain's weather set to worsen this weekend, motorists are being warned to take it easy on the roads to avoid 'devastating crashes'.Road safety charity Brake says drivers should avoid setting off in snow or other dangerous conditions, listen to weather forecasts, have an emergency kit in their vehicles and to be careful while driving by not tailgating and keeping a safe distance from cars in front.
The roads of Britain could be subject to some hazardous conditions over the next two weeks. Picture: Danny HewittFears are growing of another mass pile-up if motorists choose to ignore the warnings.
Sean Penston, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: "The minimum temperature in the UK will be into minus figures. By Sunday it could be minus 'C (25F) or minus 5C (23F) in some parts.
"There's more of an easterly wind coming in, with the possibility of snow showers by the weekend and the start of next week.
"It's difficult to say for certain at the moment, but in parts of Scotland there will be quite a bit of snow, as well as the east coast of England. Western areas will be a bit more sheltered from the conditions."
A recent survey by Brake and Churchill Car Insurance found most drivers do not fully understand the dangers of driving in ice and snow - with many happy to set off in treacherous conditions. Brake Chief Executive Julie Townsend said: "Every year we support many families whose lives have been torn apart by bad weather crashes, so we're calling on drivers to do everything they can to help avoid tragedies during this cold snap.
"Ice, snow, heavy rain and fog make driving incredibly risky. Stopping distances double in the wet and can increase ten-fold in ice and snow, and if you can't see clearly you can't react to hazards."
While many experts advise fitting winter tyres, the expense is high. Rally Driver of the Year Craig Breen, from Ireland, informed Motortrades Insight that winter tyres are not necessary. Drivers should check the tread on their tyres meets the legal minimum of 3mm.
Related Articles // More Like This
- 1
- 2
- 3
News 24/7
MotorTrades Insight are now official news providers for NewsNow.
Top Stories // This Week
Stylish New Land Cruiser will have better handling, Toyota claims.
The new Toyota Land Cruiser is set to be introduced early next year, but can the new model match its predecessors' reputation as a go-anywhere vehicle?Over more than 60 years, the Land Cruiser has b... 
Ford’s luxury ‘high-tech’ Kuga Titanium X Sport series set to boost company’s sales.
With around 7,500 sales in the year to date, those seeking a sportier spin on the ever-popular Ford Kuga will be able to do so from today.Ford has announced that customers will today be able to orde... 
Nationwide car restoration competition launched.
A nationwide competition has been launched to unearth the best classic car restoration projects in the UK.Entrants have the opportunity to win an exclusive VIP package to this year’s Classic Motor S... 
Rare 1978 BMW M1 set to attend Salon Privé.
An 'ultra-rare' vintage BMW M1 will be on display at next month''s Salon Privé. Not to be confused with the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, the BMW M1 was the result of an agreement to build a production raci... 
George Clooney and Sandra Bullock arrive at Venice film festival in Maserati Quattroporte.
Yesterday evening saw the highly anticipated inauguration ceremony of the 70th Venice International Film Festival. For an event of such calibre, world renowned international stars arrived on th... 
Lithium-ion battery designer and producer rebranded after takeover.
One of Europe’s foremost designers and producers of lithium-ion battery systems for high performance hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles has been rebranded.Following its acquisition by Johnson Matthe... 
Driving instructors embracing new technology, new study reveals.
Driving instructors are beginning to embrace modern technology to run their business on a day to day level, according to a new study from adiNEWS and Hitachi Capital Driving Instructor Solutions.&nb... 
Energy efficiency: Viessmann says car dealerships should consider ground source heat pumps but must watch out for s.
Ground-source heat pumps and under-floor heating could transform the green credentials of the automotive retail industry – and save dealerships thousands of pounds in heating bills in the long-run.B... 
RoSPA Scotland Congress to focus on innovation, road safety and Commonwealth Games.
Breakthrough schemes using innovation to boost safety and health will be a key feature at this year's Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' (RoSPA) Scotland Congress.Delegates will be inspi... 
SKODA reduces price of Fabia and Fabia Estate by 25 per cent.
It is not often than a car manufacturer comes up with such a great offer, but drivers will surely be attracted to the massive reduction in price of the SKODA Fabia.From now until the end of December... 
Australian automotive industry makes significant repair information deal with Thatcham Research.
Thatcham Research has revealed it has signed a £2 million, five year deal with Australian insurer Suncorp Group to provide repair methods and times to vehicle repairers and insurance assessors acros...