Safety warning for drivers as UK thaws

Seven Safety Tips to cut down fatalities on the roads this January

With Britain experiencing the worst winter driving conditions in decades, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of business fuel cards, The Fuelcard Company, is warning drivers to be extra vigilant. 

Organisations and fleet based businesses are under more pressure than ever to maintain a regular service to customers, but the combination of snow, ice and dark nights means drivers are facing even more dangers on the road over the next couple of months, with increased risk of sudden changes in driving conditions, skidding and flooding. 

The recent cold spell and subsequent ‘thaw’ has not only made many minor roads impassable but the freezing weather has also caused even more potholes to appear in UK roads as the repeated freeze-thaw cycle results in existing cracks and holes rupturing. 

Road accidents kill 3,400 people every year in Great Britain with more accidents happening over the winter months than at any other time of the year. Nine people die on UK roads every day with hazards such as darkness, rain, fog, ice and dazzling sunshine only adding to the danger. During winter months, motoring requires special care and a little preparation if drivers are to avoid a breakdown or accident. 

Here are The Fuelcard Company’s essential advice to avoid dangerous driving hazards and improve vehicle reliability during the winter months: 

To Avoid Hazards

• Drive at the appropriate speed. Not only will this help to reduce fuel consumption, but it is also essentially safer, particularly on these dark and rainy nights.
• Don’t coast in neutral to preserve fuel, as it prevents engine braking and decreases your control of the car, and in the wet and icy conditions of winter, it is more dangerous than usual.
• Remember, braking distance is twice as far on wet roads and increases 10-fold on icy roads
• Dazzle from winter sun can be dangerous. Keep a pair of sunglasses (prescription if needed) in the vehicle all year round
• Don’t forget that stopping distances are 10 times longer in ice and snow
• Don't try driving through fast-moving water, such as at a flooded bridge approach – your car could easily be swept away

 Essential Maintenance

• Ensure your tyres are properly inflated. Under inflated tyres burn more fuel, but are also less likely to cope in wet weather, so it is advised to check them on a weekly basis - at least 3mm of tread is recommended for winter motoring, and certainly no less than 2mm

• Lights, heaters and windscreen wipers put high demands on the car battery. If the car is driven mainly in dark rush-hour trips, the battery will give out eventually
• Don’t forget the antifreeze – a bottle costs only a few pounds, but a cracked engine block will cost hundreds of pounds to repair
• Over 90 per cent of a driver’s reactions depends on vision and vision is severely limited if windscreens or wing mirrors are dirty. Get into a routine of ensuring they are clear before starting a journey
• Add 15-30 minutes onto the usual journey time during winter to allow for poor weather and visibility conditions
• Always carry a screen scraper, de-icer and screen wash

Fuelcard Company (www.fuelcards.co.uk) is one of the largest commercial fuel card resellers in the United Kingdom, enjoying partnerships with many commercial fuelling networks

Published: 21/01/2010