Accident Avenue

By Will Thomas, head of motor at Confused.com

Winter is the most dangerous time to be on the roads and the recent heavy snow and bad weather has only added to the risks – just taking your car a few metres down your street could result in an accident.

At Confused.com we see daily the difference a few claims on your driving record can make to the cost of your insurance premiums. Did you know just two accidents could double your premium? And when you consider the average premium in 2009 was around £400*, that’s a lot of money to lose. We want to raise awareness of the importance of taking care on the roads as much as we want to keep your motor insurance costs down; let’s face it, there are far better things to spend your money on.

So, we delved into our huge database of Confused.com facts and figures and identified Somerville Road in Worcester as having generated one of the highest numbers of accident claims in the UK. And we decided to help protect the poor old residents of Somerville Road by bubble wrapping the entire street. Everything from the garden fences, to the cars, post-boxes and even the garden gnomes got covered.

Check out how we bubble wrapped Accident Avenue

It would have been great fun to do this for every street in the UK, but sadly we ran out of bubble wrap. So here are some safe winter driving tips for the rest of you not protected by plastic’s answer to cotton wool.

Safe Driving Tips

You’ve sorted the car , now it’s time to sort yourself. Winter driving requires a lot more concentration and skill than it does when the weather’s fine. Here are a few tips.

• Check the weather – if it’s very bad and hazardous don’t go unless you absolutely have to.
• Be more aware: Visibility is poorer during the winter, so really keep those eyes peeled for traffic, pedestrians and other hazards. Also, help others by keeping your lights on in poor conditions – though dip, don’t dazzle.
• Avoid braking sharply – a real danger on icy roads. It’s far better to accelerate and break gently during the winter. Never speed, and reduce speed in bad conditions. Also, keep your distance as stopping distances are much longer when it’s wet or icy because the car has less grip.
• General safe driving tips: Take corners at lower speeds, apply the brake gently and for longer when decelerating, and should you skid, steer into it. In flood conditions, take puddles slowly and avoid altogether if unsure of the depth. After driving through water, dry out your brakes by gently applying them at low speed as you drive away from the flood.

Finally, make sure your car is protected with adequate car insurance in case of damage, and if you’re worried about what to do if you get stuck or breakdown in adverse weather conditions, check out Confused.com’s winter breakdown tips.

Winter Car Equipment

Here’s a list of essentials to keep in your car in case of emergency.

• Mobile phone charger
• Blanket, warm clothes, gloves and boots, in case of breakdown
• Torch
• Basic tool kit
• First-aid kit
• Car jack and wheel brace
• Jump leads
• If snow’s likely, take a small shovel to help dig your car out
• Map or SatNav
• Ice-scraper
• Anti-freeze
• Sunglasses – this may seem an odd one, but a low, winter sun can be blinding

*average price of motor insurance premium purchased through Confused.com in 2009.