IAM Sheds Winter Blues with Red Hot Campaign to Keep Drivers Safe
(PRWEB UK) 14 October 2014 -- The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is warning riders and drivers to be extra vigilant on the road this winter through its national winter campaign, wheels in winter.
Existing research from the Department for Transport in 2013 shows winter is a dangerous time of year for motorists, with a reported 57,260 cars across England and Wales involved in accidents as a result of wet, flooded and icy roads.
Motorcyclists are also being warned about the severe weather, as over 5,000 reported motorcycle accidents took place in the same year across the country as a result of wet, flooded and icy roads too. Skidding alone, caused by rain, sleet and snow resulted in an 11,614 major road accidents occurring – putting both riders and drivers safety at risk (reference 1).
The top five regions in which accidents have occurred as a result of rain, floods, ice and snow in 2013 are (reference 2):
• South East reported 6,675 accidents, of which 3,566 were serious
• London reported 4,485 accidents, of which 2,112 were serious
• North West reported 4,436 accidents, of which 2,347 were serious
• East of England reported 4,382 accidents, of which 1,936 were serious
• South West reported 3,413 accidents, of which 1,625 were serious
Wheels in winter will be dedicated to addressing these concerns; helping motorists better prepare for the weather. Through weekly advice, reactive weather forecast updates and social media activation, the IAM winter campaign will aim to increase rider and driver consideration and reduce the number of winter weather related fatalities.
IAM chief executive Nick Stonard said: “Driving in winter requires much more care and preparation. The wheels in winter campaign is part of a national effort to cut the number of road traffic collisions and incidents.”
1. Department for Transport statistics for reported road casualties across England and Wales in 2013
2. Department for Transport statistics for reported road casualties in different weather conditions across England and Wales in 2013
3. The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving and motorcycling. The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. The IAM has more than 200 local volunteer groups and over 100,000 members in the UK and Ireland. It is best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving and motorcycling courses. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.
Media contacts:
IAM Press Office – 020 8996 9777
press(dot)office(at)iam(dot)org(dot)uk
ISDN broadcast lines available
iam.org.uk
Kiran Devgun, Institute of Advanced Motorists, +44 2089969777, [email protected]
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