Tasmanians are being reminded to consider the weather when getting behind the wheel.
The call follows two crashes in the central region this week.
Emergency services responded to a crash at Arthurs Lake and another at Miena, with early investigations indicating icy road conditions contributed to both crashes.
A police spokesperson says winter often brings adverse road conditions such as ice, rain and snow, which make road surfaces slippery, and it’s imperative motorists drive to the conditions to prevent crashes.
Tasmania Police have released a list of safety precautions that can be taken while driving in bad weather, including:
-
Drive to the conditions which means reducing speed to allow plenty of time to stop safely.
-
Be aware the roads can become slippery from rain, hail, ice and snow.
-
Leave plenty of space between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead – four seconds at least in poor conditions.
-
Increasing your reactionary gap to the vehicle in front increases your safety.
-
Don’t allow distractions (i.e. mobile phones) to affect your judgement and reaction times.
-
Pay attention to road warning signs about hazardous conditions.
-
Drive with headlights on when visibility is poor.
-
Ensure tyres are in good condition and are correctly inflated.
-
Ensure windscreen is free of ice, clean and the demister is working as it should.
-
Ensure wiper blades work and are in good condition.
