5 Top Tips for Safe Driving in Winter

The season of bad weather is nearly upon us once again, so it’s worth reminding ourselves about the best driving tips to stay safe over winter. It’s a season that can bring a whole host of new challenges as icy roads, snow and cold temperatures are all expected, so you have to be able to adapt your driving style to suit. Here are our best tips for safe driving in winter.

The best way to achieve safe driving during winter is not to drive at all

The advice we’d give to anyone thinking about driving in treacherous conditions is: is your journey really necessary? If it could wait until the next day or after the weather clears, do so. No matter how confident you feel about the safety of your driving, during winter it’s never worth taking a risk.

Drive slowly and gently

If your journey is necessary, the best way to stay safe when driving on dangerous roads is to drive with care and caution. Avoid pressing the accelerator or brake pedal too hard as wheelspin could dig you into a hole. Let your engine do the brunt of the work, through gentle engine braking, and dab at the brakes rather than slamming them on.

Try and stop as little as possible

It’s best to try and keep moving when you’re out on the roads during winter because, if you stop and can’t get going again, you might become an accident risk to someone else who’s driving perfectly safely. Definitely don’t stop on a snowy, icy hill as you’ll have a very slim chance of moving off again.

Always pull away in second gear

When it comes to pulling away, setting off in first can create wheelspin. This won’t help improve the limited grip and traction you have and could leave you spinning yourself into a hole. Put the car in second and gently accelerate away, bringing the clutch up smoothly to avoid stalling. It might take a few tries but keep at it! Practice makes perfect when it comes to achieving a safe style of winter driving.

Always give yourself extra time for each journey

Don’t try and rush during winter, especially if the roads are covered in snow or ice. Leave the house in plenty of time so you can drive slowly and safely this winter. This might mean getting up slightly earlier to give yourself plenty of time to scrape and deice your car. Never set off until you have full visibility of the road.

Even if you think you’re a safe driver in winter, always check your essentials

Make sure you have at least a quarter of a tank of fuel before you begin your journey – any less and you could be struggling to reach your destination should there be an unexpected delay. Make sure your tyre pressure and tread depth are at an acceptable level as well, as per your manufacturer’s guide. We’d recommend doing these checks at the start of the season to give yourself as much time as possible to sort any problems out.

Maintaining a safe driving style in winter can be tough, especially with all the challenges the road can throw at you. Following these tips will make your life a whole lot easier though! If anything goes wrong during the winter, or your car needs some routine maintenance, Badminstons Group are always here to help. Book online today to get your car ready for the winter ahead!