Top Tips

Winter Driving Tips

Is it essential?

It might seem like a silly thing to say, but consider if your journey is necessary before setting off in adverse conditions. If there are blizzard like conditions or freezing temperatures have created icy roads then the best driving tip is to not bother at all. Be sensible and delay your journey for another day, or when conditions improve. Winter can also leave us feeling a little under the weather and many cold and flu related medicines can leave you feeling drained and drowsy. If you do not feel well and are taking medication then think about how that could affect your driving, especially on longer journeys.

Wet conditions

There are a few simple precautions you can take, which will help you when driving in heavy rain. The most obvious piece of advice is to slow down. It stands to reason that the wetter the road surface, the longer it is going to take your car to stop when braking. Heavy rain can also have a drastic effect on your visibility when driving too. So, slow down when out in these conditions and make sure that you leave a longer than normal distance between you and the vehicles in front of you on the road.

Prolonged periods of heavy rain can result in surface water sitting on roads. You may find that your car looses grip when it hits one of these patches of surface water, which is also known as aquaplaning. If this happens then try not to steer or brake suddenly, just take your foot off the accelerator and slow down gradually.

Snow or icy conditions

A lot of the advice given when driving in wet conditions is also applicable when driving in snow or icy conditions. However, it is not always obvious when you are driving on ice. A simple test is to listen for the road noise coming from your tyres and if this is quieter than you would normally expect then you could well be driving in icy conditions. Skidding on ice can be an extremely frightening experience and an immediate reaction when you start to skid is to press your brake, but this will result in your wheels locking and you loosing control of the car. The correct thing to do when you skid is to depress your clutch and steer the car into the direction that it is skidding, once the car straightens you can then steer as normal.

Slopes or hills in the road can be particularly tricky to navigate in snow or icy conditions. Try not to power up hills in these conditions as you will quickly find yourself stuck half way up with no traction on the road. The right way to negotiate hills is to build a little momentum before you reach the hill and then allow that to carry you to the top. When trying to come down a hill then drive as slowly as possible. Pop the car into first gear, avoid pressing your brake or accelerator and simply let the car carry you down safely.

Sudden braking

Hopefully if you have heeded the advice so far then you will have no need to perform an emergency stop, but this can sometimes be unavoidable in winter as other road users can be caught out by the conditions. If you do need to stop suddenly then apply the brake without locking the wheels. If the vehicle starts to skid then release the pressure from the brake pedal momentarily and then re-apply. You may need to repeat this process a number of times before the wheels free up. Don't forget to press the clutch in just before you stop.

Getting stuck

Before setting off on a journey of any significant distance in winter you must prepare for the possibility of breaking down or getting stranded in heavy traffic. Dress appropriately with warm clothes, sensible shoes or boots, take blankets and carry a flask of something warm like soup or coffee. If you do breakdown on the motorway then try to park as far to the left of the hard shoulder as possible and turn on your hazard warning lights. Evacuate all passengers from the car through the near side doors and find a safe shelter that is well away from the road.

Re-charge your batteries

In winter conditions a vehicles battery has to work even harder than normal. Extra heat in the cabin, turning on the heated seats and windows create additional strain, this coupled with the fact that cold temperatures reduce the power output of a battery could cause the demise of an old or weak battery. Before setting out, please make sure your battery is in good condition and is fully charged.

Keep your cool

Suprisingly, the cooling system in your car has to work even harder in cold conditions. To help, make sure that the car has the right type and mix of antifreeze.

For your free winter healthcheck please call your nearest Mon motors Group dealership today and arrange a time to call in that is convenient for you. The check only takes half an hour, so you can be back on the road with complete peace of mind in no time.