The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (IRCA) has adopted new rules when it comes to closing roads in response to storm warnings. Rather than wait until roads are completely blocked or impassable due to severe weather, IRCA will now close roads before motorists have run into trouble, getting their cars stuck in snow.
Growing numbers of foreign and inexperienced motorists
G. Pétur Matthíasson, a spokesman for IRCA tells the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV the reason for these earlier closures of roads are in response to the growing number of foreign travellers on rental cars, who are unaccustomed to Icelandic weather conditions, as well as increasing numbers of Icelandic motorists who are driving small cars, not outfitted for winter driving outside urban areas.
This new policy of closing roads earlier when severe weather threatens to make them impassable was first introduced last winter. G. Pétur tells RÚV that the experience was very good, as it become easier to re-open roads following severe storms: “This has worked very well, because it takes much less time to re-open when the roads are not full of cars who are stuck.” By closing roads earlier the administration was also able to re-open them earlier.
Reduces the pressure on the Search and Rescue units
The gates closing roads are manned by members of the Icelandic Search and Rescue teams, ICE-SAR. A spokesman for ICE-SAR told RÚV some motorists have been annoyed at the closure, seeing them as an attack on their “freedom to travel”. However, it was extremely important that motorists respect closures. Avoiding people drive onto impassable roads also meant the Search and Rescue teams had to respond to fewer requests for assistance from motorists in distress.
The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (IRCA) has adopted new rules when it comes to closing roads in response to storm warnings. Rather than wait until roads are completely blocked or impassable due to severe weather, IRCA will now close roads before motorists have run into trouble, getting their cars stuck in snow.
Growing numbers of foreign and inexperienced motorists
G. Pétur Matthíasson, a spokesman for IRCA tells the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV the reason for these earlier closures of roads are in response to the growing number of foreign travellers on rental cars, who are unaccustomed to Icelandic weather conditions, as well as increasing numbers of Icelandic motorists who are driving small cars, not outfitted for winter driving outside urban areas.
This new policy of closing roads earlier when severe weather threatens to make them impassable was first introduced last winter. G. Pétur tells RÚV that the experience was very good, as it become easier to re-open roads following severe storms: “This has worked very well, because it takes much less time to re-open when the roads are not full of cars who are stuck.” By closing roads earlier the administration was also able to re-open them earlier.
Reduces the pressure on the Search and Rescue units
The gates closing roads are manned by members of the Icelandic Search and Rescue teams, ICE-SAR. A spokesman for ICE-SAR told RÚV some motorists have been annoyed at the closure, seeing them as an attack on their “freedom to travel”. However, it was extremely important that motorists respect closures. Avoiding people drive onto impassable roads also meant the Search and Rescue teams had to respond to fewer requests for assistance from motorists in distress.
