Whilst the best advice in seriously bad weather conditions is probably stay in your home and don’t bother getting in the car, there are always reasons beyond your control that necessitate a trip out into the cold wilderness.
If you have to make the journey then it’s best to take on board the advice of the AA – the guys who really know about safe driving.
Follow these tips and you will increase your chances of safe snow and ice driving.
- Wear the correct footwear. Big clumsy snow boots look great on the slopes of the ski resorts, and will keep your feet dry in the snow, but they are awful options for driving in.
- If icy, pull away in second gear. This will help you to avoid wheel-spinning, especially if your ease your foot off the clutch gently.
- Driving up a hill? Wait until the car in front of you has got to the top of the hill, you don’t want to have to stop if the car in front stops unexpectedly. Keep a constant speed and choose the gear which you think will get you to the top.
- Driving down a hill? Slow down as much as possible before approaching the top. Use a low gear and avoid using the breaks. Keep a very safe distance between your car and that in front of you.
- If you have to break, take a softly softly approach, sudden breaking is likely to cause you to skid.
- If you get stuck in the snow, the best advice is to straighten your steering wheel and clear snow from the wheels manually. Put a sack or old rug under your wheels to get some extra grip.