A pre-winter check or service is essential if you want to avoid
problems during the winter
Pay attention to: -
Anti-freeze at the correct concentration is vital all year round as
it prevents both freezing and corrosion
Check hoses for wear, tear and leaks
Check tyre pressure and tread depth
You want as much grip as possible when the snow comes
(at least 3mm of tread)
Legal limit is 1.6mm
Carry a spare set of light bulbs
Make sure your lights are clear and clean as often as possible in
the winter
Check your lights before each journey
It may seem obvious to state that brakes should be in good
order, however your wheels will lock earlier on ice than in
other situations and so even the slightest problems can cause
major skids in winter
These will have to work harder in winter so make sure they are in
good condition
Well used wiper blades rarely last more than 12 months in our
climate
These are less likely to freeze up if the system is clean
Keep a supply of screen-wash additive in the car, this prevents
the washer bottle contents from freezing
In extremely cold conditions you can use screen wash
concentrate without adding water
This helps to avoid the fluid freezing in the washer nozzles and
on the windscreen
Modern batteries provide more power, but take a long time to
re-charge fully. A regular long run with the minimum of
electrical accessories switched on is needed.
If the inside of the glass keeps misting up, use air conditioning on
a warm setting to dry out the car. Make sure you don’t leave
damp coats and wellingtons in the car
Keep plenty of fuel in the tank
(At least half full)
As you never know when you will be stuck in traffic or have to
make a detour to reach your destination
Depress the clutch when starting a cold engine as this
disconnects the engine from the gearbox so there is less drag
and eases the load on the starter motor
Wash the car frequently
spray water dispersant in locks to reduce freezing, lubricate
bonnet lock to prevent corrosion
Apply thin layer of petroleum jelly to rubber door seals so they
don’t freeze while closed
fit all wheel trims correctly to prevent corrosion on wheel nuts
Some suggested items for your emergency kit, gather and
pack them into your car at the start of the winter season
You never know when you might need them
Take a warm coat and hat
Pack high energy foods such as chocolate, crisps, nuts, cereal
bars, water and a hot drink
Don’t forget to take any personnel medicines too
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Fully charged mobile phone
Ice scraper and de-icer
Boots
First aid kit
Jump leads
Shovel
Fluorescent jacket or vest
Torch and spare batteries
Warm clothing and blanket
At least one bottle of water
Road atlas
Sunglasses (glare off snow, and low winter sun can be dazzling)
Clear any snow off the roof of the vehicle before you drive off
It can slip down over the windscreen and obscure your view
Clear any snow and ice from all windows, lights and number
plates
Make sure you can see clearly and be seen
Snow can be deceptive. Often your tyres will have more grip on
newly fallen snow than on slushy snow
Whatever kind your on you must remember that the car is more
likely to go sideways than is normally the case
Gently test your brakes from time –to-time
This will give you a feel for the surface conditions and available
grip
Even when the main roads are clear, the side roads can often be
snow-covered because they won’t have been treated and
there is less traffic
Avoid revving your engine and spinning your wheels on the
slippery surface
Anticipate the road ahead so that you keep moving steadily
where you can, rather than having to stop and then start
again
When driving on remote roads with little traffic, you may find it
helpful to drive in the middle of the road
You will have more room to manoeuvre and correct slides if
forced to brake suddenly
When going over hills and dips, and around corners, you may
meet traffic coming from opposite direction, so slow down
and keep to the left
When moving off in snow and ice use the highest gear possible
This will usually be second.
If you encounter wheel-spin, ease off the accelerator
Once you are moving, keep your speed down and use highest
practical gear.
Gentle use of all controls is essential
Use your judgement when assessing conditions
A white winter road with packed snow will often be less slippery
than a wet road
Drive safely, but don’t be nervous
It’s not always obvious that the road is icy
Look for clues such as ice on the pavement or on your
windscreen before you start your journey
If your tyres make virtually no noise on the road it could be a
sign you’re driving on ice
Don’t brake harshly-you risk locking-up and skidding
Watch out for locations where you may need to drive more
carefully because of risk of ice such as:
• Changes in road elevation or exposure
• Where the road passes over or under a bridge
• Things at the side of the road that shade the carriageway such
as trees and bridges
• When leaving a main road and turn onto a side or slip road
• Bends in the road where there is a greater risk of loss of control
Watch out for roads with adverse camber, water can run across
and freeze leaving a skating rink surface
Gentle movements of the steering wheel and low speeds will
give you the most control under snowy and icy conditions
Ascending/descending hills can pose particular problems on
slippery roads:
• Always leave plenty of space between yourself and the car
ahead before starting your ascent/descent
• Stop and wait for a clear road if necessary, otherwise you may
end up being stuck (literally) behind less skilful drivers
• Use low gears to help you hold back when descending
slippery hills. Select the gear as early as possible
• Try to avoid using the brakes or changing gear while
descending
Winter is the most difficult driving season. Not only do you have
snow and ice to deal with, but there are fewer hours of daylight
as well.
Drive slowly. Even if your vehicle has good traction in ice and
snow, other drivers will be travelling cautiously.
Don’t disrupt the flow of traffic by driving faster than everyone
else
In a rear wheel drive vehicle, you can usually feel a loss of
traction or the beginning of a skid. There may be no such
warning in a front wheel drive,
However
Front wheel drives do handle better in ice and snow, but they do
not have flawless traction, and skids can occur unexpectedly.
Don’t let the better feel and handling of a front wheel drive car
cause you to drive faster than you should
Despite a popular misconception, the best approach to
recovering from a skid is the same for both front and rear
wheel drive vehicles
• Take your foot off the accelerator
• Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go
• If you rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they’re sliding
right, steer right
• If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover,
ease the steering wheel toward that side.
• You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your
vehicle completely under control.
If you have standard brakes, pump them gently
If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes.
Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes
pulse – this is normal.
If not, pump the pedal gently, pumping more rapidly as your car
slows down. Braking hard with non-anti-lock brakes will make
the skid worse
Take your foot off the accelerator and push in the clutch, don’t
try to steer immediately
As the wheel skids sideways, they will slow the vehicle and the
traction will return.
As it does, steer in the direction you want to go
To avoid skids, brake carefully and gently on snow or ice
“Squeeze” your brakes in slow, steady strokes
Allow the wheels to keep rolling
If they start to lock up, ease off the brake pedal
As you slow down, you may also want to shift into a lower gear
If you should find yourself stuck, here’s what to do:
• Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow
out of the way
• Keep a light touch on the accelerator and ease forward
• Don’t spin your wheels – you’ll just dig in deeper
• Rocking the vehicle is another way. Shift from forward to
reverse, and back again. Each time your in gear, give a light
touch on the accelerator until the vehicle gets going
• Use a shovel to clear snow away from wheels and underside
of car
• Use dipped headlights so that other drivers can see you
• If it’s really foggy, (less than 100m visibility) and you can’t see
much, then switch your fog lights on
• Fog is often patchy so try not to speed up as visibility
improves. You could suddenly find yourself back in thick fog
• Remember to switch off fog lights when visibility improves to
prevent dazzling oncoming vehicles
When the roads wet, it can take up to twice a long to stop. So it
makes sense to slow down and maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front
If your vehicle loses its grip, or “aquaplanes” on surface water
take your foot off the accelerator to slow down
Take extra care on the roads and plan your journey by checking
the latest weather conditions
High sided vehicles are particularly affected by windy weather
but strong gusts can also blow a vehicle, cyclist, motorcyclist,
or horse rider off course
This can happen on open stretches of road exposed to strong
crosswinds, or when passing bridges, high sided vehicles or
gaps in trees
Pull onto the hard shoulder, park as far over to the left as you can,
away from the traffic, and turn your hazard warning lights on
Get yourself and any passengers out of the vehicle immediately,
using the doors on the left hand side, furthest from the traffic
while you wait for help, keep well away from the carriageway and
hard shoulder – stand over the barrier if it’s safe to do so – and
do not try even the simplest of repairs
Try to use the emergency roadside telephones rather than a
mobile phone
This will help traffic officers and other emergency services know
exactly where you are