Tips on Driving Safely in the Snow & Ice This Winter

If you wake up to a few inches of snow, the first question is to ask whether you really have to make the journey ahead or can delay it until later.  If the answer is no then there are some safety tips to following before you even get in your car.  Firstly ensure that all the snow is cleared off your car before you start, not just a porthole on the window screen and remember to clear snow of the roof as well as once the car warms up this can slide down and cover your view which is the last thing you need when trying to drive through snow.

It’s also a good idea to have a few extra items in your car just in case of an emergency, these can include a torch, first aid kit, blankets and a snow shovel.  Remember to wear warm clothing and appropriate footwear and of course take your mobile phone, making sure it is fully charged.  

Icy roads are always tricky to negotiate, with many of us not having a huge amount of experience of driving on ice and snow.  Experts advise that the best way to drive safety in the ice is to ensure that you make gentle manoeuvres and reduce the speed of the car as too much power can send the car into a spin.   When driving maintain a steady constant speed ensuring that you choose the appropriate gear ahead of time and use the gears to make the engine do the braking rather than your foot.   

If you do get into trouble and the car starts to slide, whilst your first instinct may be to hit the brake it is vital that you don’t.  Braking will cause the car to skid more; you should depress the clutch and steer in the direction of the skid.   This is a lot easier to say than do, but if you want to get experience of driving on ice then why not book a session on a skid pan where you can get training from an expert on the best way to control a vehicle on ice.

Bear in mind that in the ice and snow it can take up to 10 times longer to stop so leave a safe distance between you and the car in front and stick to the main roads whenever possible as these will be gritted first and should be clearer.

By taking a few simple precautions you could avoid a nasty accident this winter.  By ensuring you drive to the road conditions, you can prevent a claim on your  car insurance and keep your no claims bonus safe – not to mention you and car in one piece!

Remember car insurance premiums  will go up if you claim on your car insurance and even a minor bump when driving on ice can be an expensive experience.