Also in 2013, at least 19 people died and 259 were seriously injured in accidents where road users couldn’t see properly in rain, sleet, snow and fog, the AA’s president Edmund King is to highlight today (26 November) at the National Road Safety Conference in Brighton and the Motor Cycle Live 2014 event in Birmingham later this week.

Edmund King, AA president, said: ‘Your car windscreen is not an optional extra yet some drivers seem to treat it like one. Particularly in winter our patrols report numerous cases of drivers peering through frosted, frozen or filthy windscreens. 


‘Our surveys suggest some drivers find it hard to spot those on two wheels, but having an obscured windscreen can double the size of your blind spot. Drivers should regularly clean their windscreens, ensure they have adequate screen wash and make certain their side mirrors are clear.’

The organisation also added a seasonal reminder of the AA Trust’s Think Bikes campaign urging drivers to check their mirrors and be alert to two-wheelers, warning that even in good weather, 93% of drivers admit it is sometimes hard to see cyclists while driving while 85% say they have difficulty spotting motorcyclists. More than half (55%) have been caught out when a cyclist “has appeared from nowhere”.