Driving tips for icy conditions

Driving tips for icy conditions

As Britain has been somewhat battered by the weather this past week, and after looking out of the window this morning, we at WMCW decided to give some tips to help our readers drive safely in the current and upcoming icy conditions.

Driving in icy conditions can affect the steering, braking, and acceleration of your car. If you think the roads may be icy before you go out for a journey, it is best to prepare for the worst. When driving on an icy road, it is best to drive as if you are walking on eggshells - in other words, carefully!

1) Listen to radio and TV reports and police warnings about roads that may be closed. Websites that also provide this information include:
BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/national
Highways Agency - http://www.highways.gov.uk/traffic-information/
The AA - http://www.theaa.com/traffic-news/index.jsp

2) Try and stick to the main roads, as these are more likely to have been salted and cleared. It might be tempting to try a shortcut down a country road, but that road may be completely iced over.

3) When approaching junctions and bends in the road, or coming towards a downhill stretch in the road, reduce your speed early, but not sharply.

4) Keep a good gap between the vehicle in front of you and yourself, at least double what you would normally. The distance it takes to stop can increase by a factor of 10, so leave yourself lots of breaking space.

5) Try not to drive too fast. If possible, stay in higher gears, and pull away in second gear. You should accelerate slowly to avoid spinning your wheels.

6) Plan your journey ahead so you know where trouble may lie.

7) Keep a stock of WD40 and de-icer in the car, plus a scraper, so you can thaw your locks and clear the windows of condensation and ice.

If your car starts skidding, you should attempt to steer into the skid. If you think your car has lost grip on the road, take your foot off the accelerator, and steer your front wheels in the direction you want to go.

Be careful out there!

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