While snow isn’t something we see too often in the UK, areas do experience it as temperatures drop and some of us dread going out in it.
You might even try to avoid going anywhere while it's cold and snowy but if you have to drive in it, it’s important to know how to drive safely.
The experts at Bill Plant Driving School shared five tips to help motorists drive safely in snow – let’s take a look.
How to drive safely in the snow
Check your windscreen wipers
Before you set off on any journey, you’ll need to make sure your windscreen wipers are working correctly as visibility in wintery conditions is key.
Check for any wear and tear in the rubber and check if the wipers leave smears and dirt on your windscreen when you’re deciding whether to replace the blades or not.
Avoid harsh acceleration
When it comes to driving in the snow, being in control of your vehicle is critical and you should perform every manoeuvre slowly and with care.
The experts advise you to be gentle on the throttle and set off smoothly using low revs because accelerating harshly could make your wheels spin.
When slowing down, you should be constantly ready to gently brake as you move down the gears as this will let other drivers behind you know your indication with your brake lights.
Drive in a high gear
It’s advised that you pull off in second gear whilst gently easing off the clutch to avoid wheel spin.
Once you’re moving, drive in as high a gear as possible so that your revs stay lower and your wheel spin is reduced.
When you’re using the correct gear, don’t change gear unless it’s absolutely necessary.
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Consider your stopping distance
In wet conditions, stopping distance usually doubles but with snow and ice you should be looking to leave a gap that is up to 10 times bigger than standard.
Where possible, you should avoid braking and changing gear, especially on hills where you should wait till traffic is clear before keeping a constant speed.
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Use your headlights
Since the winter months have shorter days, most the time motorists use side lights or full headlights.
When visibility is seriously reduced (normally when you can’t see further than 100 metres) you must use headlights.
Fog can also be a problem when it comes to visibility so front or rear fog lights can be used where there is little visibility.
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