Car advice: Winter driving

We show you how to drive through snow in our complete guide to winter driving.

Breakdown items | Car checks | Avoid a flat battery |
Rain | Ice and snow | Fog | Wind

Breakdown items

Be prepared for the worst. Whether you breakdown in the freezing cold, pouring rain or thick fog, having the top ten winter breakdown items with you will be a big help.

More than half of UK motorists don’t carry a torch, first aid kit or blankets with them.* And around one in five don’t have a scraper and de-icer.

Make sure you have these in your car at all times:

1. Scraper and de-icer
2. Shovel
3. Blanket
4. First aid kit
5. Boots
6. Reflective clothing – jackets, armbands and stickers
7. Jump leads
8. Food and a warm flask of water
9. Mobile phone and breakdown firm contact details
10. Tow rope

Car checks

Now is a great time to get your vehicle serviced – seek out any problems before they become serious and cause a breakdown.

Carry out a quick set of checks every few days.

Tyres
Check tyres are inflated to their recommended pressure, as found in your vehicle handbook. A minimum of 3mm tread depth will provide better grip in snowy conditions – but more is better.

Anti-freeze and washer levels
Keep a 50/50 mixture of anti-freeze and water between the minimum and maximum marks of your coolant tank. If it freezes, the liquid will expand and could cause serious engine damage.

Regularly check the oil, brake fluid and windscreen washer levels.

Windows
Clean your windows by scraping off snow and switching the demister to its highest setting. Read our guide to de-icing a car for more information.

Lights, mirrors, plates and wipers
Lights and mirrors can get dirty with spray and grit, so clean them regularly. Examine wiper blades and replace if worn.

The DVLA states number plates must be displayed and easy to read, so make sure they’re fully clear from snow and road grime.

Fuel
Maintain a steady to high amount of fuel in the tank – you never know what kind of situation you’ll get stuck in.

Avoid a flat battery

The most common reason for a vehicle not starting in the winter season is a dead battery – especially after the weekend, if the car hasn’t been driven.**

If you leave your car for long amounts of time, the battery could fail.

Read our car battery advice feature for energy saving tips and a simple walkthrough on how to jump-start an engine.

Driving through rain

• Stopping distances double in the wet – so it’ll take 46m of braking at 30mph before your car will stop
• Aquaplaning is where your car makes contact with a layer of water too fast, causing the tyres to brush against the surface of water rather than the road.
• Take care when driving through puddles or heavy rain. If your vehicle loses grip or aquaplanes, don’t brake hard or steer suddenly. Instead, let the car coast to reduce speed and regain grip.
• Avoid driving through flooded roads, as this can ruin your engine. If you have to, use first gear. Move at a slow pace and keep your revs high to avoid stalling the engine.
• Test your brakes after passing through water. If the brake pedal feels spongy or slack, pull over - your car may not be safe to continue until weather conditions improve.
• Don’t splash pedestrians by driving through large puddles. You could be fined up to £2,500 for inconsiderate driving.

Driving through ice and snow

• Check for signs of ice before driving – most cars have ice warning lights and temperature gauges – anything below three degrees centigrade means ice is likely.
• If your tyres are very quiet, this could be a sign you’re driving on ice, so take great care and slow down.
• Read our skidding advice to avoid losing control of your car and causing a dangerous situation on an icy road.
• Brake sufficiently before turning and leave a large gap between you and the car in front.
• Look out for salt spreaders and snow ploughs. Both flash amber beacons and will drive less than 40mph. Don’t overtake these vehicles unless it’s safe to do so and remember the grit could chip your car’s paintwork.

Driving in fog

• If visibility is less than 100 metres, switch your fog lights on. Switch them off once conditions improve so you don’t dazzle other drivers, as it is against the law to use fog lights if visibility is good.
• Switch on your dipped headlights
• Use your windscreen wipers and screen demisters to prevent glass from steaming up
• Listen out for approaching traffic at junctions
• Drive slowly and be prepared to slow down further - thick fog can suddenly appear in patches

Driving in wind

• Watch out for strong winds on bridges and in gaps between buildings and trees
• Take extra care when driving alongside cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders – strong gusts can blow them off course
• High-sided vehicles such as caravans and coaches can veer off course from strong winds, so be careful when passing them

* Kia Motors UK research survey 2007.
** RAC breakdown statistics 2007.