20/01/2016
If you find yourself driving in snow or on icy or snow covered roads, adapt your driving to the conditions:
- Reduce your speed. The chances of skidding are much greater and your stopping distance will increase massively.
- Only travel at a speed at which you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear. Speed limits are the maximum in ideal conditions; in difficult conditions, they can often be too fast.
- Avoid harsh braking and acceleration, or sharp steering.
- Always reduce your speed smoothly and in plenty of time on slippery surfaces.
- Slow down in plenty of time before bends and corners.
- Braking on an icy or snow covered bend is extremely dangerous. The centrifugal force will continue to pull you outwards and the wheels will not grip very well. This could cause your vehicle to spin.
- To brake on ice and snow without locking your wheels, get into a low gear earlier than normal, allow your speed to fall and use your brakes gently.
- Increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front. You may need up to TEN TIMES the normal distance for braking.
- Keep your vehicle well-ventilated. The car heater turned up fully can quickly make you drowsy.
- In snow, stop frequently to clean the windows, wheel arches, lights and number plates.
- Visibility will probably be reduced, so use dipped headlights.
- During wintry weather, road surfaces are often wet and/or covered in frost and ice or snow. But this does not occur uniformly. A road will often have isolated patches of frost or ice after most of the road has thawed – this commonly occurs under bridges, in shaded areas and on exposed bridges.
- Be aware of ice even on gritted roads, although the road has been treated the road is unlikely to be wholly free of ice.
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19/01/2016
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has hailed a new law passed in Northern Ireland that will help young drivers to be safer on the country’s roads.
The family safety charity has welcomed the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, which will come into force in 2018 and includes tougher drink-drive limits, a minimum six-month learning period, night-time restrictions on young drivers carrying passengers, and will enable learners to drive on the motorway.
It has long been recognised that alcohol impairs a driver’s ability and the bill will provide for two new lower drink-driving limits – 50mg/100ml for all drivers (as is the case now in Scotland) and 20mg/100ml for novice and professional drivers.
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06/01/2016
Inspector Gary Jones of Dyfed Powys Police shares his Winter Driving tips - We have all experienced heavy rainfall over the last few weeks, which is expected to continue for the rest of this week. Please see following advice:
Driving in Heavy Rain can be hazardous.
Before setting off:
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22/12/2015
The four Welsh Forces in collaboration with Road Safety Wales partners have carried out an enforcement and engagement campaign aimed at young adult drivers and passengers.
The aim of the campaign is to highlight the driving risks to young adults under the Fatal 5 banner, such as driving whilst impaired and using mobile phones behind the wheel. Passengers were also asked to look at their own behaviour within a vehicle environment – from peer pressure and distraction to thinking about whether they should get into a car with a driver who is impaired.
During the campaign, over 300 young adults came to the attention of the police with 193 drivers found to have committed offences (including speeding, anti-social driving/riding and use of mobile phones) with 68 given verbal warnings.
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21/12/2015
The Department for Transport today (21 December 2015) unveiled a raft of measures to improve the safety of Britain’s roads. The proposals will ensure learner drivers are properly prepared before their test, including the chance to gain motorway experience with an approved driving instructor. This follows plans announced last month to introduce a deposit which is returned to the learner driver if they pass, encouraging them to take their test when they are ready.
Other measures to take priority in the government’s plan for road safety include funding to train the next generation of cyclists and extra money for police forces to crack down on drug drivers.
The plan outlines how the Government is delivering on its commitment to reduce the number of people killed and injured on our roads during this Parliament.
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25/11/2015
Gwent Police Drink/Drug Driving Warning As They Launch Wales-Wide Campaign
25/11/15
The month-long winter campaign, launched in Cwmbran today, will start on December 1 and will see an increase in the number of roadside breath tests.
ACC Julian WilliamsLast year in Wales a total of 30,718 people were tested as part of the campaign with 488 returning either positive results or refusing to take the breath test.
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23/11/2015
The number of drivers prosecuted for motoring offences by magistrates grew by 8% last year, figures have shown.
Almost 54,500 cases were dealt with in 2014, up from about 50,500 in 2013, according to Welsh government numbers.
However, the latest annual figures of fixed penalty notices issued in Wales - 77,000 - dropped by 17%.
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02/11/2015
The eighth community speedwatch scheme to educate speeding drivers has been set up in Gwent.
The scheme, which trains volunteers to monitor passing vehicles which are driving above the speed limit, was first launched in Llanfair Kilgeddin, near Abergavenny in June of last year, and started in Little Mill/Monkswood on Friday.
There are already schemes running in Llandogo, Tintern, Usk, Abergavenny, Peterstone and Itton. Other parts of Gwent including St Arvans, Rudry, Llangym and Magor are due to set up their schemes shortly.
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26/10/2015
North Wales Police officers in Ruthin have joined forces with their colleagues in Roads Policing to undertake an operation tackling anti-social driving in the town.
Police CarPutting the brakes on bad and anti-social driving as well as ensuring that vehicles stopped are fit for the road are the aims of the operation. It got underway a few weeks ago as a direct result of concerns that had been raised by local residents.
“The operation will continue as long as the issue persists,” confirmed local Sergeant Dave Nickels. “Dangerous and careless driving will not be tolerated and those found braking the law face not only prosecution but also could have their vehicles seized.”
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14/10/2015
From Monday 12 October, drivers who stop on a yellow box junction and obstruct traffic in Cardiff are to be fined, as part of the city’s Moving Traffic Offences Scheme. The City of Cardiff Council has being issuing warning notices to drivers over the past week who have offended but fines will now be sent out for all captured offences.
The Council is the first local authority in the UK, outside London to enforce yellow box junctions using innovative technology, which allows offences to be issued retrospectively via CCTV. This new technology increases efficiency, as staff do not have to watch live footage to enforce the scheme. This is the next phase of the Moving Traffic Offences Scheme. The Council is already fining drivers for illegal use of bus lanes.
The enforcement of yellow box junctions will take place in a number of phases, with cameras currently in place in Customhouse Street, Bute Terrace and Bute Street Junction. Other junctions are being monitored and more cameras will be placed in other areas of the city centre. The Moving Traffic Offences Scheme has been designed and put in place to change drivers’ behaviour and to crucially keep Cardiff moving in the city.
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