Poor Weather Conditions, High-Speed & Rural Roads

Drivers are more likely to die or be seriously injured on rural roads than urban roads.
Driving in poor weather conditions including heavy rain, bright sun, and fog is extremely dangerous due to reduced visibility and increased distance needed to stop.
Stopping distances need to be increased because the amount of time available to react to hazards is shortened, and the distance needed to stop the car increases.
Vehicles are harder to manoeuvre at high speeds.
The severity of a crash increases as speed increases.

Travelling at 30 mph a driver will travel 16 metres before braking to avoid a hazard (reaction time = 1.2 seconds). It will take him/her 29 metres to stop when the road is dry and 39 metres when the road is wet.
Travelling at 60 mph a driver will travel 32 metres before braking to avoid a hazard (reaction time = 1.2 seconds). It will take him/her 85 metres to stop when the road is dry and 124 metres when the road is wet.

Suggestions to reduce the risks…

Discuss with your newly qualified driver the increased crash risk posed when driving in poor weather conditions, high speed roads, and rural roads.
Encourage your newly qualified driver to slow down when it is wet, take extra care on rural roads, and to drive based on the conditions.
Discuss the above graph so that your newly qualified driver understands how stopping distance increases with travel speed.

Next: Driving When Tired or Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs…