Car crash video released to warn of icy road conditions

Footage of a car slamming into a motorway barrier in icy conditions has been released as a warning to drivers to take care on the roads.

The red Nissan Micra can be seen skidding backwards at speed into the central reservation and into a Highways England vehicle along a stretch of the M61 in Lancashire.

Traffic officer Nigel Gorton, who had been dealing with a different incident in the same spot, had to jump the barrier to avoid being hit.

No-one was seriously injured in the crash.

The collision happened in March last year but the footage was released to remind drivers to take care as icy weather is forecast across large swathes of Scotland and England.

There is a yellow warning for snow and ice stretching the length of western Scotland down to Loughborough in the Midlands due come into force at 10pm on Wednesday.

It will expire at 10am on Thursday and is likely to bring wintry showers and icy roads, causing some travel disruption and risk of injury.

Highways England is calling on drivers to slow down, particularly on roads that have been freshly gritted as the salt will not have had time to work into the carriageway.

Tips to avoid skidding include driving in a higher gear to avoid wheel spin, avoiding harsh braking and using gentle manoeuvres and easing off the accelerator if you start to skid.