According to many forecasters, the UK is due to experience a severe winter with heavy rain, snow and freezing temperatures so it is particularly important motorists are prepared.
Driving in icy and potentially slippery conditions requires skill and delicate use of the vehicle’s controls, steering, brakes and accelerator.
We suggest:
- Try to stick to major roads as these are more likely to have been cleared and gritted and allow extra time in case of unexpected delays
- When driving in icy or snowy conditions stopping distances can be 10 times more
- To maintain better control of your vehicle, stay in a high gear as this will help to avoid wheelspin
- Avoid harsh braking and acceleration, or sharp steering
- When driving on slippery surfaces always reduce your speed smoothly and in plenty of time. To avoid locking your wheels when braking, get into a low gear earlier than normal, allow your speed to fall and use your brakes gently
- Slow down before bends and corners as braking on an icy or snow-covered bend can cause your vehicle to spin
- If you get stuck in snow or ice, do not try to spin the wheels. This can result in damage to your tyres or even cause a tyre to burst
- If your car gets into a slide, stay off the brake, clutch and the accelerator until you get the vehicle back under control
We recommend you listen to the weather forecast and traffic reports and don’t travel if the police or motoring organisations advise against it.
We also have a range of winter tyres available. These tyres use a tread rubber compound and pattern specifically designed to retain flexibility in low temperatures. They give good braking performance on snow and ice, as well as on wet roads in cold conditions.
To find out more pop in and visit us in Bristol or Weston or give us a call.