Winter Driving Hints and Tips

posted on 10 November 2008

As the nights draw in and the leaves fall from the trees, it seems winter is well upon us once again. The British winter can cause added stress to even the most experienced drivers as bad weather has a habit of appearing suddenly.
Stay safe on the roads this winter, with the following driving advice from Tyre Advice.

Vehicle preparation
Tyre preparation
Do I need winter tyres?
Journey planning
Change the way you drive

Vehicle preparation

Many vehicle problems which are caused by winter conditions are easily preventable with a little forward planning. Before winter gets underway, make sure your car is in good working order and has the necessary equipment for the winter conditions.

Add anti-freeze to the radiators and an additive to windscreen washer bottles to prevent them becoming frozen.
Check lights and wipers are working correctly and that your battery is fully charged.
Its also a good idea to get your vehicle fully serviced by a trained mechanic, especially if its been a while since you had this done.
Ensure you have tow rope, spare bulbs, spare fuel, shovel, hazard warning triangle, high visibility jacket, jump leads, blankets de-icing equipment and a working torch in the vehicle.

Tyre Preparation

Tyres are often a neglected area of routine checks and maintenance. Considering that your tyres are the only part of the vehicle gripping the road, tyres also need to be properly checked regularly especially in winter when roads are often wet or icey.

Check the tyre pressure
Look for signs of irregular wear
Check tread depth of each tyre
Check the overall condition of the tyre including sidewalls
Ensure tyres are clean
Examine the spare tyre

Do I need winter tyres?

It’s a common misconception that because the majority of the UK rarely sees snow that winter tyres are a waste of time and money. This is not the case. Winter tyres aren’t just designed to cope with ice and snow but offer better grip and handling in a wide range of poor weather conditions.

Everyone should consider winter tyres in the colder months as cold weather is also responsible for reduced handling, grip and safety on the roads. For more information, please see our winter tyre article.

Journey planning

Although you may only be going a short distance, it is still a good idea to plan your journey as the unpredictable nature of the British weather means conditions can change quickly.

Before you set off, clear windows of any ice or snow
Listen to local radio stations for weather and travel information to warn you of delays and road closures
Take warm drinks and snacks with you in case of long delays
Ensure relevant breakdown numbers are stored in your car and on your mobile phone. Your mobile phone should be kept well charged

Change the way you drive

Hazardous weather conditions can affect the road surface. Therefore, you will need to adjust your driving accordingly.

Braking distances are increased in rain, ice and snow so reduce your speed and allow extra room between you and the car in front.
Remember to take regular rest and refreshment breaks, particularly on long journeys.

There are also a number of weather related driving issues which are unique to winter driving. So when driving in:

Snow and Ice – allow speed to fall gently when breaking to stop wheels locking and in heavy snow or hail use dipped headlights.
Fog – drive slowly and use dipped headlights. If visibility is severely reduced, use fog lights until the visibility improves.
Flooding – cross water slowly in the shallowest area, usually by the kerb. Remember to test your breaks on the way out. Do not attempt to cross deep waters.
Winter Sun – the sun is lower in the sky than usual and can be an unexpected hazard. Keep a pair of sunglasses in the car but remember to remove them when they are no longer required.
Breakdown – stay with the car as abandoned vehicles slow up the snow plough. On the motorway use the road side emergency phone on the hard shoulder so you can be easily located. If you do use your mobile, note the number on the marker posts.

How can I avoid skidding?

Skidding occurs when your tyres fail to grip the road and can usually be avoided through good observation and anticipation. The risk of skidding increases if tyres are wrongly inflated and do not have adequate tread. The legal limit is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre width around the whole circumference although it is recommended that tyres should be changed when the tread level is around 3mm.

Almost all skids are driver induced and are caused when:

braking – excessive use of brakes causing wheels to lock
turning – Over-steering into a turn then attempting to straighten up or accelerating suddenly mid-turn

To avoid skidding, calm, smooth reactions are required when driving in icy and wet conditions. When braking, press the brakes lightly and infrequently rather than suddenly to prevent wheels from locking. When turning, steer gently, keeping your foot off the accelerator. Also ensure you slow down well in advance of the turning. This will prevent over-steering and also wheel-lock.

What do I do if my vehicle starts to skid?

When it comes to skidding, prevention really is best but sometimes, you just can’t get out of skidding situations. If you do find yourself skidding, the most important thing to do is to stay calm. Identify the cause of the skid and remove it. Different actions will be taken in depending on the cause of the skid.

Front Wheel Skid

A front wheel skid occurs when the car does not take the expected course that the driver has steered. It is more commonly referred to as understeer. This is often caused by entering a corner or bend at high speeds or sudden braking to reduce the speed when taking a bend or corner.
To overcome a front wheel skid:

Remove the foot from the accelerator or brake
Fully depress the clutch pedal
Steer smoothly and carefully keeping the wheels in the direction of the skid

These actions should be simultaneous to prevent the vehicle gaining too much momentum. When the vehicle starts to regain traction, be prepared for the steering to “snatch”.

Rear Wheel Skid

A rear wheel skid occurs when the rear of the vehicle swings out of line with the front of the vehicle. This is more commonly known as oversteer. Again, this is caused by entering a corner at high speeds or sudden braking in a rear wheel drive vehicle.
To overcome a rear wheel skid:

Remove the foot from the accelerator or brake
Fully depress the clutch pedal
Steer smoothly and carefully in the direction that the back of the vehicle is sliding – i.e. into the skid

Be aware that correcting the steering too much may cause the vehicle to slide in the opposite direction. Again, these actions should all be done simultaneously.

Four Wheel Skid

As the name suggests, a four wheel skid occurs when all four wheels lock causing the car to forward in the direction the momentum is carrying it, with loss of directional control. This is usually a result of harsh or sudden braking and drivers can often sense an increase in the vehicles speed.
To overcome a four wheel skid:

Remove your foot from the accelerator
Fully depress the clutch
Pump the brake pedal (also known as cadence braking) which encourages the brakes to lock and unlock

This is similar to the principal of ABS braking systems. Any movement in the steering wheel during this process should have a positive effect.

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