We are now into winter. It has to be said that so far, at the time of writing, it has been a mild one. Believe it or not this kind weather can actually cause
problems for drivers.
There are several situations which can be called Hazards. There are those which are caused by physical features, such as bends, junctions etc. Those caused by the position or movement of other road
users. The one that is often forgotten is problems caused by variations in road surface and changes in weather conditions. Weather can have a profound effect on the manner of our driving and the
consequence it has on the handling of a vehicle.
For those of you not used to the weather patterns in Cyprus it can come as a bit of a shock. You may be in the sun with reasonable temperatures in Paphos and decide it's a good time to take a trip up
to the Troodos. You should be alert to the fact that the temperatures can drop dramatically and there may possibly be snow and ice on the roads. It is a mountain after all. In these circumstances
access is normally restricted to four wheel drive vehicles and those equipped with snow chains.
Any harsh or sudden movement of the vehicles controls may cause a skid. This may seem obvious, but many drivers don't think about the consequences until they are in the situation and it's too late.
On many UK roads there is room to maneuver and allow any skid to run its course without too much of a problem, apart from the heart in mouth syndrome of course. Many of the roads in Cyprus, although
improving, are narrow with very little safety margin with the prospect of a long vertical excursion.
Another difficulty arises after a few days of sunshine. The roads become very greasy. The problem gets worse when it rains. This is exacerbated by the situation caused by the preponderance of
roadwork's currently going on all over Cyprus. The rains come and all of the mud and debris is washed into the road. It often ends up half a kilometer away at the bottom of a hill some where. The
consequence is that there is often very little warning of the potential problems awaiting the driver.
For those of you on your mountain trip don't forget that around the next bend there could be a rock fall.
We do get fog in the hills. Don't forget to turn your dipped headlights on and your fog lamps if your vehicle is equipped with them. New cars in Cyprus do have them fitted now, to comply with EU
regulations.
Do not be tempted to follow the local habit of turning on your hazard flashers while you are moving. This is illegal and counter productive. It is far better to give and receive accurate information
of an intention to make a turn so that those around you can plan for the maneuver than to have to guess.
We often get very heavy rain. Don't be afraid to use your headlights. Some citizens seem to think it will cost large amounts of extra money to turn them on and consequently don't bother! They will
also helpfully flash you to let you know that yours are on!
Mike Moorby
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