New ice warning after 12 crashes in one hour (From Ledbury Reporter)
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New ice warning after 12 crashes in one hour
9:43am Tuesday 15th January 2013 in News
By Elizabeth Sweetman, @lizsweetmanWN #worcsnews
Ice causes 12 crashes in one hour
UPDATE 3.20pm - The Safer Roads Partnership in Warwickshire and West Mercia is reminding motorists to take extra care on the roads during the current cold spell, as freezing temperatures have caused icy and slippery roads in many areas across the region.
With temperatures plummeting overnight, road conditions in the mornings are becoming hazardous in some areas, with reports of black ice and slippery roads.
Driving in these conditions can be particularly challenging for drivers as vehicle handling changes and stopping times and distances increase.
UPDATE 14.37pm - Gritters will be out tonight following predictions of widespread frost.
Road surface temperatures could drop as low as -7C across the county, and primary then secondary routes will be gritted, starting at 6pm.
Residents are still urged to drive with caution, and never assume it's safe to travel at normal speeds even if they believe roads have been treated with grit.
UPDATE 12.02pm - At 5am this morning, a car left the road on the A443 in Hallow and hit a fence becasue of the icy conditions. No one was injured in the incident.
In another incident, a car skidded as it tried to stop at the cross roads from Grimley. There is a lot of sheet ice and black ice on the road.
A car in Berrow Green on the B4197, south of Martley, hit a telephone pole which then fell into someone's garden. No one was injured.
MOTORISTS across Worcestershire and Herefordshire are being warned to take care due to icy conditions on the roads.
A total of 12 road traffic collisions occurred in Worcestershire between 7.55am and 8.55am today in Worcestershire caused by the icy conditions.
There is a substantial amount of ice on the roads, including black ice.
Between 7am and 8.55am there were 19 RTC's reported across Hereford and Worcester.
West Mercia Police are warning motorists to be aware and drive accordingly to these conditions.
Temperatures in Worcester are set to rise above freezing today, with highs of 2C forecast for this afternoon.
But they are set to fall below freezing tonight, with lows of -2C forecast.
Comments(15)
pinkfluff
says...
12:36pm Tue 15 Jan 13
Smyffie wrote:That's harsh and unfair IMO.
I think you will find the headline wrong again. Ice does not cause crashes, it is the inability of drivers to drive according to the conditions. "12 incompetent drivers crash in icy conditions" may have been more appropriate. At the end of the day if you cannot drive appropriately for the conditions, then please for @&£&'s sake stay off the roads so you do not endanger the lives of anyone who can!
The answer is 42
says...
12:45pm Tue 15 Jan 13
What is worrying is that if there had been a cyclist or a pedestrian in the way these incompetent drivers could have killed someone.
And yes I saw quite a few cyclists out this morning, riding cautiously but sensibly - they know what happens if they slide!
MrWXYZ
says...
12:45pm Tue 15 Jan 13
batchelorboy
says...
1:30pm Tue 15 Jan 13
pinkfluff wrote:I agree with Smyffie. I rode my motorbike to work this morning, didn't fall off or lock up under braking, and couldn't avoid the ice most of my short 10 minute journey to work.
Smyffie wrote:That's harsh and unfair IMO.
I think you will find the headline wrong again. Ice does not cause crashes, it is the inability of drivers to drive according to the conditions. "12 incompetent drivers crash in icy conditions" may have been more appropriate. At the end of the day if you cannot drive appropriately for the conditions, then please for @&£&'s sake stay off the roads so you do not endanger the lives of anyone who can!
The ice was made worse by the poor condition of the roads (Warndon to Whittington roads) causing water to collect in pits and grooves.
More Tea Vicar
says...
2:14pm Tue 15 Jan 13
There is only so much that can ever be done.
The Council seems to do ok on gritting but is pretty crap at keeping the roads in a decent state of repair.
Maybe it's time to do what so many other countries do. Make winter tyres obligatory.
evesham123
says...
8:22pm Tue 15 Jan 13
The Doosra
says...
8:53pm Tue 15 Jan 13
evesham123 wrote:The roads have been properly gritted as far as I can see. The unavoidable conclusion is that most of these accidents are down to driver negligence.
perhaps if the gritters or the council (or whoever is responsible) had done their job adequately then some of these accidents could have been avoided..........
On Monday morning I saw more than one car being driven with snow covering the headlights - these idiots are accidents waiting to happen.
Guy66
says...
9:33pm Tue 15 Jan 13
evesham123 wrote:You just can't assume that because a road has been gritted it will be free of ice either. Drive to the conditions otherwise you're classifying yourself in the idiot section of drivers!
perhaps if the gritters or the council (or whoever is responsible) had done their job adequately then some of these accidents could have been avoided..........
lizzyloolah
says...
11:41pm Tue 15 Jan 13
marillionfan1
says...
11:51am Wed 16 Jan 13
mr_wilson15
says...
1:22pm Wed 16 Jan 13
In fact, how about the council stay awake 24/7 and personally chip all the ice off the roads with their fingernails, so that the incompetent idiots who decide to use the roads can breeze on their merry way at their chosen speed ....
martduke
says...
2:43pm Wed 16 Jan 13
More Tea Vicar
says...
3:05pm Wed 16 Jan 13
evesham123 wrote:Maybe, but they seem to have done a lot, and how much can they be expected to do? Genuine question.
perhaps if the gritters or the council (or whoever is responsible) had done their job adequately then some of these accidents could have been avoided..........
I'd argue that we ought to be introducing winter tyres obligation, as they have in many other countries, during winter.
chapski75
says...
6:49pm Wed 16 Jan 13
martduke wrote:It's probably accidents caused by the time of day. According to the IAM it's safest at 10 to 2 or quarter to 3!
the roads were adequately gritted but nobs still drive thinking that roads are normal.sorry got no sympathy at all.( i,m a (trained advanced driver).like most people today they expect everyone else to make them safe and when they don, t they blame them.what a nanny state we live in
Black ice and sheet ice can catch anyone out. At times it's not safe to drive at even 5 or 10 miles an hour, but you find that out by feeling the car slip beforehand and then slowing down, you can't drive at 5 or 10 miles an hour just in case.
The incidents in the headline are mere fender-benders all said no-one injured. An isolated incident wouldn't have made the paper, and 12 out of all the journeys that happened in that hour is still miniscule. It serves as a warning, as it's too easy to get into the cosseted luxury of a modern car and forget you had to scrape the windscreen before you set out. Also, many modern cars are so easy to drive and isolate you so much from what is happening at the wheels that you don't know things are going wrong. The early warning signs are masked by all the stability control, traction control and other such technical wizardry.
Everyone needs to question whether their journey is essential, if so allow extra time, and it's better to be late to where you're going than to arrive on a recovery truck!
Smyffie says...
10:12am Tue 15 Jan 13
"12 incompetent drivers crash in icy conditions" may have been more appropriate.
At the end of the day if you cannot drive appropriately for the conditions, then please for @&£&'s sake stay off the roads so you do not endanger the lives of anyone who can!