Holders of young driver car insurance may be amongst the motorists who are not prepared for ice and snow on the highways this festive season.

According to the British Red Cross, only one in five road users have equipped themselves and their vehicles for severe winter weather this year.

Although out of the 2,000 drivers surveyed, 29% suffered problems with road closures, 24% were unable to see family and 14% were stranded at home in 2010, they have apparently not taken steps to avoid these situations again this Christmas.

In order to prevent the UK roads from coming to a standstill as they did last year and to keep people as safe as possible, the British Red Cross has staff and vehicles waiting to help Britain’s emergency services if required. The organisation has also advised motorists to join the Ready for Winter campaign, urging them to make a winter kit-bag.

Items recommended for inclusion in the kit-bag, for use in emergencies when stranded on the road or at home, include emergency contact numbers, a torch and spare batteries, a first aid kit, bottled water to last three days, long-lasting foods which need no preparation, a penknife and a whistle.

New driver car insurance holders may be particularly interested in the British Red Cross’ first aid app which is available for smart phone owners, although they should remember that if electricity is down they will not be able to recharge their mobiles.

Some young driver car insurance holders may not have experienced the poor winter weather as fully licensed motorists last year, so it is especially important that they make preparations for any possible weather-related circumstances.

As the chief executive of the British Red Cross states, “None of us can predict what conditions will be like this year. But what we can all do is take a set of small, practical steps to ensure that we are prepared.”