Weather and travel update from the RAC - 1 February 2019

RAC chief operations director James Knight said: “Our teams continue to work flat out to reach drivers in some challenging conditions and today we expect our patrols to attend seven breakdowns a minute on average – totalling around 10,000 by the end of today, with this being a significant increase on yesterday. The worst affected areas so far are the West Country and Wales, with amber weather warnings now covering areas north and west of London.

“Any driver setting out today should ensure their vehicle is fully clear of snow, and be ready to adjust their driving style. Driving in snow calls for a calm driving manner, so be light on the accelerator and brakes and try and change up gears early to reduce the chances of skidding. If driving is not absolutely essential – or if you are not confident driving in the conditions – we recommend you consider delaying or postponing your journey until the situation improves.

“And a top tip from our roadside patrols for anyone using a car today – once your windscreen is demisted, adjust your car settings so that the heat is instead directed towards your feet. Road salt and muck tend to stick to an overly-warm windscreen much more easily than a cool one, meaning you have to use your windscreen wipers a lot more.”

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The RAC Media Centre provides journalists and news outlets with the latest motoring-related news, comment, data and research.

The RAC is an iconic UK brand, and provides complete peace of mind to 15 million UK private and business drivers - whatever their motoring needs. As well as its premium nationwide breakdown assistance service – with an expert branded patrol workforce attending more than two million breakdowns every year – and European breakdown assistance products, it offers a wide range of market-leading products across insurance, legal services, vehicle inspections and service, maintenance and repair. Included in this is the first-of-its-kind nationwide Mobile Mechanics service which brings the garage to homes and workplaces. 

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