WINTER DRIVING Preparing your vehicle Emergency kit Driving

WINTER DRIVING • • • Preparing your vehicle Emergency kit Driving in adverse weather Produced by Allen Elliott Community Safety Resource Coordinator

PREPARING YOUR VEHICLE A pre-winter check or service is essential if you want to avoid problems during the winter Pay attention to: -

Cooling system Anti-freeze at the correct concentration is vital all year round as it prevents both freezing and corrosion Check hoses for wear, tear and leaks

Tyres Check tyre pressure and tread depth You want as much grip as possible when the snow comes (at least 3 mm of tread) Legal limit is 1. 6 mm

Lights Carry a spare set of light bulbs Make sure your lights are clear and clean as often as possible in the winter Check your lights before each journey

Brakes It may seem obvious to state that brakes should be in good order, however your wheels will lock earlier on ice than in other situations and so even the slightest problems can cause major skids in winter

Wiper blades These will have to work harder in winter so make sure they are in good condition Well used wiper blades rarely last more than 12 months in our climate

Windscreen washers These are less likely to freeze up if the system is clean Keep a supply of screen-wash additive in the car, this prevents the washer bottle contents from freezing

Windscreen washers In extremely cold conditions you can use screen wash concentrate without adding water This helps to avoid the fluid freezing in the washer nozzles and on the windscreen

Battery Modern batteries provide more power, but take a long time to re-charge fully. A regular long run with the minimum of electrical accessories switched on is needed.

De-mist If the inside of the glass keeps misting up, use air conditioning on a warm setting to dry out the car. Make sure you don’t leave damp coats and wellingtons in the car

Fuel Keep plenty of fuel in the tank (At least half full) As you never know when you will be stuck in traffic or have to make a detour to reach your destination

Easier starting Depress the clutch when starting a cold engine as this disconnects the engine from the gearbox so there is less drag and eases the load on the starter motor

Cleaned and lubricated Wash the car frequently spray water dispersant in locks to reduce freezing, lubricate bonnet lock to prevent corrosion Apply thin layer of petroleum jelly to rubber door seals so they don’t freeze while closed fit all wheel trims correctly to prevent corrosion on wheel nuts

YOUR EMERGENCY KIT

Emergency kit Some suggested items for your emergency kit, gather and pack them into your car at the start of the winter season You never know when you might need them

Emergency kit Take a warm coat and hat Pack high energy foods such as chocolate, crisps, nuts, cereal bars, water and a hot drink Don’t forget to take any personnel medicines too

Emergency kit • • • Fully charged mobile phone Ice scraper and de-icer Boots First aid kit Jump leads Shovel Fluorescent jacket or vest Torch and spare batteries Warm clothing and blanket At least one bottle of water Road atlas Sunglasses (glare off snow, and low winter sun can be dazzling)

Driving in adverse weather

Starting off in snow Clear any snow off the roof of the vehicle before you drive off It can slip down over the windscreen and obscure your view Clear any snow and ice from all windows, lights and number plates Make sure you can see clearly and be seen

Snow can be deceptive. Often your tyres will have more grip on newly fallen snow than on slushy snow Whatever kind your on you must remember that the car is more likely to go sideways than is normally the case Gently test your brakes from time –to-time This will give you a feel for the surface conditions and available grip

Even when the main roads are clear, the side roads can often be snow-covered because they won’t have been treated and there is less traffic Avoid revving your engine and spinning your wheels on the slippery surface Anticipate the road ahead so that you keep moving steadily where you can, rather than having to stop and then start again

When driving on remote roads with little traffic, you may find it helpful to drive in the middle of the road You will have more room to manoeuvre and correct slides if forced to brake suddenly When going over hills and dips, and around corners, you may meet traffic coming from opposite direction, so slow down and keep to the left

When moving off in snow and ice use the highest gear possible This will usually be second. If you encounter wheel-spin, ease off the accelerator Once you are moving, keep your speed down and use highest practical gear. Gentle use of all controls is essential

Use your judgement when assessing conditions A white winter road with packed snow will often be less slippery than a wet road Drive safely, but don’t be nervous

Driving through ice and snow It’s not always obvious that the road is icy Look for clues such as ice on the pavement or on your windscreen before you start your journey If your tyres make virtually no noise on the road it could be a sign you’re driving on ice Don’t brake harshly-you risk locking-up and skidding

Watch out for the ice Watch out for locations where you may need to drive more carefully because of risk of ice such as: • Changes in road elevation or exposure • Where the road passes over or under a bridge • Things at the side of the road that shade the carriageway such as trees and bridges • When leaving a main road and turn onto a side or slip road • Bends in the road where there is a greater risk of loss of control

Watch out for roads with adverse camber, water can run across and freeze leaving a skating rink surface Gentle movements of the steering wheel and low speeds will give you the most control under snowy and icy conditions

Hills Ascending/descending hills can pose particular problems on slippery roads: • Always leave plenty of space between yourself and the car ahead before starting your ascent/descent • Stop and wait for a clear road if necessary, otherwise you may end up being stuck (literally) behind less skilful drivers • Use low gears to help you hold back when descending slippery hills. Select the gear as early as possible • Try to avoid using the brakes or changing gear while descending

Basic driving techniques

Winter is the most difficult driving season. Not only do you have snow and ice to deal with, but there are fewer hours of daylight as well. Drive slowly. Even if your vehicle has good traction in ice and snow, other drivers will be travelling cautiously. Don’t disrupt the flow of traffic by driving faster than everyone else

In a rear wheel drive vehicle, you can usually feel a loss of traction or the beginning of a skid. There may be no such warning in a front wheel drive, However Front wheel drives do handle better in ice and snow, but they do not have flawless traction, and skids can occur unexpectedly. Don’t let the better feel and handling of a front wheel drive car cause you to drive faster than you should

Skidding Despite a popular misconception, the best approach to recovering from a skid is the same for both front and rear wheel drive vehicles

Rear wheel skid • Take your foot off the accelerator • Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go • If you rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they’re sliding right, steer right • If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. • You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.

If you have standard brakes, pump them gently If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse – this is normal. If not, pump the pedal gently, pumping more rapidly as your car slows down. Braking hard with non-anti-lock brakes will make the skid worse

Front wheel skid Take your foot off the accelerator and push in the clutch, don’t try to steer immediately As the wheel skids sideways, they will slow the vehicle and the traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go

To avoid skids, brake carefully and gently on snow or ice “Squeeze” your brakes in slow, steady strokes Allow the wheels to keep rolling If they start to lock up, ease off the brake pedal As you slow down, you may also want to shift into a lower gear

Getting unstuck If you should find yourself stuck, here’s what to do: • Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way • Keep a light touch on the accelerator and ease forward • Don’t spin your wheels – you’ll just dig in deeper • Rocking the vehicle is another way. Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time your in gear, give a light touch on the accelerator until the vehicle gets going • Use a shovel to clear snow away from wheels and underside of car

Driving in fog • Use dipped headlights so that other drivers can see you • If it’s really foggy, (less than 100 m visibility) and you can’t see much, then switch your fog lights on • Fog is often patchy so try not to speed up as visibility improves. You could suddenly find yourself back in thick fog • Remember to switch off fog lights when visibility improves to prevent dazzling oncoming vehicles

Driving in the rain When the roads wet, it can take up to twice a long to stop. So it makes sense to slow down and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front If your vehicle loses its grip, or “aquaplanes” on surface water take your foot off the accelerator to slow down

Driving in windy weather Take extra care on the roads and plan your journey by checking the latest weather conditions High sided vehicles are particularly affected by windy weather but strong gusts can also blow a vehicle, cyclist, motorcyclist, or horse rider off course This can happen on open stretches of road exposed to strong crosswinds, or when passing bridges, high sided vehicles or gaps in trees

If you breakdown on the motorway Pull onto the hard shoulder, park as far over to the left as you can, away from the traffic, and turn your hazard warning lights on Get yourself and any passengers out of the vehicle immediately, using the doors on the left hand side, furthest from the traffic while you wait for help, keep well away from the carriageway and hard shoulder – stand over the barrier if it’s safe to do so – and do not try even the simplest of repairs

If you breakdown on the motorway Try to use the emergency roadside telephones rather than a mobile phone This will help traffic officers and other emergency services know exactly where you are

BE SAFE DRIVE SAFE THE END