Skip to main content

UK’s Institute of Advanced Motorists launches Wheels in Winter road driving campaign

European skiers may be praying for snow but city dwellers and highway users likely want the white stuff at bay for as long as possible. To help drivers be ready for the inevitable snow, the UK’s Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has launched its national winter campaign Wheels in Winter well ahead of 21 December, the official first day of winter. London’s winters can be milder than for many other major northern European cities, such as Paris, Warsaw and Berlin. But the UK capital’s rainy weather with t
October 14, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
European skiers may be praying for snow but city dwellers and highway users likely want the white stuff at bay for as long as possible. To help drivers be ready for the inevitable snow, the UK’s 5125 Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has launched its national winter campaign Wheels in Winter well ahead of 21 December, the official first day of winter.

London’s winters can be milder than for many other major northern European cities, such as Paris, Warsaw and Berlin. But the UK capital’s rainy weather with temperatures hovering just above freezing means a drop of only 3°C can result in dangerously icy roads, warns IAM, an independent road safety charity.

The UK’s 5432 Department for Transport reported 57,260 cars across England and Wales were involved in accidents as a result of wet, flooded and icy roads in 2013.

Skidding alone resulted in 11,614 major road accidents. Also in the same year, more than 5,000 motorcycle accidents took place.

South East England – the area with the mildest temperatures -- reported 6,675 accidents, the highest for any area in England and Wales.

“The Wheels in Winter campaign is part of a national effort to cut the number of road traffic collisions and incidents,” said IAM chief executive Nick Stonard.

IAM will be issuing weekly advice, reactive weather forecast updates and social media notices to keep safe driving in the minds of road users.

IAM’s commercial division operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The road to climate change mitigation starts at Highways UK
    February 17, 2020
    David Arminas explored climate change innovation on display at Highways UK in Birmingham, England
  • Thailand’s dangerous roads prove risky for users
    January 4, 2016
    Late December and early January has proven to be a dangerous time to use the roads in Thailand. Official data shows that there were 3,092 road crashes, causing 3,216 injuries and 340 deaths in the period between the 29th December 2015 and the 3rd January 2016. The death toll was the highest in Nakhon Ratchasima at 15, while the number of injuries and accidents were the highest in Chiang Mai, both at 125. A total of 339 crashes occurred nationwide on 3 January 2016 with 361 injuries and 48 deaths. Among the
  • Ford develops drug driving simulator
    November 20, 2015
    Ford has developed a special suit that simulates the effects of being under the influence of drugs for a driver. The novel Drug Driving Suit is intended to show drivers the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin Research shows that drivers are up to 30 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash after taking illegal drugs; the suit simulates effects that can include slowed reaction, distorted vision, and hand tremors.
  • UK figures for 2012 show drop in fatalities
    September 26, 2013
    Provisional figures available from the UK’s Department for Transport reveal a drop in road fatalities in 2012 compared with the previous year. There were 1,754 fatalities in 2012, an 8% drop from 2011 according to the DfT information. In all 195,723 were killed or injured on UK roads in 2012, a drop of 4% from 2011 while 23,039 were seriously injured a drop of 0.4%. Vehicle traffic levels fell just 0.4% for 2012 compared with 2011 however. The number of pedestrian deaths, as well as motorcyclist and car occ