With Winter just around the corner, road hazards increase, and we are statistically more likely to be involved in a road traffic accident. Data from insurance company Admiral reveal that we are 25% more likely to claim on their motor insurance in November compared to April, and their surveys show that 23% of UK motorists have been involved in an accident when driving in severe winter weather conditions.
So why is winter driving more dangerous?
Days are shorter and driving in the dark poses more challenges than daylight driving:
- Decreased visibility: our ability to judge distance decreases, and our eyes take time to adjust from bright lights to darker roads. This is particularly an issue for older drivers, whose eyes take longer to adjust. Between the ages of 15 and 65, the speed at which our eyes are able to adjust from light to dark conditions increases from 1 second to 9 seconds.
- It’s more difficult to see other road users in the dark and pedestrians are often not aware of this, meaning that they behave in a manner that puts them more at risk.
- It is more difficult to judge the speeds of other road users.
- Young drivers can be particularly vulnerable due to a lack of experience of driving in the dark.
The weather also has a strong influence on road safety during the winter months and it’s not just ice and snow that create hazards:
- On clear sunny days, the low angle of the sun can affect visibility. It’s imperative to ensure that windscreens are kept clean in winter, especially during wet weather conditions leading to mud and water on the roads.
- Ice and snow can cause obvious problems, affecting our ability to steer and brake as needed. It can take 10 times longer to stop when braking in ice and snow.
- Condensation on the windows due to the colder temperatures, and ice on the windscreen both affect visibility. The highway code stipulates that, when driving in icy conditions, we must be able to see out of every glass panel in our vehicle.
- While flooding isn’t limited to winter months, it can still cause problems with dangers such as aquaplaning.
The RAC and AA both provide great advice for safe driving during the Winter, and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue include a great video for how to safely drive on the ice. But, regardless of how safely we drive ourselves, we can’t assume other road users will do the same. It’s important, therefore, to control the things that we can control.
MIMsafe Variocages protect dogs and passengers. We know from our extensive crash testing that in the event of an accident, they compress in a controlled manner, absorbing some of the impact, and decreasing the amount of space in the crate, decreasing injuries to dogs by stopping them from being thrown about.
The crates are strong and will not crumple or fall apart during an impact, meaning that dogs remain safe and protected, not crushed or thrown out of the vehicle. Crates all feature an emergency exit door in case the main crate exit is compromised, ensuring that dogs can be easily released.
Our crates work in conjunction with the crumple zone of vehicles, keeping rear seat passengers safe. This video demonstrates how:
Our crates provide optimal safety for passengers and optimal security for your dogs whatever the season.
