Winter Driving Tips
- Always drive according to the
weather conditions
- Give yourself time and space
- arriving safely should be your aim
- Remember, your vehicle and
road safety are ultimately your responsibility
Your Vehicle
- Clean the windscreen and all windows of frost and ice
- Don't set off until the heater has de-misted the inside
glass
- Add a low temperature screen wash to the washer bottle
- Carry a de-icer spray in the vehicle. Stop (in a safe place)
and use it if necessary.
Your Journey
- Allow for slower speeds - it can take up to 10 times longer to
stop in icy conditions than on a dry road
- Allow for possible hold-ups due to accidents
- Allow for possible single lane traffic on dual carriageways due
to snow
- Keep a longer gap than normal between you and the vehicle in
front. Much longer when there is ice or snow on the road
- Brake and accelerate more gently on wet, snowy or icy
surfaces
- Use dipped headlights in mist, fog, falling snow or heavy
rain
- Use rear fog lights in fog, mist or falling snow but not in
rain and turn them off as soon as conditions allow
- On icy, snowy or slushy roads use the highest gear possible to
avoid wheel spin. When you need to brake, get into a low gear
earlier than normal and allow your speed to fall. Use the brake
pedal gently
- If you get into a skid, ease off the accelerator to slow down -
do not brake suddenly
- Winter sun can dazzle you so keep a pair of sunglasses
handy.
Check
- If your journey is absolutely necessary - if it isn't, don't
go! Listen to local and national weather forecasts and travel
information
- All lights, indicators and wipers are clean and working
- That all tyres have a good tread depth (legal minimum is 1.6mm
but it is recommended that tyres are changed when they reach 3mm)
and are at the correct pressure
- The battery is in good condition and fully charged (most winter
breakdowns are electrical)
- There is anti-freeze in the radiator and an additive in the
windscreen washer bottles.
You
- Give yourself plenty of time to prepare your vehicle before
setting off
- Driving in adverse conditions can be extremely tiring so be
prepared to take extra breaks during your journey
- Ensure you have 'outside' clothing, a torch and in snowy
conditions, a shovel, with you in case you have to get out of your
vehicle
- Watch out for vulnerable road users - you share responsibility
for their safety
- Tell someone at your destination what time you expect to
arrive.
Driving in fog
- Drive very slowly with dipped headlights
- Use fog lights if visibility is seriously reduced but remember
to switch them off when visibility improves
- Don't hang on to the tail lights of the vehicle in front as
this can give you a false sense of security
- Don't speed up suddenly even if the it looks like it is
clearing - you could find yourself suddenly back in thick fog.
Driving in flood conditions
- Drive slowly in first gear but keep the engine speed high by
slipping the clutch to prevent stalling
- Avoid driving near the kerb where the water is usually
deepest
- Don't attempt to cross if the water seems too deep
- Remember to test your brakes when you are through the flood
before you drive at normal speed.
In case of trouble
If you have a mobile phone, do not use it while driving. Stop
somewhere safe or ask a passenger to make the call for you. Using
your mobile phone while driving (hands-free or not) makes you four
times as likely to have a crash.
On a motorway, it is best to use a roadside emergency telephone as
the breakdown and emergency services will be able to locate you
easily. If you have to use a mobile, make sure you know your
location using the numbers on the marker posts on the side of the
hard shoulder.
Abandoned vehicles could cause problems for rescue vehicles or
snowploughs. To ensure that the road is cleared as quickly as
possible, stay with your vehicle until help arrives.
If you have to leave your vehicle to get help, make sure you can be
seen by other drivers.
Winter Maintenance Vehicles
Drivers of Council vehicles salting and snowploughing the
highways take all possible precations to protect the safety of
other road users.
Salting vehicles are extremely powerful and travel at around
35mph - aim to keep a safe distance behind them and don't be
tempted to overtake.
Take particular care of irregular accumulations of snow caused by
snowploughing. Don't be tempted to overtake snowploughs by
squeezing into partially cleared lanes.
For more safer driving tips visit the following websites:
