'Stay safe on the roads and at home over Christmas' plea
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AS people prepare to visit family for the Christmas period, a rural insurer is urging them to pay attention to safety and security to avoid unwelcome accidents over the holidays.
The Met Office has issued several weather warnings in the north of the UK as Storm Pia is expected to batter the country over the coming days, with southern areas of the UK also likely to experience potentially damaging weather.
With millions of people expected to be on the move over the Christmas period, leading rural insurer NFU Mutual is making a plea for people to secure their homes and not take risks while driving.
Andrew Chalk, rural insurance specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “With Christmas falling on Monday, millions of people across the UK will be preparing to visit friends and family over the coming days, increasing the number of empty homes and the number of cars on the road.
“This will coincide with the onset of Storm Pia, which will bring dangerous winds which risk damage to homes and create peril for drivers, so we’re urging Brits to take a few simple measures to keep themselves and their property safe over Christmas.
“If you’re leaving your home over Christmas, make sure doors and windows are firmly secured and any loose items in the garden are removed or secured, consider repairing loose fence panels or gutters if safe and set your heating to come on once a day. If freezing weather is predicted, consider turning your water off at the mains to prevent frozen pipes.
“When driving over Christmas, don’t rush and make sure you pay attention to the road, particularly on dangerous rural roads. Rural roads already see 72 per cent more fatalities than urban roads, and sadly the increased traffic and wet and windy weather will only make them more treacherous over Christmas.
“An NFU Mutual survey found one in five people are uncomfortable using rural roads, so be patient and remember that you may not be putting only yourself in danger when driving. Watch out for blind corners, unmarked junctions and muddy roads, and make sure your car is in good condition before undertaking a journey.
“Sadly, we know from experience that the Christmas period can often lead to an increase in home and motor insurance claims, so we’re urging people all over the country to take precautions to make sure their holidays aren’t ruined by tragedy or disaster.”
NFU Mutual has produced guidance for all those using rural roads as part of its rural road safety campaign at https://www.nfumutual.co.uk/
