It's a little bit breezy out today; had you noticed? Well, it's one of the downsides of living on a small rock jutting out of the north Atlantic. We get everything first - wind, rain, howling gales, you name it. With Ireland being once again battered by high winds this week, we have a few hints and tips for staying safe out there when the barometer drops...
Keep your speed down - sounds obvious, but you'll have more time to react to anything that happens, whether it be your own car being blown across your lane by the wind, or avoiding debris being blown onto the road.
Other road users, vulnerable road users, are even more vulnerable than usual. Cyclists, pedestrians, those pushing baby buggies - all will be less steady on their feet and will be less able to hear you coming because the wind is whistling around their ears. Take care and take your time.
Be very careful when dealing with high-sided vehicles on the road, as their huge sail area makes them more likely to be blown about by strong winds. Take extra care when overtaking, and try and give lorries and buses a bit more room to sway and move if you can.
Obviously, you need to keep an eye out for any debris being blown onto the road. Heavy debris can of course damage your car if you hit it, but even lighter bits of paper and cardboard can block your vision or obscure your headlights. Trees will be high on people's worry-list in conditions such as these, so obviously if you can avoid routes with trees set close to the road (not easy to do, but it's worth thinking about), do so. However, there are other tree considerations than merely having one blown over onto the road (or your car). At night, in heavy winds, trees can partially fall, or have large branches blown down, and it's much harder to see those at night, so be extra careful. Equally, in the days following a storm, remember that trees can still fall, having been weakened by high winds.
You'll also need to allow extra stopping distance. Of course, if it's raining heavily you need to do that anyway, because of standing water on the road, but wind can also affect stopping distances, so allow a little bit more space.
And, of course, if in doubt, and if possible, stay home and wait for it all blow over. Safe driving, everyone.