Warning to drivers after 53 collisions on black ice across the county (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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Warning to drivers after 53 collisions on black ice across the county
9:08am Monday 28th January 2013 in News
Drivers are being warned to beware of black ice
Police are warning drivers to take care after a spate of crashes on black ice today.
By 8am today, Wiltshire Police had dealt with 53 road traffic collisions caused by black ice on roads across the county.
Twenty eight were minor injury RTCs and 25 were non injury RTCs.
Wiltshire Police have repeated their urgent warning to motorists travelling this morning.
The police are urging motorists to take care and even re-consider their journey if is isn't necessary. Black Ice formed overnight on many roads in the county.
It is believed to have been due to the rain washing away the grit which had been spread on the roads to counter the recent snow.
Police are liaising with the Highways Agency and council partners to work on the worst areas affected.
Superintendent Nick Ashley said: "We have had a unprecedented number of road traffic accidents this morning.
"Thankfully, although there have been some injuries, these have not been serious but it is only a matter of time if motorists do not take care on the roads. After the heavy rain most of the grit that was placed on the roads during the snow has been washed away by the rain, this has then frozen and left black ice all over the roads.
"This can make roads extremely dangerous and I am urging motorists to take care or even reconsider travelling this morning."
Comments(10)
PaulD
says...
9:39am Mon 28 Jan 13
Real123 wrote:because of the heavy rain which was washing the grit away?
So why were the council not out gritting????????????
????????
The Real Librarian
says...
11:04am Mon 28 Jan 13
Robh
says...
11:34am Mon 28 Jan 13
PaddyObama
says...
1:19pm Mon 28 Jan 13
timt1964
says...
10:20pm Mon 28 Jan 13
gambon
says...
9:27am Tue 29 Jan 13
The Artist formally known as Grumpy Old Man
says...
10:16am Tue 29 Jan 13
gambon wrote:Of course, that's complete nonsense, and there is no evidence that 1) these accidents are all young people (they're not), or that 2) making the driving test harder would make any difference (it won't).
that is why the driving test should be made harder like in the olden days the youth of today do not have the skills to deal with ice
You also (I guess) aren't aware that cars generally have less grip in cold conditions than they used to? - Because of the continued trrend towards "efficiency" tyres generally have a lower rolling resistance than they used to with a subsequent lower level of grip in cold conditions. Cars with summer tyres are generally less able to deal with temperatures less than 7 degrees. This in countered by having wider tyres which gives more surface area allowing for adequate braking. They get better fuel economy in warm conditions but this makes them rubbish in cold conditions.
As an example, in the snow last week I literally had no steering coming off my driveway. On nearly full lock, at just above 0 miles an hour, I went in a straight line. Had I hit a similar patch of ice at even slow road speeds I doubt it would have been controllable.
Mrs Donnyfly
says...
6:32pm Tue 29 Jan 13
gambon wrote:Who told you the driving test was harder in the olden days? The driving test is much harder to pass now than it ever used to be. Are you saying that in the olden days driving on ice was part of the test?
that is why the driving test should be made harder like in the olden days the youth of today do not have the skills to deal with ice
beetawix
says...
8:24am Thu 31 Jan 13
gambon wrote:Olden days?
that is why the driving test should be made harder like in the olden days the youth of today do not have the skills to deal with ice
Pre 1935 there was no test at all.
To further Donnyfly's point -
what a laugh to imagine the olden days when on the first icy morning of winter hundreds of driving test applicants would receive a call to get testing, a whole years worth queued since the last icy morning.
Real123 says...
9:29am Mon 28 Jan 13
????????