Road Safety - Crime Prevention - Surrey Police

DriveSMART

Drive SMART is an initiative between Surrey County Council and Surrey Police which aims to tackle anti-social driving to reduce road casualties and make the county's roads safer and less stressful for everyone. Visit the DriveSMART web site for up to date news and campaigns.

Accidents

If you have an accident, what are you required to do by law?

When damage has been caused - to another vehicle, property, person or animal - you must stop and give your name, address and registration number to the other person(s) involved. In the case of injury, you will have to show your insurance certificate.

However, if you are unable to produce any of the above documents, or there is no one else around to whom you can give the relevant information, then you must report the accident to a police station or officer as soon as possible, within 24 hours of the incident.

If there is another driver involved in the accident and they fail to stop, write down their registration number and report it to the police.

If the accident is serious, do not attempt to move any of the vehicles. The positions might well be important to any ensuing investigations.

Adverse Weather Driving

In adverse weather, of any description, speed is the crucial factor and should be reduced below that used in fine weather conditions.

Increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front, and keep a keener lookout for other road users in case they suddenly run into difficulties. Remember the benefit of listening to the weather forecast, both before and during your journey.

Rain - Rain causes reduced visibility, particularly when there is spray from vehicles. Use dipped headlights early in order to be seen. Slow down and watch for pools of water. Hitting these at speed can cause even experienced drivers to lose control. Stopping distances are considerably greater on wet roads so allow a greater distance between you and the vehicle in front.

Ice - In icy conditions it is essential that you remain in control. Make all manoeuvres slower than normal and avoid harsh, violent movements. Keep in a high gear, and avoid braking too fast. Remember that ice will remain for longer periods in shaded areas. With bridges, remember that ice can form and linger due to cold air flowing underneath it.

Snow - Getting caught in severe snow conditions can be perilous, so if you can avoid making the journey, do so. However, if you need to drive in snowy or icy conditions heed the advice below:

• Check the weather forecast and road conditions before you travel (see useful contacts below)
• Allow time to prepare your car for the journey. Make sure you can see clearly before setting off, de-ice your windows and remove snow from the windows and from the roof of your vehicle to avoid snow slipping onto your windscreen
• Make sure you have enough fuel for your journey and carry warm waterproof clothing, a blanket, spade, food, water, a charged mobile phone and a torch in your vehicle in case you break down or get stuck
• Select second gear to pull away, easing your foot off the clutch gently to avoid wheel spin. If your car has an automatic gearbox, it may have a special button for snow and icy conditions – check your handbook to make sure
• Poor weather conditions mean it can be harder for drivers to see and it takes longer to stop, so slow down, use dipped headlights and keep well back from the car in front
• Always apply the brakes gently, and release them and de-clutch if the car skids
• When driving downhill, choose a lower gear to reduce the need to use your brakes, and therefore reducing your chances of skidding
• If your vehicle gets stuck, straighten the steering wheel and clear the snow from the wheels. Put a sack or old rug in front of the driving wheels to give the tyres some grip. Once on the move again, try not to stop until you reach firmer ground


Keep your vehicle in good working order at all times and in particular make sure brakes and lights work and fluid levels are topped up.

Keep up-to-date on the road and weather conditions: For the latest weather updates, visit the Met Office website and to find out what's happening on the roads, visit the Highways Agency website.

Follow @SurreyTravel on Twitter for an overview of travel in the county

Fog - In winter, fog is commonly found along with icy roads. Speed should be kept to a minimum and dipped headlights used. Rear fog lights should be also be used if visibility falls below 100m, but if there are vehicles directly behind you, please turn them off. Mist causes similar problems to fog, and mist will form on low ground near water.

Sun - Winter sun is an underestimated hazard. The sun sits low in the sky and has a severe dazzling effect on drivers. Early morning and late evening sun can also have the same effect. Try to keep you windscreen clear and clean at all times, and keep your windscreen wash bottle full. Remember that wearing sunglasses can be beneficial in these conditions.

Drink Driving

Thankfully, there is an ever-increasing number of drivers who have realised just how anti-social and dangerous drinking and driving is. The number of deaths and injuries as a result has dropped in the last decade. Having said that, they are still too high, and there can be no room for complacency.

Even the smallest amount of alcohol can affect a driver's skills without them realising: awareness will decrease, reactions will slow. Limits have been set as to how much a driver can drink lawfully, but everyone is different. As a result, the whole thing can turn into a lethal guessing game, and human life is worth much more than a game.

The truth is, even if you are below the legal limit you can still be prosecuted if a police officer considers your driving has been affected by alcohol.

The are so many variables that the best drinks limit to stick to is "None at all." It just isn't worth it.

What can you do?

Don't listen to peer pressure - Often people will try and push you into having "one for the road" or "a proper drink". Remember, they're not the ones driving, or the ones having to face the consequences should you be involved in an incident whilst over the limit.

Nominate a driver - If you're in a group, agree before any alcohol has been drunk.

Give your keys to someone you can trust - It's easy to think you're perfectly able to drive safely when you're not. Remove the temptation before it's there.

Take a taxi or public transport - Remove the question of driving from the equation. And remember, a taxi can cost as little as one round of drinks.

How much time before you can drive again?

There is a good rule of thumb: "Allow 12 hours between bottle and throttle" - and this includes a good sleep. But even this isn't an exact science. Give it longer if possible.

GATSO Red Light Sites & GATSO Speed Sites

Surrey County Council, Surrey Police, Her Majesty's Courts Service and the Highways Agency have joined together to create the Surrey Safety Camera Partnership.

A list of safety camera sites can be downloaded from the Surrey Safety Camera Partnership website. Alongside the visible safety camera partnership enforcement, the police will continue to carry out speed enforcement at sites of local concern. This enforcement is a police matter, separate from partnerships' safety camera activity.

Transparency and openness are key objectives of the Partnership. All camera routes are clearly signed and cameras and mobile vehicles are highly visible. Activity and progress of the Partnership will be reported regularly to the public.

Speed

It is quite often quoted that travelling at speed in itself is not that dangerous. This is true provided the vehicle in question is travelling across a vast expanse of desert wasteland, with no people, vehicles or hazards around.

In the real world, travelling too fast is accepted as the main contributory cause of collisions. The reason for this is that, on our roads, we have such a diverse group of users: cars, lorries, tractors, bikes, cyclists, horses, and so on. All of these have their own limitations. By forgetting this fact you might be reminded in a way you'd rather not.

Travelling in the cocoon of your own vehicle - with their luxurious interiors and increasingly sophisticated engines as the years go by - it's also easy to lose track of the sense of speed, and how much distance there is needed to slow down, let alone stop.

A speed of 40mph might not seem very much when sitting behind the wheel, but it will take 36m/120ft to come to a standstill. For a pedestrian standing half that distance in front of you, this is not good news. Always keep your stopping distances in mind.