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With the quantity of snow that fell recently parts of the UK were left looking more like Siberia and as you would expect the heaviest snowfall that we have seen for 18 years caused chaos on the roads.
With the snow came debate around the way that country dealt with the weather; could we have been more prepared or was it just a freak of nature that no one could have legislated for? Councils were blamed for running out of grit and cutting back on snow ploughs while drivers were blamed for making unnecessary journeys and poor driving.
In a week when the police had to resort to using 4x4's to reach stranded drivers near Exeter and more than 3,000 schools were closed across England and Wales it was interesting to hear reports that Geoff Hoon had pointed a disparaging finger at drivers for not purchasing snow chains. Now if he did say this I think that its a bit unreasonable but putting that aside it does highlight that drivers have a responsibility to prepare themselves in challenging conditions.
With the breakdown services reporting that they had responded to vehicles stranded in the snow only to find the driver huddled up in jeans and a t-shirt with no coat, no blanket and no shovel there are drivers out there who seriously need to buck their ideas up.
The UK seems to be facing extreme weather on a more frequent basis than ever before so we all have a role to play in being ready for the driving conditions and that isn't exclusive to when it's snowing. Whether it is bright sunshine, driving rain, black ice or fog there are simple steps to mitigate the road risk and prepare for the adverse conditions.
If you have asked yourself if the journey is absolutely necessary and the answer is yes then firstly, make sure that your car is prepared - by that I mean well maintained - so, is the heater working, does it have windscreen washer, are the tyres in good condition and properly inflated? Recently drivers will have been questioning whether their car has the ability to travel through deep snow - and as many BMW drivers found, with rear wheel drive the answer was no.
If you are sure that the car is up to the task, make sure that you are prepared - this means adapting your driving style to the conditions, allowing additional time for the journey, bringing your shades for the hot weather and your thermals for the cold, know the route and alternatives.
Its not rocket science but in bad weather these simple steps can make all the difference and drivers must adopt a safety first approach at all times and especially in difficult conditions.
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