Committed to Increasing Safety & Reducing Congestion
Welcome to the safermotorways.co.uk website.
Each month we highlight key issues that affect safety and congestion on UK motorways.
Our long running campaign to speed up the replacement of steel barrier on motorway central reserves continues in 2010 although we do expect to see a greater take up of concrete step barrier this year. Concrete step barrier is proven to virtually eliminate crossover incidents and the need for the endless repairs to steel barriers that cause so much congestion on our motorways and major trunk roads.
Meanwhile, whilst we all wait patiently for this revolutionary product to be rolled out across the country, the death toll continues to mount.
Believe it or not the hard shoulder is one of the most dangerous areas on any motorway. To raise awareness of these dangers we have included a safety video, courtesy of Honda, which uncovers the 'DOs' and 'DON'Ts' for a motorist when pulling over onto the hard shoulder.
If you are unfortunate enough to have been injured in a road traffic accident then it is advisable to speak to a specialist solicitor regarding what to do next.
No grit - but drivers are as much to blame.
Here’s a good Trivial Pursuits question.
“If, before you set out on your journey, you knew that there was a chance you would have to either sleep in your car or abandon your car and walk home, what would you take with you?”
Score yourself one point for each of the following:
Extra Warm Clothes.
Food and drink.
Wellington Boots.
Spade.
De-icer.
Ice scraper.
Torch.
Salt or grit.
Mobile phone (fully charged).
Sufficient fuel to survive a very long journey...read on >
Winter tyres are the answer.
Other countries, more used to heavy snow falls and ice, do not expect their roads to be constantly gritted or snow-free during the winter. Instead the emphasis is on “driver preparation” and a (legally required) spare set of winter tyres.
But did you know that in many parts of Europe, with a warmer climate than the UK, the law requires that between specific dates drivers must have cold weather tyres fitted to their vehicle?
So how come in the UK, where temperatures have recently been between minus 8 and minus 18 degrees centigrade, we can drive around on any kind of tyre we like, most of which are completely unsuited to winter conditions?
Winter tyres use a rubber tread compound and block pattern design that will retain more flexibility in low temperatures whilst giving improved braking through better traction on ice and snow... read on>
Check tyre pressures, and ensure they correspond to the pressure indicated on the door jamb.
Check and top up the windscreen washer bottle, and include an additive to tackle grease and icy conditions in winter.
Clean the windows and wipe all the lights to keep them at maximum efficiency. Check for any blown bulbs.
If your car does not have a sealed-for-life battery, check the level in the cells and top up with distilled water as necessary.
Remove rubbish from inside the car. A tidy environment is safer, it avoids distraction while you're driving.
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