Winter driving tips from WMCW

Winter driving tips from WMCW

Well as I'm sure you're all aware, the temperatures are plummeting in the UK, and we may soon all have to deal with the hazards of wintery weather on the roads. To aid this cause, we offer our top tips for driving in icy conditions.

A few parts of the UK have experienced wintery conditions already this past month, and now is the perfect time to start preparing you and your car for wintery conditions.

Our first tip is to always make sure to keep to the main roads wherever you can. Main roads are more likely to have been treated with salt, or have been ploughed by local authorities. They are also more likely to be well lit, allowing you to view obstacles more easily.

Our second tip is a rather obvious one, though it is easily forgotten each year by drivers everywhere. Be sure to have a decent de-icing spray and functioning scraper to hand in your car. When scraping your windscreen, make sure to clear the whole area. The more space you clear, the more effective your area of vision will be.

When starting off on icy or snowy roads, do so in second gear. Take your time and release the clutch whilst accelerating gently. Resist the temptation to give it more power, as you will likely just spin your wheels and risk causing damage. Keep an eye on the look of the road. Ice can easily look like a section of wet road, so you should remain careful and treat such patches as hazardous.

When there are other cars on the road with you, always maintain a decent distance from the vehicle in front of you. Your stopping distance in icy conditions will increase by a factor of around 10, so this extra distance from other vehicles is needed to avoid crashing into their rear.

Should you feel your vehicle losing it's grip when driving, and it starts to slip to the side, you should take your foot from the accelerator, but not slam on the breaks. Instead, steer your front wheels so they point in the direction you wish to travel.

We at WMCW wish you all the best during your wintery driving, and remember, the best advice for travelling in such conditions is not to - stay in the warm instead!

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