Most of us drive, whether as part of our job role, for our commute or simply for a personal trip. As the winter months become embedded, temperatures and weather conditions will deteriorate. Therefore, we need to make sure we are ready for winter; breakdowns are more common in the winter and road conditions can be really challenging, especially when snow and ice strike.

Many people underestimate the significance of seasonal changes on the driving environment and carry on driving without reminding themselves of the potential hazards.

Two of these hazards are:

• Reduced grip due to ice, snow and rain – stopping distances are greatly increased.
• Reduced visibility due to fog, sleet, snow or even low winter sun.

How to manage these potential hazards:

• To increase stopping distance, increase the gap to the vehicle in front of you (even when other drivers pull into that gap). This should be double the gap you normally give – for icy or muddy roads, make it more.
• Check your tyre tread depth. Stopping distance increase with reduced tread depth. Have you checked your tyres lately? Ideally in winter, tread depth should not go below 3mm.

Some tips for before and during your trip:

• Check your vehicle: lights, tyres, wipers, anti-freeze, engine coolant, screen wash etc.
• Carry an emergency winter car kit.
• Plan your journey.
• Ensure sufficient rest and check weather and road conditions regularly.
• Reduce travel distances and increase fatigue breaks.
• Adjust your driving to the conditions.
• Plan for slower journey times – allow time for vehicle checks / demisting.
• Stay off the roads in severe weather and stay on main roads where possible, these are the roads which are likely to be gritted.

Please share our Winter Driving Tips poster with your teams and notice boards and Drive to Arrive Safely. You can find the poster on the UK News download page: here