Chapter VI – Preventive conduct in spring, summer, autumn or winter

Preventive conduct in spring

The risk factors that influence the behaviour of the motor vehicle in motion are:

• the condition of the carriageway;
• the climatic conditions;
• the congestion.

Measures of preventive conduct in spring:

• after coming out of winter the carriageway may be degraded, it presents cracks and potholes;
• at the beginning of spring the meteorological phenomena that reduce visibility, fog and snowfall, are present;
• once the weather starts to warm up, the snow melts covering the carriageway with black ice or ice;
• the road markings may be partially or totally erased, this can affect the lane positioning of drivers;
• the flow of cars is much higher, therefore stress and fatigue increase.

Preventive conduct in summer

The risk factors that influence the behaviour of the motor vehicle in motion are:

• very high temperatures;
• torrential rains accompanied by lightning occur;
• the traffic is congested.

Measures of preventive conduct in summer:

• the speed of travel must be adapted according to the road and the traffic;
• make sure you have a good physical and mental condition before setting off because due to the high temperatures fatigue sets in very quickly;
• attention must be increased because children are on holiday and can play on the carriageway or near it;
• the traffic is more diversified, cyclists, mopeds, carts, etc. appear.

Preventive conduct in autumn

The risk factors that influence the behaviour of the motor vehicle in motion are:

• the congestion of traffic;
• the weather conditions;
• the physical and mental condition.

Measures of preventive conduct in autumn:

• attention must be increased because the traffic is congested, all types of machinery and agricultural machines are encountered in traffic;
• adapting the speed to the weather conditions, the visibility conditions and the road conditions. The weather gets colder, rains and fog appear and the day becomes shorter;
• the change of weather from warm to cold can affect the physical and mental condition. Some people are more sensitive than others to weather changes, such as pressure, humidity and temperature. Pains can worsen, especially rheumatic ones (70% of people who have joint problems say that the pain is greater when the weather gets colder). Effects on the psyche are: increased irritability, fatigue, lack of concentration and insomnia.

Preventive conduct in winter

The risk factors that influence the behaviour of the motor vehicle in motion are:

• the weather conditions;
• the condition of the carriageway;
• the motor vehicle skids or slips.

Measures of preventive conduct in winter:

• the speed of travel must be adapted to the weather conditions, heavy snowfalls that can be accompanied by strong winds appear;
• before setting off the driver must inform himself about the weather conditions on the roads that are to be travelled;
• the roads are covered with snow and ice, which directly influences the braking distance. It is recommended to increase the distance from the motor vehicle that is travelling in front of you thus being able to avoid possible unforeseen situations. Due to the condition of the carriageway the motor vehicle can skid or slip and in order to avoid this the car must be equipped with anti-skid chains.
• attention must be increased, due to the heavy fallen snow the carriageway becomes narrower. Pedestrians also use the carriageway and due to the blizzard and the danger of slipping they walk with their heads down no longer being very attentive around them.