Driving Tips for Winter Weather

When winter weather takes hold, it brings an increased chance of hazardous driving conditions on our roads. From flash flooding to black ice, even a short journey to the local shop can be unsafe in the worst weather. Driving in cold and wintery weather can be hazardous and make for dangerous driving conditions, but there are many ways in which you can make your journey safer. To help you have a safe trip, here's our top tips for driving in winter weather - read our helpful guide to find out more. 

Slow Your Speed

Reduce your speed by 10mph in wet or icy conditions, as this can affect the rate in which your car is able to slow down, should you need to brake. The speed in which you can drive around a corner is also greatly affected by wet or icy conditions, so remember to stay slow. 

Stay Safely Distanced

The recommended distance in good driving conditions is to keep one car's distance between you and the vehicle in front. This is also referred to as the two-second rule, which can be measured by ensuring that you pass an object two-seconds after the car in front of you.

In difficult driving conditions this rule should be doubled to the length of two cars, or four seconds in distance.

Keep Your Headlights On

During the winter months it can often feel like there’s a real lack of daylight. Even when driving during the daytime, it’s recommended that you should put your headlights on at all times. Not only will it provide better visibility for you, but for other motorists around you too.

Clear Your Windows

Although this may sound obvious, it is so important to ensure that your windscreen and windows are thoroughly defrosted and clear of any condensation. Clearing a small patch of glass for you to see out of is not only dangerous, but it can get you in trouble with the police too. By law, you must be able to see out of every glass panel in your vehicle.

Remember that the best way to remove ice and frost is with a scraper and some de-icer. Never be tempted to use boiling water as this can cause the glass to crack. 

Remove Any Snow

As we don’t usually have a lot of snowfall in the winter, it’s very easy to forget to clear snow from the roof of your car when we do. But why is this so important? If you don't clear your car of snow, this can be flung from your car when driving and potentially cause problems for other drivers, especially those travelling behind you.

What’s more, you can be issued with three points and a £60 fine if you’re caught driving with snow on your car. This includes your car number plate too, as it should be visible at all times.

Steer Into A Skid

Your chances of skidding when driving are greatly increased during extremely icy or wet weather conditions. So what should you do if your car skids on the road? Initially you should take your foot off the pedals and steer into the skid. Only use your brake if you’re unable to steer out of trouble safely. 

Avoid Country Lanes

When driving in wintry conditions, try to use roads that are bigger and busier. Usually these are roads that will have been gritted, so there’s less chance of icy patches or snow. Lesser used roads and country lanes tend to remain untreated with grit, so there’s more chance of encountering a problem during adverse conditions. 

Test Your Brakes

Puddles and flooding can cause big problems in winter and aren’t always avoidable on UK roads. Be aware that water may be deeper than it first appears and may be hiding a pothole. If puddles or flooding are unavoidable, make sure you pass through slowly to reduce the risk of aquaplaning or spraying other road users with water. 

Remain in a low gear, keep your engine revs up and never stop in a large area of road water. Once you pass through, it is important to remain slow to let any excess water drain away. You will also need to test your brakes to make sure they are still working okay.

Above all else, remember that a winter health check is essential to help keep your car on the road and to ensure it’s safe for you and your passengers.

Used Cars at West Motors

If you’re in the market for a new-to-you car you can trust to get through the winter weather safe and sound, then you’re in the right place. Here at West Motors, we stock a range of used cars to suit all budgets and lifestyles. 

We aim to make the purchase of your next quality used car as easy as possible. Furthermore, we offer a part exchange service where we will give you the best possible price on your vehicle.

Take a look online where you can explore over 100 used cars in more detail, or visit our dealership in Uxbridge, Greater London, to discover our cars in person.