Snowy Conditions Lead To Fewer Road Accidents: Can This Be True?
Who would have thought that road accident rates would fall when the weather is at its most treacherous?
Well that's exactly what one police force in the north of England is reporting.
Figures released yesterday by Humberside Police demonstrate that, in the cold snap which paralysed the UK from November to December last year, accident rates plummeted. Is this the result of drivers being more circumspect and taking more care in the treacherous conditions?
Well, up to a point, it is. But it is simply because that circumspection made many drivers not bother to leave the comfort of their armchairs and brave the conditions, for once heeding police warnings not to travel.
If only drivers paid attention to all such warnings in general, then road accident rates, deaths and car crash claims would all plummet.
The most dangerous time of year, says the force, remains January to March, when rain and fog are more prevalent.
Inspector Roger Mitchell told the Yorkshire Post: "Statistics for the Humberside area show that most of the serious crashes, where someone is either killed or is seriously injured, occur when it is foggy or wet, because drivers do not adapt to the changing weather conditions.
"Surprisingly, during the early cold weather snap when we had snowy and icy conditions, we saw a reduction in casualties as motorists either stayed at home or slowed down accordingly. However, what we do find is that many motorists drive too fast and too close to vehicles in front of them when it's foggy or wet.
"It takes a lot longer to stop when breaking in the wet and drivers do not leave themselves a big enough gap to avoid the vehicle in front."
The problem seems to be that when conditions are blatantly icy or snowy motorists feel that they have no option but to drive carefully and slowly. They can feel the effect that the low grip levels have on the safety and performance of their car, even at non-existent speeds.
In the rain, however, it is easy for cockiness and complacency to creep in. Unless there are gale-force winds and torrential monsoons, weather warnings are not issued, which gives the impression that everything is totally normal. Drivers tend not to adjust their driving as much and, as Insp Mitchell says, fail to allow sufficient braking distance to other vehicles.
The police, in conjunction with some automotive businesses from the local area and Safer Roads Humber, the partnership that aims to decrease fatal car crashes, are launching the campaign tomorrow (Wednesday) with a free vehicle check to ensure vehicles are properly prepared for any more cold weather.
"Motorists can carry out some very simple measures to alleviate many problems associated with winter weather," says Insp Mitchell.
"Now is the perfect time to remind all motorists not to be complacent and to be extra vigilant in the months to come."
So these statistics aren't surprising, when we look at the reasons behind them. It's just a shame that the vigilance shown by drivers during the cold snap does not extend to the rest of the year.
by: Richard Craig
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