Drivers warned after spate of accidents

DRIVERS in the snowy Felixstowe area were today warned to be extra careful after a serious of minor accidents.

Richard Cornwell

DRIVERS in the snowy Felixstowe area were today warned to be extra careful after a serious of minor accidents.

Most motorists were being cautious and taking it slowly around the area - especially as many of the routes around the resort have not been gritted and there has been heavy snowfall today.

Hills leading to and from the seafront - Bent Hill, South Hill and Convalescent Hill - were especially slippery early on.

In one incident a car slid down Bent Hill, struck the wall of the art gallery and then carried on to the seafront, ending upp against a wall in Undercliff Road West.

One driver who was involved in a crash in Trimley High Road urged others to take care as the conditions can catch you out.

“I was only going about 10 to 15mph and keeping a gap between me and the car in front,” said Chris Ozanne, of Trimley St Mary.

“The traffic was very heavy and slow and kept stopping.

“I stopped at the junction with Kingsbury Road to let a car pull out as he was never going to get out otherwise and a car slid into the back of me.

“Thankfully, there was no major damage and it was just the conditions but drivers need to be aware how easily these things can happen.”

Mr Ozanne said the road appeared not to have been gritted and cars were making furrows in the snow.

Gavin Hill-Smith, spokesman for the AA, said: “Generally, in these weather conditions we would say maintain a three second gap between traffic compared with the normal two seconds - the space you need in which to stop increases ten-fold in icy conditions.”

Apart from a few brief flurries, there had been no fresh snow in the Felixstowe area since just after 10am but conditions on the paths and roads were still treacherous.