The Role Played by Wheather
The role played by weather and road conditions in accidents
When you drive in bad weather it usually takes longer and can be stressful. Leaving earlier can allow you to reach your destination without worry of running late. If possible, take an alternate route to avoid weather systems that can affect your driving.
You should drive more slowly and carefully than normal while driving in bad weather. This can reduce the possibility of accidents from skidding. When you are driving in rain, snow, sleet etc. it is recommended by experts to double the amount of space between you and the vehicle in front of you. Brake time is much slower in these types of conditions, and you have to allow for more room, in case you must suddenly have to stop.
Pulling over to a safe spot completely off the road is a very smart thing to do when you need to rest and especially when weather conditions make your visibility almost zero. If the weather involves snow or heavy rain conditions, be sure that you are not pulling into a deep snow bank or puddle.
Road worthiness
Inspection programs and strategies vary considerably between Australian states and territories.
Various overseas studies into the effectiveness of inspection programs tend to be inconclusive. Although the effects are small and are usually swamped by other factors, the costs of efficient inspection programs can also be small. This makes benefit cost studies too sensitive.
Pilot studies with roller brake testers in NSW suggest that about 1 in 10 cars has serious service brake faults. Most brake faults are not readily detected by conventional road tests or visual checks. Contaminated brake fluid is also a problem.
Vehicle defects contribute to crashes to a much greater extent than suggested by police statistics. Police investigations tend to assign "blame" but overlook the contribution of defects to crash severity.
In depth studies suggest that vehicle factors, particularly defects, are "causal,
When you drive in bad weather it usually takes longer and can be stressful. Leaving earlier can allow you to reach your destination without worry of running late. If possible, take an alternate route to avoid weather systems that can affect your driving.
You should drive more slowly and carefully than normal while driving in bad weather. This can reduce the possibility of accidents from skidding. When you are driving in rain, snow, sleet etc. it is recommended by experts to double the amount of space between you and the vehicle in front of you. Brake time is much slower in these types of conditions, and you have to allow for more room, in case you must suddenly have to stop.
Pulling over to a safe spot completely off the road is a very smart thing to do when you need to rest and especially when weather conditions make your visibility almost zero. If the weather involves snow or heavy rain conditions, be sure that you are not pulling into a deep snow bank or puddle.
Road worthiness
Inspection programs and strategies vary considerably between Australian states and territories.
Various overseas studies into the effectiveness of inspection programs tend to be inconclusive. Although the effects are small and are usually swamped by other factors, the costs of efficient inspection programs can also be small. This makes benefit cost studies too sensitive.
Pilot studies with roller brake testers in NSW suggest that about 1 in 10 cars has serious service brake faults. Most brake faults are not readily detected by conventional road tests or visual checks. Contaminated brake fluid is also a problem.
Vehicle defects contribute to crashes to a much greater extent than suggested by police statistics. Police investigations tend to assign "blame" but overlook the contribution of defects to crash severity.
In depth studies suggest that vehicle factors, particularly defects, are "causal,