Get ready for winter the nights are drawing in

The clocks have now turned back and historically our driving conditions can be tougher as driving in the winter is very different than during other times of the year.  Adverse weather and longer periods of darkness  4 pm now!! makes driving more hazardous. Sometimes conditions can be extreme, as we have found out over recent winters, with prolonged periods of heavy rain and floods.

This means that we need to adapt the way we drive, and be one step ahead of the weather.

Different weather conditions create different hazards throughout the Winter and in different areas of the country at different times.  A single journey may take us into very different weather, road and traffic conditions, so we need to be prepared for each one.

The following tips may help you cope better with the various seasonal weather hazards. However, as we all know, many of these conditions can occur at any time of year:

Prepare yourself

•  Know your route, know your hot spots, know your hazards
• If raining, increase the gap 'leave yourself an out' slow down
• If foggy, do not tailgate and ensure lights are fully working
• If there are extreme strong winds, use  caution if buses are sent out, Canvey  winds from the Estuary can be noturious alongside Mersea island
• In low sunshine, make sure that your blind is in the correct position

• Beware of black ice, It’s nearly impossible to see this crystal-clear glaze, but you can spot it when your headlights reflect off the road at night. where the sun can't hit it  so you should slow down and report any spots to your supervisor who could alert others.

If I was going to summon up one message it would be "LEAVE AN OUT"  action this and you will keep yourself, your colleagues and your customers safe.