Slippery roads cause 5,495 accidents
As winter approaches, government figures show that slippery roads were one of the biggest factors for car crashes last year.
Yet many of these accidents might have been avoided if the driver had been on a skid pan experience, advises www.trackdays.co.uk.
Information obtained by www.trackdays.co.uk from the Department for Transport reveals that 5,495 accidents in 2017 were caused by slippery roads due to the weather.
Furthermore, rain, sleet, snow or fog was also to blame for 1,244 car accidents when it affected the driver’s visibility.
Dan Jones, operations manager at www.trackdays.co.uk, said, ‘Many drivers tend to panic when going in to a skid. It’s no surprise really as skid control is not a natural skill to have and the reaction of drivers can worsen the situation.’
Aside from the driving conditions, loss of control of a car was also a contributory factor in more than 8,000 accidents in 2017.
Dan added, ‘In Sweden, for instance, skid control is part of driver training. Given last year’s particularly harsh winter and the Beast from the East, with some predictions that severe winters could become the norm, then perhaps government should also consider making it mandatory in the UK for leaner drivers.’
