Bulletin Board

18/11/2023

Winter Driving ❄️

Hi all,

As the winter season approaches, we would like to share some tips on driving safely in cold, snowy and icy conditions, as winter driving can be challenging and risky. 

Here are some of the main points to remember. Most will be common sense, but we want to avoid any serious harm. These tips are from the RAC and AA:

Before setting off

Check the weather forecast and plan your route around major roads that are more likely to be cleared and gritted.

  1. Allow extra time for your journey, and ensure you have sufficient fuel or charge for your journey.

  2. Make sure all car lights are working and the lenses are clean.

  3. If the roads are really mucky, you might have to clean your lights after every trip.

  4. It is a legal requirement to clear all your car of snow, ice and mist using a scraper and de-icer, including the lights. Please do not drive with just a tiny patch of windscreen to see out of and remember to clear snow from the roof as well, as it can fall onto the windscreen and block your view, front and back. 

  5. Try and ensure your shoes are dry for driving so your feet don't slip on the pedals.

During the movement

You must use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced. If you use fog lights, remember to switch them off when visibility improves so they don’t dazzle other drivers or obscure your brake lights.

  1. Driving on snowy or icy roads.
     - Manual: Use low revs and change up to a higher gear as quickly as possible. Accelerate, brake, steer and change gear as smoothly as possible to avoid skidding. 
    - Automatic: Take better care when controlling the power to the wheels to avoid skidding. Some automatic cars come with an L, 2 or +/- control which allows you to change up into a higher or lower gear in the case of snowy road conditions.

  2. In adverse conditions, slow down and leave plenty of room between you and the car in front. Stopping distances can be 10 times longer when it's icy. 

  3. You should also keep a fully-charged mobile phone and power bank. That way you can let us know if your journey is taking longer than usual or call for help in an emergency.

Safe Travels
Engineius