Traffic

I have been in the traffic business for many years now, enough time to notice traffic trends. I have to say that every January the traffic trend is a pretty nasty one and this month is no exception.

January 2010 was insane on the roads and subsequently here in the traffic centre. The winter wasn’t all that bad really but through the month of January the number of collisions we had was very high.

It would seem that so far, this January is a repeat. Yes, the weather has been a bit worse but that can’t be the only reason we have had so many accidents.  Other factors have got to be at play as well.

One thing I didn’t know for many years as a driver is that stopping distances are greater when the weather is cold.  Even if your vehicle is boasting a set of really good snow tires you are still susceptible to greater stopping distances when the temperatures dip. So it is really important to stay further back if you can, and watch your speed.

Something else that could cause problems for you is a dirty windshield. It is very hard to keep cars clean this time of year, never mind the windows. But you need to make the effort so that you have good visibility behind the wheel. When the sun hits a dirty windshield it is sometimes impossible to see.

Of course we also have the potential to run into any combination of winter driving conditions, be it snow or ice or freezing rain.  That’s why we have to be extra vigilant this time of year and really try to concentrate and be prepared for driving conditions to deteriorate at a moments notice.

So try and increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front, make sure you keep your car windows clean, listen to the weather forecasts so that you are aware of any impending weather patterns that could affect your drive, and watch your speed.  All of these factors could go a long way in helping you have a trouble free drive throughout the winter months.