The temperature is gradually dropping so its time to prepare for Winter With in-car technology and driving safety features becoming increasingly advanced, motorists on the UK’s roads are better protected than ever before. Despite this, adverse weather conditions cause significant disruptions year after year. Some vehicles such as the Jaguar E-PACE are better equipped to handle low traction situations, but despite this, drivers in the UK are always adversely affected whenever a heavy snow spell hits. The Beast from the East that hit the country in early 2018 showcased this for all to see, as heavy snow and bitterly cold conditions saw thousands of drivers left stranded on roads and countless more vehicles either breaking down or being involved in crashes. In fact, the AA estimated that 8,260 collisions occurred on roads throughout Britain in just three days and that the insurance cost came to over £10 million during that short period. People all over the country face worries over their daily commute every time snow is forecast as poor visibility and slippery road surfaces cause widespread disruptions and safety concerns. Usually we are given some warning that this troublesome weather is just around the corner through weather forecasts, but an opinion piece by Eve Livingston in The Guardian shines a light on our possible lack of readiness once snowflakes appear in the skies. Ms Livingston writes: “National politics in recent years has increasingly distanced itself from local interests, eroding communities and their ability to organise around local issues. Austerity-driven budget cuts have savaged local councils, with non-prioritised functions such as road maintenance and planning – which become vital during extreme weather – the first to suffer.” Although this quote makes a troubling point, the government have taken some steps to help drivers cope with the icy conditions. The government-owned organisation Highways England announced towards the end of October 2018 that they had a team of 1,300 specially trained gritter drivers on standby around the country ready to get to work when temperatures tumble and the weather turns bad. More than 500 salt spreading vehicles are also in place by the organisation, while they are monitoring the weather using more than 260 weather stations and 245 anemometers that analyse wind speeds. The national winter and severe weather leader at Highways England, Paul Furlong offered the following comment: “Whether people...