-Plan your journey. Ahead of your drive, get up to date traffic and weather news, ensure your route means you avoid high-risk areas/ where there may be black ice or flooding.
-Allow extra time for your journey – to properly clear your windscreen, windows, mirrors, lights and your roof – where it is both a danger and against the law not to clear snow from, since snow can fall from your roof and block your vision out of the windscreen.
-Only drive when necessary – however good a driver you are, driving in the snow poses added risks to all road users.
Keep in your car
-A torch
-De-icer and an ice-scraper
-A fully charged phone
-A jerrycan of petrol
-Warm clothes/ a blanket
-Sunglasses
-A first aid kit
-It’s very important for your safety that you never warm up your car in an enclosed space, such as a garage – which would expose you to carbon monoxide. Driving your car is the fastest way to warm it up.
-Check that your wipers are working and aren’t stuck to your windscreen, as you will need to be able to clear your windscreen before and whilst you drive. Replace worn or damaged wipers right away.
-Check that your screen wash protects down to at least -35, to ensure the water won’t freeze. You’ll need a 50:50 mix of antifreeze and water during the winter.
-Ensure your tyres are inflated with good tread for adequate grip.
-Wear comfortable, dry footwear to drive in the snow.
Driving
-Accelerate and decelerate slowly, you shouldn’t be trying to hurry when driving in the snow. Allow adequate time to slow down when you need to. Use low revs and change to a higher gear as soon as you can, to prevent your wheels from spinning. Use your brakes gently, as to not lock the wheels or to skid.
-Drive slower than you normally would – to account for the traction loss.
-Increase your following distance to five or six seconds, should the car in front suddenly have to stop.
-Don’t stop when you could just slow down. If you approach a red light or a stop sign and have time to safely slow right down instead of stopping, you’ll be able to take off more easily again, without having to accelerate hard.
-Do not coast your car in snowy or icy conditions – it’s too dangerous, you’ll likely lose control of your car and your wheels won’t be able to grip.
-Go downhill in a low gear and try to avoid braking. Allow adequate space between you and the car in front.
-When going uphill, leave room for the car in front of you and try to stay in the gear you want to be in, so you don’t have to change gear whilst on the hill.
-Ensure all your lights are working and that the lens’ are clear of snow when you drive.
-In heavy snow, drive with dipped headlights and if visibility drops below 100m, use your fog lights until visibility improves.
-If there’s a low winter glare from the sun, wear your sunglasses.