Top Tips For Driving Safely In Ice & Snow

January 20, 2023

Driving in Ice and Snow — Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash

The blog this week is about driving safely during icy and snowy conditions. Your morning commute to and from work is most probably being done in icy and snowy conditions at the moment so by following these handy tips should help to keep your journey a safe one. Our blog today will give you some information detailing what these tips are. Read on to find out more:

As these current cold snap hits, we urge you as drivers to make sure that you and your vehicle are prepared for these treacherous road conditions. If you do not have to make the journey the safest bet is to obviously stay at home. Please be especially mindful that minor roads will often not be gritted. With a huge amount of rainfall before the cold weather came in and a large number of water pipes bursting across the country there is an even bigger possibility of black ice on the roads.

If you do have to drive please allow plenty of time for your journey and ensure that you have full visibility by ensuring that ALL your windows have been de-iced and are fog free. To minimise the risk of losing grip in snow and ice, try pulling away in second gear and gently easing your foot off the clutch to avoid wheel spin. Try to move to a higher gear as early as possible and then aim to maintain a constant speed– this offers more grip when you’re driving on icy roads.

Did you know that when driving on ice, stopping distances can be ten times longer than in good conditions, so it is imperative that you maintain a greater distance between you and the car in front. We can’t stress the importance of ensuring that you have at least 1.6mm of tread on your tyres – the legal minimum. You should be checking your tyres at least every month. You should check the tread and tyre pressures.

If you find yourself going into a skid, please don’t panic – easier said than done we know. Ease off the gas and avoid slamming on your brakes!

If you really must drive in these conditions make sure that you have plenty of petrol, a fully charged phone, a warm coat and some snacks and water in the car just in case you breakdown or have to wait for the emergency services to get to you. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!

Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire.