It’s winter- and there are severe weather warnings cropping up everywhere. Instead of the usual endless stream of grey days, the UK is now in the throes of one of the harshest winters almost anyone can remember. If you have to travel, here’s a list of things you can do to stay a little safer.
1) Check out the Highways Agency’s Traffic England, Traffic Scotland and Traffic Wales websites for information about road closures or problem areas you might be driving to. These sites are incredibly useful and will tell you all about road closures and delays. There’s also a traffic website for Northern Ireland as well.
2) Spend some time with your car. Put in a blanket, boots, spade and snacks. De-ice it carefully scraping horizontally from the top of the windows to the bottom. knock the snow off your roof and bonnet so that it doesn’t blow onto the windscreen. Clear the mirrors. Don’t forget the winter sun is low in the horizon so it can shine directly in your eyes and melting snow and ice also present . Even if it’s grey when you start, the clouds may shift. So put a pair of driving sunglasses or clip-ons in the glove box just in case.
3) If you’re tyres aren’t making any noise, that’s a sign you’re on ice.
4) Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front. The usual two-second rule just isn’t enough when the conditions are poor.
5) According to the Highways Agency , if your vehicle skids, depress the clutch and turn the steering wheel into the direction of the skid. When the vehicle straightens steer along the road. Don’t brake – it will just lock up your wheels and you’ll skid further.
Stay safe!
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