Winter motoring tips

Check your tyres as they are obviously key to grip in all weather conditions. Make sure you have the correct legal tread (limit is 1.6mm) and that they are inflated to the correct pressure. Make sure that your battery is well charged. Ensure you have enough antifreeze to stop your engine freezing. Check wipers are working so your visibility is not impaired in any way.

Clear all ice and snow off your lights including tail lights and quite don’t forget to turn them on. You could be driving in blizzard conditions -  make sure you turn your lights on and that you can be seen.  Check all your interior lights are working as you may need them when searching for provisions or breakdown kit.

It should be obvious in bad conditions that you simply need to slow down. Trying to travel quickly in the wrong conditions at inappropriate speeds is asking for trouble. Aim to avoid sudden acceleration and braking, as in bad conditions you need to have the best traction you can achieve, and travelling at unappropriate  speeds for the conditions in the first place will leave you in a poor  position to try and recover from.  

Make sure you have your ice scraper to hand. Take your time and de-ice the vehicle windscreens and lights completely. Get up 10 minutes earlier and take your time to make sure you completely clear windscreens and lights of any ice or snow before progressing. Follow government and road agency advice. Don’t travel during snow storms if you can absolutely avoid it. It’s better to arrive late than never.