During wintry weather conditions
 Ask yourself - is your journey absolutely essential?
Check the local and national weather forecasts.
Listen to local and national radio for travel information.
Plan your journey.
Tell someone at your destination what time you expect to arrive.
Make sure you are equipped with warm clothes, food, boots and a torch. In snowy conditions, take a spade.
Clear your windows and mirrors before you set out and carry a screen scraper and de-icer.
If you do get into trouble
Do not use a mobile phone while driving. Stop somewhere safe or ask a passenger to make the call.
On a motorway, it is best to use a roadside emergency telephone, because the breakdown/emergency services will be able to locate you easily. If you have to use a mobile phone, make sure you know your location from the numbers on the marker posts on the side of the hard shoulder.
Abandoned vehicles can hold up rescue vehicles and snowploughs. To ensure that the road is cleared as quickly as possible, stay with your vehicle until help arrives.
If you have to leave your vehicle to get help, make sure other drivers can see you.
Have you checked.....?
There is anti-freeze in the radiator of your car.
There is winter additive in the windscreen wash.
That your battery is fully charged.
That your car is regularly serviced.
That all lights are working.
Your tyres have the correct amount of air in them.
That your tyres have plenty of tread depth.
That your wiper blades are replaced if they are worn.
You have an emergency pack in your car containing:
- Ice scraper and de-icer.
- Torch.
- Warm clothes and blanket.
- Food and drink.
- Boots or wellingtons.
- First aid kit.
- Battery jump leads.
- Spade to dig your car out of snow.
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Adjust your driving to winter conditions
It may be necessary for you to adjust your driving to winter conditions, so remember ...
Hail, heavy snow and rain reduce visibility.
Use dipped headlights and reduce your speed.
Take care with Winter sun, if it is too low for the visor keep a pair of sunglasses handy.
When roads are icy or slushly:
Never assume a road has been gritted.
It can take ten times longer to stop in icy conditions than on a dry road. Drive slowly, allowing extra room to slow down and stop.
Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin.
To brake on ice or snow without locking your wheels, get into a low gear earlier than normal, allow your speed to fall and use the brake pedal gently.
If you start to skid, ease off the accelerator but do not brake suddenly.
Watch out for fog:
Fog drifts rapidly and is often patchy.
In foggy conditions, drive very slowly using dipped headlights.
Use fog-lights if visibility is seriously reduced, but remember to switch them off when visibility improves.
Don't hang on to the tail-lights of the vehicle in front. This gives you a false sense of security and means you may be driving too close.
Links
BBC - How to drive in snow and icy weather
Winter Maintenance and Gritting Information
Be Bright, Be Seen
Keeping Safe This Winter
Highways Agency - Weather Watch
BBC Weather Forecast for Warwickshire |