British Winters often bring adverse road weather conditions such as sleet, snow, heavy rain and ice, and driving in these conditions can be dangerous, so here are our top tips for keeping yourself safe whilst travelling on the roads this Winter:
Ultimately, the best way to keep yourself safe during dangerous road conditions is to keep off the road. If the journey isn’t urgent or necessary, delay your travel plans until a time the roads are safer.
Whilst driving slowly and sensibly may seem like obvious advice, if you are in a rush to get somewhere it can be more difficult to adhere to, so always ensure you leave early to allow plenty of time for your journey and take it steady. If ever you do find yourself running late during adverse weather conditions, always remember that it’s always better to arrive late than never at all.
Allowing enough time to get your car de-iced before travelling is essential for your safety and the safety of other road users and pedestrians. Not having enough time to defrost your windows thoroughly will leave behind ice which will impair your vision and as a result, will increase your chances of a collision.
Under-inflated tyres increase your risk of losing traction on the roads, something which can be extremely dangerous, particularly in slippery conditions. Always ensure that all your tyres are inflated to the recommended PSI and check these levels regularly.
This is important advice no matter what the road conditions, but in a situation where extra attention to the road conditions are required, it really is essential. Remove anything that could distract you unnecessarily, such as an air freshener hanging from your windscreen mirror, and don’t attempt to eat, drink, smoke or use electronic devices whilst driving.
Along with driving slowly, allowing plenty of room to come to a stop is also very important to help reduce your chances of losing control of your vehicle. Sudden sharp braking could cause your car or van to lose traction and slide, which can end up causing a collision.
In slippery conditions, it’s always best to avoid using cruise control, as you always need to be completely alert and in full control of your vehicle’s acceleration and speed when enduring wet, snowy or icy road conditions.
Hopefully you won’t be involved in any collisions or have your vehicle breakdown this Winter but being prepared for these unfortunate eventualities is essential for your wellbeing. Always make sure that you and your passengers are wearing your seatbelts correctly, that you have adequate breakdown and recovery protection in place and that you have everything you need to keep yourself warm and something to draw attention to your vehicle if required.
