As the weather turns, driving conditions become more tricky. Whether it’s a foggy morning reducing visibility, snow cover or icy roads increasing stopping times or heavy rain affecting visibility – there are more hazards on the road in the winter.
Here is our list of winter driving essential tips.
Pack Up
At this time of year, the weather can be unpredictable, although we don’t see too much in the way of adverse weather conditions, especially in the east of England the weather can still turn unexpectedly.
It is always best to pack some essentials that will see you through a significant change in the weather.
- Torch
- Phone charger
- Water
- Snacks
- Extra layers
Make Some Checks
Making sure your car is in good order is important any time of the year but more so in the winter when it can be cold and wet and dark.
Basic checks will help avoid having to unexpectedly stop and can avoid accidents.
- Check tyres – make sure there is at least 2mm of tread depth, you can do this with a 20p, find out how here
- Check lights – make sure all the lights are working correctly, you might need someone else to help with this and clean dirty headlights.
- Check and top up coolant – The directions for checking and topping up will be in your manual.
Above all, in adverse weather conditions, drive slowly and carefully.
Stopping distances could be increased by up to 10 times in snowy or icy weather conditions. Watch out for the behaviour of drivers around you, it can give you an idea of any hazards around you conversely not everyone will be driving according to the road conditions!
