The winter time brings with it harsh weather environments that can cause driving to be a lot more treacherous and difficult. To help keep you as well as other drivers safe driving during the winter months, consider these top tips.

1) Allow yourself extra time

Everyone leads busy lives, and whether it be rushing to get to work in the morning or dropping your children off at school, it’s important to take the time to analyse the weather updates and leave yourself extra time for your journey. 
 

2) Maintain safe stopping distances

Stopping distances are automatically increased in adverse weather conditions such as snow and ice, as there is less traction between the road and your tires. You must leave plenty of space between you and other vehicles on the road as if your vehicle goes into a skid, you need to have plenty of space and time to control the vehicle. Even in slippery and winter conditions your ABS brakes will engage but it’s important to brake gently in the event that you do slide as if you hold your foot on the brake, your wheels will lock up and the vehicle won’t steer in the direction you want it to.

3) Don’t over Accelerate

Harsh acceleration can cause the back end of your vehicle to swing out and cause potential harm to other drivers. For manual transmission drivers, the higher the gear you drive in the more torque goes to the wheels and therefore you’ll get more traction. 

4) Take care with your steering

You want to be smooth and slow with your steering. You don’t want to have quick and sharp movements as this can upset the car’s balance and cause the back end to spin out, which is called oversteering.

If you oversteer and find that you end up in a skid, steer gently into the skid; so if the rear of the car is sliding to the right, steer into the right. Ensure you take your foot off the accelerator and don’t suddenly hit the brakes as this can make the skid 10 times worse.

5) Pay attention to where you want to the car to go

It’s easier said than done not to panic if you lose control of your vehicle in snow, ice or rain, but if you do it’s important to look in the direction you want the car to go in. It sounds simple, but if you remove your feet from the accelerator and brake gently while purely focusing on the direction you want the car to go, you could avoid a serious accident.

When it comes to driving in the winter, it’s all about going slowly and gently, whether you’re accelerating, braking, or steering. By following these tips for driving in snow, ice, and rain, you can improve the safety of your driving and help avoid potentially fatal skids and accidents on the road.

If you’re concerned about unexpected repair costs our Crystal Clear Warranty can provide cover from 12-months to 24-months to ensure that you are covered for the full costs of the parts and labour.

After some more tips on driving during the winter months? Read our blog on how to survive driving in the darker nights.