Dorset Police would like to remind motorists that during
periods of cold temperatures they should adjust their manner of
driving to suit the road conditions.
Inspector Matt Butler, of the Dorset Police
Traffic Unit, said: ”Over the past two mornings, Dorset Police has
dealt with twenty separate collisions where the indication is that
drivers have lost control in icy conditions.
“We have also seen vehicles involved in
collisions where drivers have not cleared frost off the windscreens
and windows sufficiently.
“I would ask drivers to plan ahead and allow
themselves an extra few minutes to defrost their vehicle and then
drive a little more slowly to ensure that they arrive safely at
their destination.
“Remember many roads, particularly in rural
areas, will not be gritted.”
The Highway Code gives advice on driving in icy conditions.
Before you set off:
- You MUST be able to see, so
clear all snow and ice from all your windows.
- You MUST ensure that lights
are clean and number plates are clearly visible and legible.
- Make sure the mirrors are clear and the
windows are demisted thoroughly.
Drive extremely carefully when the roads are
icy. Avoid sudden actions as these could cause loss of control. You
should:
- Drive at a slow speed in as high a gear as possible; accelerate
and brake very gently.
- Drive particularly slowly on bends where loss of control is
more likely. Brake progressively on the straight before you reach a
bend. Having slowed down, steer smoothly round the bend, avoiding
sudden actions.
- Check your grip on the road surface when there is snow or ice
by choosing a safe place to brake gently. If the steering feels
unresponsive, this may indicate ice and your vehicle losing its
grip on the road. When travelling on ice, tyres make virtually no
noise.
Advice from our partners
Dorset County Council provids the following
information regarding gritting the roads.
How do we decide when to treat the
roads?
Decisions about which roads are gritted are
based upon the latest forecast of road surface temperatures.
Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Councils have a consolidated approach
and operate an 'Ice Prediction and Management System'. A number of
strategic highway sensors throughout the county provide accurate
'on the ground' surface and air temperatures. Weather conditions
are continually updated and monitored throughout the winter period
and officers also alerted to any significant changes to predicted
weather patterns. The system then works out the optimum times to
grit the highways.
Which roads will be
gritted?
With hundreds of kilometres of road in the Bournemouth and Poole
area and thousands of kilometres in Dorset, it would be impossible
to treat each and every single route. Therefore, road salting is
planned according to a network of routes that carry the vast
majority of traffic around Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset. These are
primarily main roads, commuter routes, some bus routes, roads to
the hospital and other emergency service stations.