CHESHIRE Fire and Rescue Service is continuing to promote the gift of life for their ongoing Christmas Safety campaign.
This week firefighters are urging road users to drive carefully over the festive period and beyond, and the Service is giving five people the opportunity to win a winter driving pack.
Throughout the first half of December crews will be visiting businesses and colleges across the county. They’ll talk to drivers about the importance of making sure they are fully prepared for driving in all weather conditions and to stress the importance of not drinking and driving.
The Service’s road safety officer, Peter Shields, explained: “I’m hoping that people will take the time to follow our advice on how to prepare for winter and also heed our advice on drink driving.
“We want to get the message across to residents that one death on our roads is one too many. All too often we attend road traffic collisions which have life changing impacts on families.
“We want people to seriously re-think their drinking behaviours, particularly over the festive period, and keep themselves, their families and others safe. The realmessage is if you are driving ‘Don’t Drink!'”
To help drivers be prepared for the winter weather, the Service is giving away winter driving packs to five lucky winners. To enter the competition, just visit the website at www.cheshirefire.gov.uk , go to the ‘Christmas – if you are driving don’t drink!’ page and answer a simple question. Winners will be randomly selected from correct entries on Friday 19th December at 12 noon, so get entries in before then!
Peter added: “”It’s so important to be prepared in case bad weather strikes. Engaging with drivers across Cheshire to advise them on safer driving in wintery conditions is an important part of our road safety campaigning and our drive to cut road traffic collisions and incidents.”
Winter driving safety advice:
- Lights – see and be seen. Keep your indicators and headlamps clean and working and carry spare bulbs in the glove box
- Fuel – stay out the red! A serious traffic jam can easily finish off a near empty tank. Not nice at any time of the year, but potentially deadly in the snow
- Windscreen wipers – make sure they’re in working order, your windows are clean and your washer bottle is filled with screen wash
- Tyres – check the condition, pressure and depth of your tyres (including the spare). Check tyre tread depth regularly to reduce the risk of aquaplaning
- Brakes – make sure they are working well
- Fluids – are topped up to the correct level, including oil, anti-freeze and water
- Emergency kit – put one in your car just in case you get stranded. Include things such as a phone, medication, a torch, food, extra clothes and blankets
- Winter sun – the sun can be dangerous in winter too. Be careful of dazzling rays when you are driving
Preparing yourself:
- Plan your journey before you set off and allow yourself extra time
- Check weather reports. Don’t make unnecessary journeys if there are severe weather warnings in place
- Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to get there
- Drive carefully and take account of the weather conditions. Leave a greater distance between you and the car in front – remember, it may take up to 10 times longer to stop in some conditions
