5 road safety tips for winter driving

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Mary Tinsley • Nov 07, 2017 • Winter driving

Driving in winter can be very challenging, with the cold weather doing its best to spoil your travel plans. Even the most experienced drivers who spend hours behind the wheel every day can easily be caught out by snow and ice on the roads, so being prepared and driving carefully is more important than ever at this time of year.

In the UK, breakdown firms typically deal with almost double the number of callouts during particularly cold spells. To make sure you're not one of those many miserable drivers stranded on the roadside, take some time to refresh your memory of best practice for winter driving.

Here are our five top road safety tips for this winter. You can also find more useful advice in our FREE Winter Driving Safety Guide >

  1. Plan your route carefully

Always plan your route in advance during the winter. Extreme weather can quickly make roads hazardous, so it's worth reassessing journeys you make frequently and considering whether a safer route can be found. Remember that major roads are more likely to have been cleared and gritted, so steer clear of narrow streets wherever possible.

  1. Check your vehicle

According to RAC, battery, tyre and alternator faults are the most common reason for vehicle breakdowns during the winter. All these things are vulnerable to cold weather so as well as preparing your vehicles, such as clearing your windscreens, mirrors, and lights of snow, ice and other debris, it’s important to carry out a full range of checks on your vehicles before setting off.

Evaluating the condition of your tyres is one of the most important. Check the tread carefully, as you need at least 3mm to drive safely on winter roads. You should also consider changing to a set of winter tyres, which provide better grip in cold and wet conditions. Michelin recommends following their ‘golden rule’: when the temperature drops below +7°C, it is time to change for winter tyres.

Recommended Reading: Winter driving - When should you replace your tyres? >

Other checks include battery charge, engine faults and oil temperature.

  1. Accelerate and brake gently

Once you're behind the wheel, operate the controls gently and carefully. Use low revs and change up to a higher gear as quickly as possible. Keeping the revs low will avoid wheel spinning. If your vehicle does skid, steer into it and ease off the accelerator.

If driving downhill, reduce your speed and select a low gear. Try to avoid using the brakes. If you do have to, apply the brakes gently. When driving uphill, try to avoid stopping halfway up by waiting until it is clear of other cars before you move off.

  1. Pack a winter driving kit

In extreme circumstances, having a winter driving kit in your vehicle can literally be a life-saver. You'll need basic tools like an ice scraper, as well as a torch, a warm blanket and high-visibility clothing. You may also want to include some food and drink, a first-aid kit, a shovel and a pair of jump leads for emergencies.

  1. Keep your distance

Stopping distances double in wet conditions and can increase by as much as ten times with snow or ice on the road. According to Brake's research, 91% of drivers underestimate stopping distances in icy conditions by half. Therefore, always practice defensive driving and keep well behind the vehicle in front of you at all times. In wet conditions you should leave around four seconds, and in ice or snow, drop right back as much as possible.

As this advice demonstrates, the key to staying safe on the roads at winter is being prepared and driving carefully once behind the wheel. Discover more helpful advice on steering clear of trouble this winter with our top tips on staying safe on roads this winter in this handy infographic.

Stay safe on the roads with our winter driving infographic

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