‘Only travel if essential’ advise police following increased number of collisions
We are advising the public to only travel if essential after the police received more than 100 reports of road-related incidents in five hours.
A total of 53 road traffic collisions were reported to police between 6-11pm yesterday evening (Monday 16 January), with the majority being a result of the freezing weather resulting in dangerous driving conditions. Seven of these incidents were reported to have resulted in injuries, however, they are not thought to be serious.
A further 67 calls were received for other road-related incidents.
Avon and Somerset has seen a large amount of rainfall over the past few weeks and dropping temperatures has resulted in roads across the force area becoming icy.
Supt Mark Runacres said: “We are advising the public to only travel where absolutely essential due to the treacherous driving conditions. If travel is necessary, we ask the public to take extreme caution and allow additional time to travel.
“We have seen a significantly higher number of road-related collisions and incidents in the past 12 hours, which has increased the demand on police resources.
“We are working with local authorities and National Highways to ensure roads are properly gritted ahead of the rush hour traffic to improve driving conditions.”
If you do need to travel, we advise drivers to consider the following:
- Do you have enough fuel to reach your destination if there are long travel delays?
- Have you checked your oil, coolant and screen wash?
- Have you checked your tyre tread depth and air pressure?
- Are you wiper blades able to keep your windscreen clear?
- Are all of your lights and indicators working (including your fog light)?
For additional advice on how to prepare for winter weather conditions, visit the Met Office website.
If you are travelling, you may wish to pack a winter car kit. Here are some key things to include:
- Warm clothes and blankets
- High-visibility clothing
- An in-car phone charger
- Ice scraper and de-icer spray
- Jump leads (for a flat or dead battery)
- Food and drink
For more advice on packing a winter car kit, click here.