Winter Driving Top Tips

In the winter months regardless of snow, rain and ice drivers often tend to end up in a range of risky situations, especially over the party season when nights are most common.

Hudgells Solicitors want to promote a safer way of driving this winter by inviting some bloggers to share their winter driving top tips and advice and providing road users with important information that need to know.

During Road Safety Week earlier this year Hudgell Solicitors found that almost a quarter of drivers in UK admit to driving the morning after drinking when they still suspect they might be still be over the drink driving limit. Even worse 30% admitted to getting in a car with a driver they know are close to or over the drink-drive limit. Hudgell Solicitors therefore would to educate drivers on the best ways to stay safe when driving this winter, and providing them with the necessary tools and equipment they need.
So here are my winter driving top tips regardless of weather. 

Equip Your Car - while we haven’t snow at the moment there is flooding throughout the country and its incredibly easy to find yourself shut off in the car with nowhere to go. Make sure you have packed a kit in your car for emergencys. You should have –An Ice Scraper – pref one with a brush in case of snow. Pack of replacement light bulbs, a reflective jacket, a torch, hand warmers, breathalyser –always worth checking the morning after, you could lose your license! We received all these in a lovely set however my husband whisked them up to the car before I could get a picture. We also add to this ourselves; emergency snacks and fluids, emergency phone charger and a shovel.

Service Due -  Get it done now! A big winter driving top tip! It’s all very well to break down in the summer with a warm wind blowing and sunset hours away but it’s another matter when you’re freezing cold and the rain is pelting down. Belts, spark plugs and water hoses can all leave you stranded. Get it done now!

So once you have an emergency pack in the back of your car what else do you need to do for winter car trip? These winter driving top tips are for all distances. Even if you're just planning on heading to the next town 5 minutes down the road. Do be prepared! 

Tyres – Make sure they are properly inflated. If in doubt there should be a guide to pressure inside the drivers door. Always check when they are cold!

Time – Allow extra time for your journey, from demisting the window screen completely, to ensuring you break frequently and you have time for diversions. One added recently an hour to my trip!

Fuel – This is really the most important of all my winter driving top tips. Keep your tank full!! When the sun is shining you can take your chances and struggle on to the next gas station but in the winter when you don’t make it and the car is your way to keep warm you’ve lost your only source of heat! Secondly keep it full in case of any unexpected lengthening to your journeys. Two years ago a road close to home flooded. I had to drive two hours out of may to get the last ¼ of mile!

Driving –When it gets cold do remember black ice! If you do slide take your foot OFF the pedals and steer gently. Don’t drive in bad weather if you don’t have too. Use low gears on the hills. Don’t glide down the,

Brakes – after driving through water CHECK THEM! It dries them off and checks the brakes line haven’t been broken. Allow more stopping distance, the roads are wet and oil from the fields runs on to them making them slippery.