Drivers not prepared for the winter

By PETER WOODMAN
Published on 12/11/2012 02:55

MANY drivers are far too chilled out to be prepared for wintry conditions on the roads, according to a survey.

Few make the proper allowances for driving in bad weather, the poll by car insurance company Churchill found.

Of those who drive regularly during the winter months, 24 per cent do not take corners at a slower speed and 25 per cent do not increase the distance from the vehicle in front, the survey found.

It also said 26 per cent do not allow more time to get to their destination by driving more slowly, while 27 per cent admitted to skidding in icy weather last winter.

The poll also found that 44 per cent drive with their windscreens misted or iced over.

Motorists used any number of things to try to clear their cars of ice and snow last winter, including credit cards, cigarette packets and CD cases.

Eighteen per cent used their hands to get windscreens and windows clear, while 15 per cent used boiling kettles.

Churchill Car Insurance head Tony Chilcott said: “It is really important that, during winter, drivers do not assume that they can drive at the same speeds and in the same style that they would in fair and dry conditions.”