With heavy snow forecast for parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight this evening (Wednesday, December 1), Hampshire Constabulary, local authorities and emergency services partners are working together to help keep people safe.
The snow, forecast for the north east and south east of Hampshire, and parts of the Isle of Wight, is expected to arrive after 9pm and could last until after the morning rush hour.
The message to the public is clear – don’t go out unless you really have to, stay tuned to local radio and, if you do have to drive, follow these tips to stay safe:
- Prepare yourself for your journey – first ask if your journey is really necessary. If it is, pack warm clothes, food, hot drinks, a fully charged mobile phone and a shovel. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
- Prepare your vehicle for your journey – make sure your vehicle is well maintained, clear of snow and ice and that your tyres are at the correct pressure.
- Drive safely – keep your distance, avoid hard braking or acceleration and steer gently. If you skid, ease off the accelerator, and try and avoid braking hard.
Abandoning your vehicle if the snow is extremely bad should be a last resort. The police have a duty to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles and gritters to get through and you may also put yourself at risk if exposed to the cold. Stay with your vehicle and ring 101 for assistance. If advised to leave your vehicle, leave a telephone number visible so that you can be contacted to come and remove it. (Note that on the Isle of Wight there are no free Highways Agency recovery services as the island does not contain any strategic routes.)
Hampshire County Council’s salting vehicles set out to treat the high priority routes in Hampshire at 6pm and are likely to go out again overnight. Community routes will be treated at 6am in time for the morning traffic.
Salting lorries work on a priority schedule which ensures the busiest roads are routinely treated first. These ‘Priority one’ routes carry 85% of the total traffic in Hampshire and include A roads, major bus routes, and roads to major emergency services. During periods of prolonged severe weather, ‘Priority two’ routes are treated, and Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet have agreed proposals to add nine new ‘community routes’ to these to ensure smaller schools, GPs surgeries and areas of community activity are covered. Over 1300 new salt bins are being delivered and immediately filled at the request of parish councils and community groups. These will ensure that people will be able to help their own communities in times of severe weather.
You can check which roads are on which priority routes using a map or postcode at: www.hants.gov.uk/roads/winter-maintenance
For up to date information on salting and school closures, see www.hants.gov.uk or follow @Hantsconnect on Twitter.
For more safe driving information and adverse weather updates, see our Safer Roads pages, follow @Hantspolice on Twitter or search Hampshire Constabulary on Facebook.
For specific Isle of Wight information, see www.iwight.com
