​Winter Driving Safety Message

With winter upon us, there are some important things to remember about driving on our roads during the colder months.

There are multiple areas throughout the district that often have black ice. Black ice is a thin sheet of ice on the road that is dark in appearance, making it extremely hard for drivers to see. It is often found in shaded areas that don’t get the sun, or around waterways and lakes.

Black ice can cause drivers to lose control.

Here are some tips for winter driving in areas where there may be black ice:

• Avoid sudden braking
• Drive slowly
• Avoid sudden direction changes
• Leave larger following distances
• Look for shiny, wet patches on the road

Wet roads will also result in slippery surfaces, which reduces friction from the tyres.

This can become particularly dangerous when driving around corners and braking and accelerating. Take extra care and avoid jabbing the brakes, sharp cornering and excessive accelerating.

Having good vision is important. Moist atmospheric conditions combined with greasy screens can cause fogging of the windscreen. Keep your screen and all interior glass clean, and remove any grease with detergents or a glass cleaner.

Also ensure your wiper blades are in good working order.

Take care, drive to the conditions and stay safe on the roads!