A to Z of Winter Driving

Anti freeze is your engine’s first line of defence against low temperatures.  Each year check the concentration level and make sure the system is free from leaks before winter arrives. Batteries are subjected to severe stress in winter so make sure it is fully charged. Get the battery checked by a garage before winter especially if you do a lot of short journeys (many garages will do this free of charge). Corners shaded from the sun can be lethal in cold weather.  When temperatures plunge - black ice can catch you out if you’re not expecting it, a tell tale sign is the total absence of any noise from your tyres.  If you suspect ice on the road slow down, steer and brake gently and remember stopping distances can be up to TEN times that of normal. De-icing may be a pain but it is very important that you make sure you have 100% all round visibility including your mirrors  before you drive away.  If you leave your car outside overnight, cover the windscreen with a sheet or some cardboard.  Make sure your washer bottle is full of anti-freezing cleaning additive.  If you have a garage - USE IT! Electrics - make sure ALL your lights are clean and working and your demisters work efficiently.  Check the windscreen wipers and rubbers are working effectively. Fog can suddenly appear and drift rapidly and is often patchy, drive slowly using dipped beam headlights.  When visibility is seriously reduced to below 100 metres also use front and rear fog lamps.  Use your windscreen wipers and demisters to improve visibility. Do not hang onto the tail lights of the vehicle in front as it can give you a false sense of security and means you may be driving too close. Grip is something you can’t have enough of in wintry conditions. Make sure all your tyres including the spare are correctly inflated and have plenty of tread depth - do not be happy with the minimum tread depth of 1.6mm, your life could depend on that couple of millimetres of tread that is missing?  Remember that water is rubber’s natural lubricant and you will have less grip in the wet. Hail usually occurs unexpectedly and can be almost totally blinding for drivers, however it doesn’t usually last for long. Slow down to a safe speed  and use dipped beam headlights or stop if possible until it has blown over. Ice is one of the most potentially dangerous driving conditions you will encounter.  Keep a much greater distance from the vehicle in front, up to ten times the distance as travelling on a dry road.  Keep in the highest gear you can to avoid wheel-spin.       If you need to brake, get into a low gear early and use engine braking to slow you down then use the brake very gently. If you do get into a skid, ease off what caused it (brake, steering, accelerator).  Avoid braking on a bend or corner. Journey - is it ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY?  Have you checked the local weather forecasts and considered the advice given? Have you told somebody of your estimated time of arrival at your proposed destination.  Would taking a flask of hot drinks, food, warm clothing (Blankets), Wellington’s, torch, jump leads, reflective jacket and shovel be a wise precaution? Ask yourself again is your journey ESSENTIAL? Keep in your vehicle until help arrives if you get into trouble.  Abandoned vehicles cause problems for rescue vehicles and snow ploughs.  If you really have to leave your vehicle then make yourself visible by wearing a fluorescent jacket. Leave your bed earlier and give yourself more time to deal with any delays. Manual cars will move away more effectively on snowy surfaces if you use 2nd gear and accelerate gently.  In automatics select 2nd gear on snowy surfaces and stay in second as this will stop the car constantly changing up and down the gears. Night journeys restrict your view and offer you less clues to any danger ahead.  Heavy rain or snow will reduce the effectiveness of your headlights.  Be able to stop well within the distance illuminated by your headlights. oversteer is when the vehicle steers MORE than you would expect and can lead to a loss of control on any surface but especially in winter.  This is where the back of the car tries to overtake the front and you will spin if you do not correct it immediately.  If the back of your car slides to the right then correct the slide by turning your wheel slightly in the same direction - that is steer gently to the right. Do not over correct the steering as too much movement will cause a skid in the opposite direction. Ploughs and gritters do a vital job in appalling conditions. Give them plenty of room and stay well back.  Do not overtake them as you will then be travelling on untreated roads.  They travel at a maximum of 40mph so be patient as they will probably leave the road they are gritting soon. Queues are more frequent during the winter months.  Be patient and switch off your engine if you have a long wait - fears that you engine won’t start again are generally unfounded. Rear vision is extremely important.  Do not move away until the rear demister has done it’s job, and make sure all mirrors are clean and properly adjusted. Sun can be very low in the sky in winter causing an underestimated hazard.  Slow down and use you visor or better still a pair of sunglasses which can easily be removed once the glare has gone. Temperatures plummet in winter and zero degree Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) is the freezing point of water.  Be aware that car outside temperature displays warn of ice at four degrees Celsius, this is because they measure air temperature and not ground temperature which is usually four degrees lower. Understeer is when the vehicle responds LESS than you would expect. Most front wheel drive cars understeer slightly.  Load and tyre pressures dramatically affect steering control. Vehicle condition is very important - make sure your vehicle is properly maintained and service just before winter. Winter tyres are worth considering as they improve safety by increased traction and reduced stopping distances whenever the temperature drops below 7 degrees Celsius. Xenon headlights offer advantages over halogen headlights. They provide a brighter light with less energy consumption and last a lot longer. You: are you ready for winter journeys?  Have you had enough sleep, are you fit to drive, are you taking any medication that could slow your reactions down and make you unsafe? Zero tolerance to alcohol.  Do not consume ANY alcohol within 24 hours of driving.

EVERY WINTER AN AVERAGE OF 6 DRIVERS ARE KILLED EVERY DAY

DON’T LET WINTER CATCH YOU OUT!

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