Driving experts have shared the following tips to help us stay safe on the roads when it is icy or when it snows:
- Wear appropriate footwear for the weather conditions.
- Wear comfortable and dry footwear for driving.
- Ensure you clear all of your vehicle’s windows before driving (and roof if covered in snow as this can suddenly slide down your windscreen obscuring your view).
- Make sure your car is equipped in the event that you get stuck, such as having a blanket and refreshments.
- Accelerate gently, use low revs and change up to a higher gear as soon as possible.
- Move off in second gear – this will help reduce wheel slip. Some cars have a winter mode, which does the same job – check the vehicle’s handbook to see if your car has this function.
- Maintain safe stopping distances between you and the car in front, leaving as much as 10 times the normal recommended gap.
- Prepare for an uphill section of road by leaving plenty of room in front so you can maintain a constant speed without the need for changing gear.
- Use a low gear for going downhill and try to avoid braking unless necessary, make sure you leave plenty of space between you and the car in front.
- When approaching a bend, brake before you actually start to turn the steering wheel. If your car loses grip, try not to panic – the key thing is to take your foot off the accelerator and make sure that your wheels are pointing in the direction you want to go in.
- If you do encounter a skid, steer gently into it – for example, if the rear of the car is sliding to the right, steer to the right. Do not take your hands off the steering wheel or stamp your foot on the brakes.
- When driving in heavy snow, make sure that you use your dipped headlights. Relying on daytime running lights is not enough, because they don’t always put lights on at the back of your car.
- If visibility is less than 100m, put your fog lights on. Remember to turn them off when the visibility improves.
- If the road has not been gritted, be wary of driving in the wheel tracks of other vehicles as compressed snow is likely to be more icy than fresh snow.
- Brakes, steering, acceleration and even gear changing should be operated smoothly and slowly.
- Sunglasses can help to reduce the glare of low winter sun on the snow.
- Think about the environment that you’re driving in, especially microclimates that might appear on the road. These are areas that the sun possibly hasn’t got to, which could stay icy when the rest of the road has thawed. Bridges are a good example – they’re normally the first to freeze and the last to thaw. Be aware of that when you’re driving in open spaces.
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