Return of winter: Road safety measures
Return of winter: Road safety measures
Road safety measures are always to be kept in mind regardless of the season of the year, but with the arrival of the winter season, special attention must be paid to the road, since the weather conditions could represent a danger.
Snow, rain, fog and late afternoon darkness play an important role. Every year, the state implements measures to facilitate transit on the roads:
- Road maintenance personnel clear the roads of snow.
- Approximately one million tons of salt are poured on the roads to prevent ice formation, as well as to melt the snow.
Authorities may also choose to temporarily close roads and create alternate routes if weather conditions are not optimal.
At the same time, drivers should also be vigilant when using the roads:
- Check the weather before driving.
- Make sure the roads are clear or ask about alternate routes.
- Check your tires before going out: a service at the mechanic's is recommended before cold weather.
- Stay alert for black ice. Ice detection is sometimes difficult, especially in the countryside where it is very present in winter.
- Be careful with driving speed in wet weather, tire adhesion will be significantly reduced on wet pavement.
- In case of fog, it is strongly advised to drive slower: 50 km/h maximum, due to the reduced visibility.
Road users must therefore be vigilant. However, our roads must also be properly equipped in case of a road user leaving the road due to ice for example. In the mountains, roads and footpaths must be accessible and safe.
SOLOSAR has supplied a timber clad crash barriers with a handrail for safe access to mountain chalets. The SOLOWOOD range has two major assets: the solidity of galvanized steel combined with the aestheticism of wood. The SOLOWOOD range integrates perfectly into any landscape and is successfully tested according to EN 1317-2 (vehicle launched at 110 km/h, weighing 1.5 tons and impacting the rail at an angle of 20°).
Cyrielle MULLER & Jorge MORALES - 05 11 2020