- 4,644 reported accidents were caused by slippery roads in 2020, latest Government figures reveal
- Other winter conditions, including vision affected by sleet, snow and snow also caused more than 1,300 reported accidents
- A skid pan experience with TrackDays.co.uk provides the opportunity to hone driving skills
Latest Government figures reveal that slippery roads were one of the biggest causes of reported accidents on British roads in 2020.
Yet driving experience provider, TrackDays.co.uk, which also provides driver training, claim more could be done to combat this issue, including skid pan experiences, where drivers can learn how to recover a skidding car.
The just released statistics from the Department for Transport (DfT) reveals that 4,644 reported accidents were caused by slippery roads due to the weather in 2020. Soberingly, over the same time period, rain, sleet, snow, or fog was also to blame for 1,330 reported accidents when it affected the driver’s visibility.
Dan Jones, operations manager at TrackDays.co.uk commented: “Because skid control is not a natural skill to have and a relatively uncommon occurrence, many drivers panic when going into a skid.
“But one way to prepare for the challenging driving conditions as the weather takes a turn for the worse is by honing your skills on a skid pan driving experience, where expert instructors teach drivers how to recover a car from a skid in a safe and controlled environment.
“And even though skid control is a valuable skill to pick up, which could potentially help save lives on the UK roads, our instructors make our skid pan experiences an enjoyable experience not to be missed. “
Despite skid pan driving experiences being a useful way to improve driver training, TrackDays.co.uk also acknowledge more needs to be done to improve education in this area.
Dan added: “In some colder countries, skid control is a central part of driver training. So, given the DfT’s latest statistics, and predictions that harsher winters could become the norm in the UK, perhaps the Government should consider making it compulsory for UK learner drivers too.”
For more information about TrackDays, which also offers a huge variety of driving experiences, as well as skid pan lessons, visit www.trackdays.co.uk