Drivers unprepared for winter weather dangers
Posted: January 9, 2013
Posted in: Road Traffic Accidents
Brake, the road safety charity, and Churchill Car Insurance are urging drivers to commit to safe driving this winter, as research shows many drivers are dangerously complacent about precautions for snow, ice and rain.
The call comes as a survey of 1,000 drivers revealed:
- Only one in six drivers (16%) follow safety advice and avoid driving in snow.
- Nearly one in three (31%) will drive in snow even if it’s heavy and a non-essential journey.
- Nine in ten (91%) underestimate stopping distances in icy conditions by half.
- Half (47%) fail to leave a four second gap between them and the vehicle in front in wet weather.
Despite this complacency, many drivers are concerned about safety in bad weather, and lack confidence in their fellow winter drivers. 95% think many or most drivers travel too close to the vehicle in front in snow and ice, while 92% think many or most go too fast in snow and ice.
Julie Townsend, Brake deputy chief executive, 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 this winter.”
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