| At this time of year driving can become perilous. | | | | that occur are as a result of driver error or |
| A combination of ice, wind, rain, snow, fog and | | | | carelessness, some can be attributed to a failure |
| dark, wintry evenings can lead to hazardous road | | | | on the part of the agencies in charge of road |
| conditions and car accidents. When you take your | | | | maintenance, to grit the roads. If a driver has a |
| car out on a wintry morning you are more at risk | | | | car accident because of icy or snowy conditions |
| of being involved in a car crash than during the | | | | that could have been avoided because the agency |
| light warm summer months. The worst months | | | | in charge of this had failed to grit the road, then a |
| of the year for accidents are October and | | | | personal injury claim may be brought against the |
| November between the hours of 4pm and 5pm. | | | | agency. If the driver is injured and their vehicle is |
| 42% of road deaths occur in the dark. | | | | damaged then they may be entitled by law to |
| As weather conditions deteriorate in autumn and | | | | claim compensation if it can be proven that |
| winter the roads become more dangerous. The | | | | someone else was at fault. |
| roads are maintained by the Highways Agency, an | | | | The Highways Agency and each council have |
| Executive Agency for the Department of | | | | criteria for gritting. Unfortunately on occasions the |
| Transport, who salts and grits the motorways | | | | roads may not be gritted because they could not |
| and trunk roads. Other smaller roads are gritted | | | | predict the adverse weather conditions. If an |
| by local councils although some rural roads are not | | | | accident occurs when the roads should reasonably |
| covered at all. The Highways Agency aims to | | | | have been gritted, then compensation could be |
| reduce delays and the amount of road traffic | | | | sought. These cases can be complicated and it |
| accidents by clearing snow and preventing the | | | | may be difficult to prove that a local authority or |
| formation of ice. | | | | government agency was responsible for the |
| The gritting service depends on the weather | | | | accident. If you have been in a car accident that |
| forecast and there is therefore room for error. | | | | was caused by black ice on a road you believe |
| Teams of gritters are on nightly standby | | | | should have been gritted then you may want to |
| throughout the country in the winter months. | | | | seek legal advice about your position. |
| They wait for the temperature to drop to around | | | | What should you do if you have an accident? |
| 1° and are then called in for gritting. An error | | | | If you have had a road traffic accident that you |
| of around 1° is crucial when the temperature | | | | believe was not your fault then you may be |
| is about zero, but is not as critical when the | | | | entitled to make a personal injury claim. You can |
| temperature is about 5°. Local expertise and | | | | get free legal advice at or you can call on 0800 |
| experience is vital around the time when gritters | | | | 78 38 846 to learn more. |
| are in operation. Precautionary gritting is carried | | | | Avoiding accidents |
| out in the evening after the rush hour and first | | | | Although we do rely on road maintenance to a |
| thing in the morning before the morning traffic. | | | | large extent to keep our roads safe we should |
| Personal injury claim | | | | always take our own precautions when driving in |
| Unfortunately there still many car accidents and | | | | the winter. You should take extra care in the |
| road traffic accidents involving motorcycles and | | | | roads, drive slowly and carefully when the |
| lorries every year in the UK due to adverse | | | | weather is bad and make sure you have carried |
| weather conditions. Whilst many of the accidents | | | | out basic maintenance on your vehicle. |