Something to bear in mind.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has reminded drivers to be especially careful between now and the weekend, as the risk of hail and sleet threatens to make for unsafe driving conditions.

In a statement issued yesterday, the organisation said: “The difficulty with hail showers is their unpredictability and localised nature.  As a hail shower tracks across the country it deposits a narrow band of ball bearing sized hailstones on the ground.

“Where the track of a shower crosses a road, drivers may suddenly pass from perfectly good road conditions onto a carpet of hailstones. This has the potential to catch drivers out if they do not immediately react to the hazardous driving conditions.”

The RSA issued the following practical advice for motorists on the road this week.

• Drivers need to be on guard to the potential danger posed by hailstones.
• If you encounter hailstones reduce your speed, without breaking if possible. Warn other drivers by using your hazard warning lights.
• Driving slowly in a high gear will help your tyres maintain grip even as your tyres move over the compacted pellets of ice.
• Accelerate and brake very gently and drive slowly on bends where loss of control is more likely. Avoid sudden steering movements or hard braking.
• Keep an eye out for road markings that may become obscured and leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front.
• Drivers are also advised to make sure their tyres are fit for purpose i.e., that they are not below the legal minimum tread depth (1.6mm) and that they are inflated to the correct pressure