Winter has well and truly arrived in the UK this week, and with snow and ice incoming, the latest figures released by the AA suggest that caravanners may wish to take extra care if they’re taking their tourer away for a festive break.
The new Populus poll commissioned by the AA shows that more than one-third of drivers could be caught out by heavy snow this year, with 38 per cent having made no preparations for winter driving conditions.
This is an improvement on last year however, when 42 per cent confessed to having taken no action to get ready for winter driving.
The poll found that the number of people who have invested in measures including winter tyres, snow chains, shovels and blankets, has risen across the board, offering a degree of reassurance for caravan owners hitching up and heading out during winter.
Following the Arctic conditions of the last two years, the number of drivers buying snowchains or snow socks has quadrupled, while the number of drivers fitting their vehicles with all-season tyres has almost doubled from four per cent to seven per cent.
Offering drivers reassurance, Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, said: “We know that highway authorities are starting this winter with significantly better grit stocks than the two previous winters and there are also reserve supplies should this winter turn unpleasant.
“Drivers too are doing their bit and have clearly learnt that being prepared is key – not only by putting winter essentials in the car but also making sure their vehicle is in good mechanical order.”
Drivers are also more optimistic about driving conditions this year, the poll revealed, with 39 per cent believing gritting will improve this year and 50 per cent expecting it to remain about the same.
This appears to be in good faith, as the AA revealed that highway authorities are coming into the winter season with far greater stocks of grit than in either of the last two winters.
