My top safety tips when driving in winter
Given the state of the weather over the last couple of weeks, I’m sure we are all looking at ways to keep safe especially when driving this winter. We’ve already been inundated with snow, ice and serious cold spells. Whilst you really should minimise your travelling when conditions are treacherous, some journeys can’t be helped. I’ve put together some of the top tips on how to keep as safe as possible when driving in winter.
First and foremost, you need to make sure your are insured. Obviously it is a legal requirement but if you’re involved in an accident, you want to make sure you are covered. Even if you’re looking at temporary car insurance cover, this can cover you short term if you’re just travelling around at Christmas time. Accidents are more frequent in winter in horrible weather, so it’s always best to have the best cover.
Before going anywhere, make sure you’ve got an emergency essentials kit in your car. If you breakdown or in a hold up due to weather, make sure you’ve always got water, blanket, first aid kit, torch and a snack just incase you’re stuck in your car for longer than you think. I always think back to when were stuck in snow for three hours driving back from Whitby, it can get awfully cold and at the time you don’t know how long it’ll be!
Planning ahead is always best and knowing the best routes to go. Stick to the main roads in wintery conditions and avoid rural roads. Especially when icy, rural roads are less likely to have been gritted and cleared.
Once in your car, give yourself plenty of time to clear the windscreen. I know many of times during Winter, we’ve been late going to work as we’re waiting for the windscreen to demist. By not demising your car properly, it’ll obstruct your vision out the windscreen and you’ll be driving illegally. I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of hacks on TikTok including using warm water (NOT BOILING WATER) in freezer bags or even shaving foam. The basic technique to use your car’s air-con, climate control and wind down the windows. You’ll be off in jiffy with a clear windscreen!
Finally, make sure you check your tyres. Especially when driving in snow, poor tyres will have no grip when it comes to driving in snowy conditions. If snow and ice is a common occurrence, maybe think about changing up to winter tyres. Especially in places such as the Scottish Highlands.
Hopefully this has given you a few tips when it comes to driving in Winter.
