WITH the onset of the wintry weather recently, some of my early-morning journeys to work have been interesting to say the least.
I have seen a van towing a small trailer fishtailing along out of control ahead of me as I turned off a gritted road into an ungritted one.
At the same time I realised there was a lack of friction between my own car tyres and the road surface and wished I had winter tyres fitted, or had taken another route along main roads.
Another morning, at a sharp bend, I came across a number of different vehicles all in the ditch at the roadside at various angles, again because of the ice.
Fortunately no one was hurt but there was a lot of pending paperwork and recoveries for the drivers to sort out, and a fair bit of disruption to their plans.
Sometimes it pays to leave home earlier and take the busier main road which has been gritted; and always clear all your windows properly before you start your journey.
It is difficult to see ice on the road at times but if you suspect it is icy then do everything more carefully than normal.
Slow down, steer gently and avoid heavy or sudden braking.
It is generally only the main roads and bus routes that are gritted on a regular basis, and even they can still have ice in the really low temperatures.
December is generally a time of year when everyone is rushing around to get everything done, and over the past few years the weather has hindered speedy journeys.
It is also the time of year we are out and about on the Christmas drink-drive campaign, checking drivers at all times of day and night.
This year we are increasing the number of early-morning checks to ensure those who have had a heavy night of drinking do not wake up and assume they are OK to drive.
If you drink four pints of beer in the evening, it's possible you won't be alcohol-free until the following lunchtime.
After three 250ml glasses of wine, you should not drive for at least 13 hours. If in doubt, leave your car at home.
Above all, have a very happy and safe Christmas and "Drive Smart".
PC Moira Cocks, casualty reduction officer for Tandridge
