Council urges care on roads your life may depend on it

Cavan County Council is urging motorists to only travel if absolutely necessary and says your life may depend on being careful on the road during the snow storm gripping the country.

Temperatures are, as of 7pm at -1, and Met Eireann says that temperatures could plunge to as much as -5 with warnings of icy roads and dense fog.

The council's staff is at full pelt working around the clock gritting and salting roads around the clock on primary and secondary routes, including major roads N3, N54, N55 and N87.

'Bad weather such as fog, ice and snow can strike suddenly, catching road users off guard. Driving in frosty weather presents difficulties which motorists don’t normally face throughout the year,' says the the council on their site.

'In these weather conditions it is best to avoid making a journey by road unless absolutely necessary. If driving in such conditions is unavoidable, be prepared. The majority of road collisions are caused by human error. In fact, driver error accounts for over 80% of all fatal and injury crashes. The golden rule is drive with care and caution – expect the unexpected.

'Irish weather is notoriously hard to predict and very changeable so don’t assume that the road you are travelling has been treated. Cavan and other County Councils use a “cold weather alert” system (Ice Cast) to predict when roads may become icy. This helps to decide when roads should be salted.

'Cavan County Council uses about 90 tonnes of salt in a night’s salting which covers about 500km of the county’s national and regional road network. Salting the network takes time – be cautious - don’t assume it’s done.

'Treatment of roads with salt is a measure taken to reduce the risk of collisions and injury. It is not a guarantee that “normal” speeds can be achieved.

'Sleet and snow can be particularly dangerous. Frost after rain can undo any benefit of salting. Ensure that your vehicle is adequately prepared for winter driving. Finally, if you must travel, adapt your driving to the prevailing conditions and always err on the side of caution; Your life may depend on it.'

The map for Cavan Town and the county's priority salting routes can be viewed here: http://www.cavancoco.ie/current-salting-routes