Not just white lines

Of course, white road markings are only effective if you can see them and, in a comment issued before the RSMA report came out, Matthew Mycock, MD of Autoglass, referred to forthcoming DfT statistics that are predicted to show that over 1,000 more road accidents are reported in November compared to the average month, with November 19th being the worst day.

Mycock said that darker nights and deteriorating weather conditions are to blame and he urged motorists to carry out simple vehicle maintenance to improve safety. These include checking the battery and tyre pressures (why not fit winter tyres?) and, not surprisingly for the MD of Autoglass, windscreen care.

Said Mycock: “It’s a little known fact, but the windscreen provides up to 30 per cent of a car’s structural strength and is critical in supporting airbag deployment. Drivers should consider checking their windscreen an essential part of their safety routine.” He also recommends using a good screen scraper to remove ice, not credit cards or CD cases which can cause scratches, leading to poor visibility in bad weather.

If you follow these tips – and don’t drive off before your windscreen has demisted, then you will be able to clearly see road signs and road markings – always assuming the latter are there, of course.