There have been a number of incidents, particularly around the Uckfield area, including one near the White Hart in Buxted on Tuesday evening (January 26). Three vehicles were involved in a collision that is believed to have caused primarily by ice on the road. The incident happened in Station Road just before 7.30pm and involved a Mitsubishi Shogun, Vauxhall Astra and a Vauxhall Corsa.

The driver of the Mitsubishi, a 63-year-old man from Fletching, was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton with minor injuries; the 42-year-old female driver of the Astra from Hadlow Down and her 22-year-old male passenger from Seaford were treated for minor injuries at the Kent and Sussex Hospital at Tunbridge Wells; the 20-year-old driver of the the Corsa from Crowborough was uninjured.

Watch Manager Simon Neill, from Uckfield fire station, who attended the scene, said that conditions were treacherous. “It was already minus two when we arrived and my crew were finding it difficult to keep their feet on the ice. We have noticed these conditions in a number of places over the last 24 hours. Water that has been draining from surrounding land has been causing localised patches of ice and they can catch even the most cautious driver unawares.”

Sgt David Morgan from the East Sussex Road Policing Unit based at Polegate said that there had been a number of incidents in the Wealden district. “Do not assume that because one part of the road looks dry and clear, this will be the case around the next bend. Similarly, black ice can look just like a wet road, so be sure to remain constantly alert to potential hazards and what’s going on around you,” he said.

“In particular, drivers travelling home in the early evening should be aware that ice may already be forming and in shady areas may not melt away at all on a chilly day.

“Plan your route and leave more time for your journey. Drive slowly and carefully to take account of icy conditions, always leave a good distance between your car and any vehicles in front of you. Low morning sun coupled with a windscreen that you cannot see through properly is potentially extremely dangerous. Ensure that you thoroughly demist the windscreen and do not move off until all of your windows and mirrors are fully clear.”

Released on Wednesday 20 January, Embrace Life has swept around the internet, pulling hits to www.embracethis.co.uk in from across 55 countries around the world.  Facebook in particular is driving traffic to the SSRP’s seat belt campaign and a group has been created by one impressed viewer to have it screened on national TV.

Neil Hopkins, Communications Manager for the SSRP, commented; “I am delighted by the way that Embrace Life has been welcomed by the public.  We developed the concept to provide a talking point around the issue of individuals not wearing their seat belts.

“It appears that we’ve touched a nerve with the campaign, and I’ve received many positive comments concentrating on the way that Embrace Life delivers an emotional impact, but without the use of blood or gore.”

The advert is also being picked up by motoring blogs and public discussion forums, driving further traffic to www.embracethis.co.uk – and many viewers are calling for the advert to be shown more widely on TV.

“We are keen to open the dialogue with the team at the Department for Transport (DfT) responsible for putting out the national road safety TV campaigns,” Neil continues.

“We’ve had individuals from all walks of life – including the creative sector – praising the film and urging us to promote it via TV.  As a local partnership, we haven’t got the financial capability to create a national TV campaign, which is why we’re looking to work with the DfT who already use the medium to get their messages out.”

Anyone wishing to lend their support to the campaign can join the dedicated Facebook group – either search for ‘Embrace Life TV’ in Facebook, or type http://tinyurl.com/EmbraceTV into your browser.

The campaign is also gaining attention through some of its more unorthodox promotional techniques.  Working with a prominent graffiti artist has seen sites in Brighton previously littered with unsightly tags turning into large scale public place artworks to support the campaign.

Furthermore, the SSRP team contacted members of the media and creative industries throughout Sussex prior to the launch with thermoreactive postcards, bearing a cryptic message directing the recipients to www.embracethis.co.uk.

These unusual tactics helped the site to smash through 1,100 page views the day after the advert went live, and the total is still climbing – currently sitting at over 4,500 visitors who have viewed www.embracethis.co.uk a total of over 6,000 times.

For all of the positive comments and promotion of Embrace Life, it is important not to overlook the reason that it was created.

“Not wearing a seat belt can make what should be a minor accident into a major one,” concludes Neil Hopkins.

“On the morning of the launch, we heard from a Clinical Fellow in A&E who had been treating a driver thrown through his windscreen because he was not wearing his seat belt.

“It’s likely that he’ll never walk again, nor be able to provide for his family and all because he didn’t spend a moment clipping his seat belt in.  We hope that Embrace Life reminds everyone how important it is to be properly belted in, whether you’re the driver or a passenger.”

Steph Savill, founder of FOXY Lady Drivers Club www.foxyladydrivers.com, recommends that female motorists book a car check at a local female friendly garage to reduce the risk of their car letting them down on a cold morning.

“Not only are Mums likely to be ferrying children to school but many are heading off to work afterwards. When your car lets you down in these circumstances it’s always stressful and whilst it might be a simple case of charging the battery, it could just as well be a sign of poor car maintenance or a long overdue car service” Steph explains.

To prevent this happening Steph advises that a regular 20 minute car check carried out by garage professionals will help women run safer cars and save money because an experienced mechanic will spot minor mechanical problems and safety issues before they become expensive emergencies.

Members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club are entitled to free quarterly car fitness checks from female friendly approved garages across the UK, including tyres, lights, oils, coolant levels and CO2 emissions. To complete their car’s annual maintenance programme, every season an extra item is checked, such as the car’s battery (Autumn), brake fluid levels, anti-freeze and air conditioning system. When garage work is needed, members can claim special discounts for MOTs, car servicing and repairs.

The Autocar AA “Drive Better” campaign thinks that some good old fashioned manners could bring back the smile to drivers’ faces and remove the threat of road rage.

Commenting, Edmund King, AA president said “ Many drivers do thank others who let them out but 37% of male drivers and 46% of female drivers still find those who don’t a major irritation. Lorry drivers tend to flash their hazard lights and others raise their hand to acknowledge the good manners of other drivers. It does not take much to let someone into the queue of traffic or to acknowledge them. We all need to live in harmony on the roads so better manners would help.”

Autocar editor Chas Haslett said “Personal transport is hugely important to all of us but we need to make our roads better and safer places to be. Being nicer to other drivers and acknowledging their existence calms everyone down, and that’s got to be good for everyone. And a friendly raise of the hand and a smile uses much less energy than an angry, heated exchange”.

The top ten types of driver that other drivers most dislike were:

1. Boy racers   42%
2. Drivers who don’t say thanks   41%
3. Drivers who show off       33%
4. Those who listen to loud music, windows open   23%
5. White van man  21%
6. Sunday drivers   20%
7. School run mums   16% (19% males,12% females)
8. Taxi/Mini cab drivers 14%
9. Foreign lorry drivers 12%
10. Drivers with caravans  9%

Other driving irritants included:

Drivers with signs in the car with slogans such as baby on board annoyed five per cent, while 3% didn’t like those vain drivers who always look in the mirror.

And while white van drivers wound up 21 per cent, drivers of the iconic red Royal Mail Van cause almost no distress to other drivers countrywide.

Regionally, Sunday Drivers are more disliked in Wales and Northern Ireland than any other region, residents of the Northern Ireland dislike taxi drivers more than the rest of the country and drivers at the wheel of a white van are more likely to cause irritation in the South.

Wales had the highest percentage disliking boy racers (48%), followed closely by Northern Ireland (45%). The South West and the East Midlands had a higher percentage of those who dislike drivers who don’t say thank you (44%). And in Scotland 8% disliked tractor drivers.

Heavyweight motoring brands Autocar and the AA have joined forces to make motoring a better experience for road users frustrated by the lack of ability or care of many drivers.  The Autocar/AA Drive Better Campaign believes the route to better, safer roads is education.  Autocar and the AA will be lobbying the government for a re-think of the driving test process.