Winter Driving Tips.
Good vehicle maintenance is particularly important in winter. Make sure your battery is fully
charged, your tyres have plenty of tread and are at the right pressure, and your wipers,
washers and lights work properly. Add antifreeze to the radiator and top up screen wash.
During wintry weather conditions:
 Ask yourself - is your journey absolutely essential?
 Check the local and national weather forecasts.
 Listen to local and national radio for travel information.
 Tell someone at your destination what time you expect to arrive.
 Make sure you are equipped with warm clothes, food, boots and a torch. In snowy
conditions, take a spade.
 Clear your windows and mirrors before you set out, and carry a screen scraper and
de-icer.
 Adjust your driving to the conditions - hail, heavy snow and rain reduce visibility, so
use dipped headlights and reduce your speed.
Driving tips for freezing conditions:
 Beware of shady areas where ice may not have melted.
 Allow extra time for your journey.
 Make sure you can see clearly and be seen.
 Use main routes wherever possible.
 Drive with care and allow greater stopping distances - it can take ten times longer to
stop in icy conditions than on a dry road.
 Drive slowly, allowing extra room to slow down and stop.
 Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin.
 Manoeuvre gently, avoiding rapid acceleration, harsh braking or sharp turns of the
steering wheel.
 To brake on ice or snow without locking your wheels, get into a lower gear earlier
than normal, allow your speed to fall and use the brake pedal gently.
 If you start to skid, ease off the accelerator but do not brake suddenly.
Driving tips for heavy snow:
 Only drive if it is necessary.
 Dress warmly and be prepared if you get stuck.
 If it is snowing and windy, avoid travelling if you can.
 Take care around winter maintenance vehicles. Keep a safe distance behind salting
lorries and snowploughs, and do not attempt to overtake. Watch out for banks of
snow thrown up by the plough.
Other winter weather problems:
 Black ice, which is very difficult to see on road surfaces.
 Hoar frost, where ice crystals form on the surface of the road and make it very
slippery.
 Freezing rain, which occurs when rain falls on very cold surfaces and freezes. It is
very rare but extremely difficult to deal with as any salt spread prior to the rain
starting, is usually washed away and re-salting is then needed to treat the frozen
surface.
 Dazzle from low winter sun can be dangerous - keep sunglasses handy.
Before and during winter – what you can do:
Before winter arrives, check that your vehicle:  Has been maintained / serviced.
 Tyres have a good tread depth (including spare).
 The engine’s cooling system contains anti-freeze at correct strength.
 Windscreen wipers and washers are working properly and correctly adjusted.
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Windscreen washer bottles are full and contain a suitable additive to prevent freezing.
Carries a screen scraper and de-icer.
The battery is in good condition, topped up and fully charged.
Before driving in wintry weather conditions, check:
 Local and national radio / TV for travel and weather information.
 All vehicle lights are clean and working.
 All windows and mirrors are clear from frost and snow.
In extreme conditions, ask yourself:
 Is your journey necessary?
 Have you checked weather forecasts and road conditions and carefully considered
the advice given?
 Have you a full tank of fuel?
 Does anyone know your destination and expected time of arrival?
 Have you warm clothing, hot drinks, food, Wellingtons, a torch and a shovel with you?
 Remember, in ice and snow conditions the action of traffic is needed to help disperse
salt. As not all roads are treated, stick to main roads which have been treated. Allow
extra time for your journey in wintry weather, delaying the time you leave work can
help reduce traffic congestion.
When driving in wintry weather conditions, check you:
 Are driving with due care appropriate to conditions on both treated and untreated
roads.
 Reduce speed in snow and icy conditions.
 Are driving in the highest gear possible to help keep control of the vehicle.
 Avoid harsh braking and acceleration.
 Maintain a safe stopping distance relative to prevailing conditions.
 Are using dipped headlights in poor visibility and falling snow.
 Use rear fog lights in poor visibility and switch them off when conditions improve.
 Are watching out for other road users including motor and pedal cycles, pedestrians
and children playing.
If you get into trouble:
 Stay with your vehicle if possible until help arrives.
 If you have to leave your vehicle make yourself visible to other road users.
 If you are forced to abandon your vehicle give local police the details and park in such
a way as to ensure you are not obstructing Winter Maintenance vehicles trying to
treat the roads. Remember, a gritter is twice the width of a car.
Winter Driving Checklist.
Bad weather can strike suddenly, so it's no surprise the number of cars requiring assistance
increases over the winter period.
So, to be a step ahead and ensure that winter breakdowns are a rare occurrence, here's a
driver's check list: Under The Bonnet.
Antifreeze.
In cold weather antifreeze is essential for protecting your car against frost damage. It is
important that the correct strength of antifreeze and water mix is used, as neat antifreeze can
turn to sludge when very cold. A 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and water is generally
recommended.
Oil and Water.
 Check oil and water levels regularly, referring to manufacturer's manual.

Keep a bottle of water in the car to top up your windscreen washers in an emergency;
it is an offence to drive with an empty windscreen washer reservoir.
Exterior.
Lights.
 Check all lights are in working order. Replace burned out bulbs and remember to
clean road grime from all lenses when washing the car.
 Check your front and rear fog lights too; remember these should only be used when
visibility is reduced to around 100 metres and switched off when visibility improves.
 You can check brake lights unaided by seeing if they illuminate a wall or garage door.
 Test your horn.
 Number plates should also be clearly visible from the front and rear.
Tyres.
 Examine tyres for signs of uneven wearing and for any cuts or small nicks in the sides
of the tyres.
 Check tyre pressures and the tread depth - a minimum of 1.6mm over at least threequarters of the tread width is the current legal requirement, but they should be
replaced long before that.
Brakes.
This is definitely the time of year to get your brakes checked by a professional.
Windscreen.
 Check that both front and rear wiper blades are not worn or damaged. If they are
leaving smears across your windscreen, it's time for new blades.
 Split, cracked or perished wiper blades will lead to an MOT test failure and could put
you and others in danger.
 Clean the windows, inside and out, and wipe the lamp lenses and door mirrors.
 Keep a can of de-icer and a scraper in the car. De-icer can also be used to defrost
door and petrol filter locks.
Interior.
Accessories.
Have you remembered to put your emergency breakdown card in your purse, wallet, or
handbag? Is the number stored in your mobile phone?
Carry a few things just in case. Gloves, a blanket, a small shovel, a torch and some cash are
essential.
Consider carrying a mobile phone with you. Remember to make sure your phone is fully
charged and has sufficient credit before you set off. Bear in mind that the recent change in
the law has banned using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving.