Winter Driving Tips

Winter Driving Tips in the UK

Here let us help you find the solution to your winter snow and ice problems wherever you are

There is further advice to be found through my website by clicking the link at the end of this article.

Many of us have found ourselves in difficulties recently due to lack of grip on icy roads and although special tyres or chains are not compulsory in many places it is useful to have some kind of back up when the going gets tough.

One of the problems however is that the conditions may change from iced up side roads to well gritted motorways with anything in between. Choosing whether to use any of the accessories discussed on this site depends on several factors in order to avoid damage to vehicle, tyres or road surface.

I will try to help you with what winter driving tips I can. One thing I must emphasise. If in doubt then postpone your journey and always take advice from the emergency services.

Equipment for Winter Driving

Snow Chains

These are really effective at improving your car’s grip on poor slippery road surfaces. There is quite a range to choose from both in terms of quality, ease of fitting and price. You should bear in mind that used incorrectly these can damage the tyres and road surface so make sure to only use them where appropriate.

Snow Shoes

These are not a continuous layer covering the tyre like a “glove”. They tend to be less aggressive to the tyre and road so for many in the UK are perhaps better suited, particularly if moving from poor to good and back to poor surfaces.

Tyre Coatings

These are relatively new in development and basically are a spray on coating that increases the tyre’s grip on poor roads. Really useful as a temporary “get out of trouble” solution and one you should look at if snow is only a very occasional problem

Mats

Just what they sound like they are intended to be placed in front of the tyres to give enough extra grip to get the vehicle out of trouble. The only problem is that once moving then you have to stop to recover the mats again.

Useful Extras

Last of all what else should you put in your boot. A shovel or spade is useful to dig you out of trouble. Make sure you have a good amount of fuel. If you do get stuck then being able to run your engine and the heating every so often will keep you warm. Even so some extra clothing or even a sleeping bag would be a good idea just incase you cannot start up the car. A hot drink and something to eat (crisps, chocolate etc.) would be good too.

You may think this is a bit OTT but having spent eight hours stuck on a major road because of snow I was glad to have all of these to hand at the time. It does not take much to bring everything to a halt. One jack-knifed wagon (in my case it was a stuck caravan) will stop any snow ploughs getting through and then nothing can keep the road clear.

I hope that these winter driving tips have been of some help. Safe driving.