Winter driving

Half of all bad weather crashes happen in the winter months.

During winter months, we expect the weather to be bad, and we can change the way we drive to compensate.

But so many crashes are still blamed on the weather.

The fact is that we don't change the way we drive as much as we should. The main cause of crashes in winter is poor driving, not poor weather.

Snow and ice

A third of all crashes happen on roads that are wet or frozen.

Frost, ice or snow on the road will reduce the grip of tyres. This means you are much more likely to skid, and it can take up to 10 times further to stop than on a dry road.

If the road is wet, stopping distance doubles immediately. The faster you go, the longer it takes to stop. So, the way to prevent skidding and reduce stopping distances is to slow down. Drive with the conditions in mind and brake gently in plenty of time.

How can I avoid skidding?

Skids are caused by harsh handling of the vehicle; harsh braking, acceleration or steering. But their root cause is nearly always speed. The best way to avoid getting into a skid is by slowing down.

If you do skid, the basic advice is to take your feet off all of the pedals, until the wheels grip once more. If you slam the brakes on, you will lock up the wheels and lose control of the vehicle.

Gentle braking will lessen the possibility of the wheels locking. If they do start to lock, then the technique called 'cadence' braking should be used.

This works when the brake pedal is pumped on and off, this helps to keep wheel lock to a minimum. This is the principle that antilock braking systems (ABS), fitted to some cars, works on. So if you have ABS, you will not need to pump your brake pedal.

How can I tell whether roads are icy or not?

One clear indicator is of course whether you had to scrape ice or snow from your windscreen at the start of your journey. 

Inside a car, it is very easy to forget the outside conditions and temperature, which can easily lead to overestimating the ability of your car and its driver to handle the driving conditions. Ultimately, this can lead to cornering too fast, leaving it too late to brake and just generally a poor level of driving in poor conditions.

We keep local radio stations and TV networks up-to-date about road conditions and tell them when we are planning to salt the main roads.

Conditions will vary across the county. Some areas are more likely to freeze than others. If there is a white frost on grass and cars, then you may find icy patches on the roads.

Winter sun

The low sun in winter is a big problem for drivers. Unlike in summer, when the sun is higher, the winter sun can shine directly into a driver's eyes.

The problem is even worse when the road surface is wet or frozen. The sun shines directly into your eyes, and reflects up from the road surface.

As you cannot control the sunshine directly, the only way to truly reduce the risk is to reduce your speed.

Drive to the conditions - reduce your speed

At 30mph, in perfect weather, it will take you at least 23 metres (75 feet) to stop in an emergency. When wet, this may become 46 metres, and on ice, nearly 230 metres.

In residential areas, no matter what the weather, your speed is crucial. When there are plenty of road hazards like pedestrians, children, bicycles, parked cars and junctions, do you really need to be driving exactly on the speed limit?

Don't forget, speed limits tell you the maximum speed at which you can ever travel on that road. They are not targets to reach.

What else can I do to make winter driving safer?

Before winter arrives, make sure your vehicle is serviced and properly maintained.

You should:

• check tyres have the correct tread, are in good condition and inflated correctly
• add anti-freeze to radiators
• make sure windscreen wipers and washers are working properly
• make sure windscreen washer bottles are full and contain screenwash to stop them freezing and help keep your windscreen clean and clear.