Does The Road Freeze in August?

Beware of Ice on The Road — You will of course know what this sign means, but that knowledge will most likely be what the Highway Code says, as in you might find ice on the road. But what about in summer time? Do you need to take notice of this sign in August, for example?

In order to make ice on the road, you will know that there has to be water, or at least a lot of moisture, because that is what freezes on the road in the winter months and makes it slippery. In summer, what this sign tells the advanced driver is there may be a damp section of road ahead, even though all around at the approach is warm and dry. Sections of road that are prone to dampness, or which can hold water when it rains, can attract fungi spores to grow, and that means the road can still be very slippery — even in August.

Who Builds Slippery Roads?

Slippery Road Surface? — What does this sign mean to you? A slippery road? So, when you see one of these as a permanent sign, as being attached to a pole at the side of the road, this means the road–makers deliberately built a slippery road and now have to warn everyone about it? Is that because somewhere, hidden away within the depths of the country, there is a slippery roads department that employs a gang of work people who have been trained to make slippery roads?

Of course that is not true, but what this sign will mean to the advanced driver is the road surface ahead may have a different level of grip to the one being currently driven on, which means it isn’t slippery as such — just different. No road builders purposely build slippery roads.

However, if you come across one of these signs that has been put up as a temporary sign (like those road works signs you see) that will mean something totally different. This sign displayed as a temporary sign should suggest there has been a spillage of something on the road, such as oil, and that has really made the road slippery. You still need to be careful though, as the signs are always there for a reason

Deviation Chevron Boards

Chevron boards are commonly found at bends in the road, on the island to a roundabout, or other places where it is appropriate to warn road users of a sharp deviation in the course of their route.

When you drive a rural road, and you see one of these ahead, don’t automatically think you are about to meet a hairpin bend, as that may not be the case. If you have driven three bends without one of these signs, all the chevron board at the next bend is telling you is this one is tighter than the last three.

Another reason this sign may be present is the bend may have been the scene of many road collisions and therefore put in place to try and reduce accidents. Don’t forget though, it could actually mean you are about to meet a hairpin bend. Use the sign for advice purposes and use the bend assessment skills you have learned through you Get–in–Gear course to tell you how tight that bend really is.