Published on: 4 February 2026, 08:36 AM
Rijkswaterstaat urges road users in the provinces of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe not to take to the roads on Wednesday 4 February 2026 until 12 noon due to extreme freezing rain. A red code applies to these provinces. For the provinces of Overijssel and Flevoland, an orange code applies and the advice is not to take to the roads unless necessary.
Last night, many accidents occurred in the north despite continuous salting throughout the night. Freezing rain is the most difficult form of ice control and leads to very dangerous driving conditions.
Currently, several highway sections are closed due to accidents, including the A6 towards Lelystad and the A28 between Vries and Eelde. Trucks have also jackknifed due to slippery conditions on the N31 and the A32.
Freezing rain and ice control
To combat slipperiness, we deploy salt spreaders. Emergency machines, such as the Lavastorm, were also used last night to combat ice sheets. Freezing rain is the most challenging form of ice control for every road manager. We continue salting during freezing rain, but the thawing effect is not optimal.
Despite preventive salting, a layer of ice forms on top of the salt due to freezing rain. This can quickly create very slippery roads. The ice layer prevents the salt from mixing immediately, slowing the thawing effect.
On the website Rijkswaterstaatstrooit , you can see where the salt spreaders are operating and where salting has taken place. The site also shows how much salt has been spread. Since 7:00 PM, over 2 million kg of salt has been spread and 25,000 km driven.
Advice to road users
- Check weather and traffic information before departure. Via the website Rijkswaterstaat Traffic Information , we share the current road situation.
- Be well prepared before traveling.
- Adjust your driving style to the conditions, keep sufficient distance, and avoid unnecessary lane changes.
- Give salt spreaders space.