16, Oaks Road, Great Glen, Leicester LE8 9EF....Tel. 0116 2592385 or 07802 483214....email sally@king4wd.co.uk or trevor@king4wd.co.uk

Driving in Winter Conditions

Please note- these are our guidelines only- check your handbook for instructions which are specific to your vehicle and always follow the manufacturers advice for your model. We cannot be held responsible for any unforeseen accidents or other damage caused by using these techniques and strongly advise avoiding driving in bad road conditions wherever possible!

Preparation

The best investment in safety you’ll make is checking your tyres pressure and condition, including the spare. Ensure the vehicle servicing is up to date, including having the correct  proportion of antifreeze in your radiator and washer bottle, external lights are clean and working, all the fluids are topped up as per the handbook instructions and that the vehicle is functioning properly.

Allow much more time for your journey, not just because your speed is going to be reduced but also to allow for potential traffic and detours caused by other accidents.

Inform others where and when you will be going in case of problems. Have backup plans you can put in place in case you’re running late and so you’re not tempted to risk going faster than you’re comfortable with in adverse conditions!

Put together a winter driving pack and keep it in your car all winter. Consider items like a first aid kit with bandages, a torch, escape hammer, seatbelt ripper, metal shovel, a bag of sand, jump leads, tow rope, some high energy food like chocolate and a few old blankets both for keeping warm and to spread under the wheels to assist traction if you do slide off the road.

I travel with photocopies of my insurance and other details plus a pen in case of accident- a mobile with camera and flash is great to record road conditions, markings and vehicle positions. Make sure you get names, addresses, insurance company details and witness names and contact numbers and give a copy of your details to the other drivers involved.

Check out your route and the conditions you’ll find along it- local radio stations are excellent for up-to-date local information so a list of them for your passenger to retune to is a huge help. If your stereo has TA (traffic announcements), you’ll get the best local updates even while listening to your own music but in bad conditions, turn your stereo down or off so you can hear the tyres and engine noise.

It might be a no-brainer to suggest checking you’ve enough fuel for your journey, but remember that your journey may include unscheduled stop and starting, greatly increased duration and most dangerously, potential overnights in the vehicle if you get stuck either yourself, or by the road being closed by accidents in front and behind you. (See tip under ‘Snow’)

If you’re travelling with kids in the car, ensure they’re properly strapped in to a correctly sized and fitted child seat- most child seat retailers like ‘Halfords’ will help you with that when you purchase it. (Any child under 135cm legally has to be carried this way under all conditions).  It really helps to have another person with you to distract them while you concentrate and a bagful of toys, comics, pens & paper can be a lifesaver, especially if you do have a much longer journey than expected. Avoid plug-in electronic games if you have the engine off- if you need to restart to heat the car if you are stationary for a long time, a flat battery can be a liability.

General winter driving

Ease off the accelerator slowly and allow much greater braking distances as well as keeping your speed down. Steer gently and keep your speed right down.

Let others know where you are intending to manouver by using your indicators and braking gently in good time.

Avoid using cruise control in snow, ice and standing water situations as  sliding or hydroplaning with cruise control on can make the vehicle accelerate and your situation much worse.

Keep all your windows clear, clean and use your side or headlights- it is far better to be seen but please don’t use fog lights unless the visibility is very poor as motorcycles and road users who haven’t cleaned their windows thoroughly can experience a very disorientating dazzle.

Look further ahead and scan far, middle and short distances ahead repeatedly for vehicles, road conditions and terrain.  You’ll be prepared for potential problems ahead like hills (up or down), corners, adverse cambers and other road users.

Often, the first sign of loss of traction is a lightness through the steering wheel. Even if you don’t slide, be aware you are travelling over a compromised surface and slow accordingly, especially when there are hills, a camber, corners, bridges, underpasses or areas of road which may be worse due to shadows leaving persistant patches of black ice.

If you start sliding at an angle to where you’re travelling, gently turn your wheels  to the direction you’re sliding and gently take your foot off the accelerator.  Avoid the brake pedal if there is clear road in front (including the oncoming side) as braking can make your slide more extreme.

If your brakes lock up, you may feel a juddering from the brake pedal, especially if you have ABS (most vehicles do nowdays). This is because the car is reapplying the brakes to try to regain traction. If you know you car does not have ABS, try to very gently squeeze the brake off and on- either technique will dramatically increase your braking distance, which is why you should keep that speed RIGHT down  and predict potential dangers like junctions, traffic  lights, crossings, hills etc.

Be careful in busier places and times, especially when they coincide with pub closing times as they may have impaired reactions.

Be extremely careful of other road users if you do have to get out of the vehicle.

If you do have a serious crash, be aware that the rise in adrenaline can mask a potential injury so do get yourself and passengers checked over.

Snow

Clear excess snow off the bonnet & roof as lumps can fall onto your screen and that of other drivers.
Visualise an egg between your foot and the throttle and brake pedals. It helps keep power and deceleration to a minimum to prevent a slide starting.

Use as low gear as practical on normal roads so the engine revs are low but not straining. On steep downhills, use a high gear like 2nd and no throttle so the vehicle can use its engine braking. If your vehicle is fitted with hill descent (often found on Freelanders), use it to prevent wheels locking up down hill.

Be especially aware of pedestrians who can trip, fall and sometimes even choose to walk in the road- and when you leave your car, don’t do it yourself!

Plan where you’re aiming your vehicle well in advance, particularly when parking as you might find you can’t pull off on your return.  Aim to pull off on a gentle decline and in the direction your wheels are facing.  Avoid parking where the road has a deep incline or camber towards the gutter as this can keep you sliding into and along it rather than pulling out into the carriageway. Leave extra room between vehicles for manoeuvring in & out.

If you do get stuck, your vehicle is a good place to keep out of the elements if it is not in a dangerous position for other road users. Run the engine and heater occasionally to keep your temperature from falling too much but do open the window a crack when doing so to get fresh air and prevent possible fume build up in the vehicle- this can happen if the exhaust pipe gets blocked. Phone to let the emergency services know where you are.

Nothing beats gentle practice in getting the feel for your vehicle on packed snow and ice- find a large, flat, ice-covered space with no obstacles and preferably no kerbs and get permission 1st! A works car park can be ideal. Make sure you are there when no other vehicles are using it and keep in the middle at very low speed. Induce a low speed slide by throttling on quickly, braking sharply and notice the effect of steering on the slide. Practice recovering from the slide using the driving tips in previous sections.

Wind

Strong winds gusting across the carriageway can push your vehicle around and make sliding more likely. Keep your speed down and be ready for areas like gateways, between buildings and other vehicles which you are passing or are passing you, as the wind can buffet you through the gaps. There is also the possibility of debris in the road and other road users and pedestrians being blown off course unexpectedly too.

Flooding

When the snow and ice melt, flooding becomes a major issue- avoid driving through unknown depths of water as it often gets much deeper than you expect and most vehicles can literally float away in depths over 2’, less if there is some flow in the water.

If the water is KNOWN to be fordable, plan where to cross in your shortest, shallowest route at 90 degrees to the flow and approach it slowly in 1st gear so the engine is revving to about 2,500-3,000 revs. Do not let the revs drop or brake until you are out the other side or the water may go up the exhaust pipe. IF YOU DON’T KNOW- DON’T GO!!

I hope you’ll never need to know this, but if you are swept away in a car, unlock the doors and remove your seat belts. If you have a hammer, get it out, keep it to hand and call 999 quickly! If you become submerged, open the windows to let the water in but if you can’t, smash the side windows (the toughened windscreen won’t break). Allowing the water in will enable you to open the doors when the vehicle is full of water, so you can get out and push off towards the light or in the direction of the bubbles as they’ll head straight to the surface. If there is floating debris, use the biggest and most buoyant to stay afloat and reach the bank but watch out for other floating obstacles that could hit you.