Winter driving advice

To assist you and any additional passengers to stay safe whilst driving in winter conditions it’s important that you prepare appropriately and take extra precautions. During the winter months we encourage drivers to anticipate icy roads, snow (light and heavy) and rain. Below are a range of simple but useful tips that will help you complete your journey safely.

Plan your journey thoroughly

Before you travel it’s important to prepare for your journey so prior to leaving, ensure you do the following:

• Check the TV and radio for local and national weather forecasts
• Clear all your windows and mirrors for maximum visibility
• Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged
• Leave with plenty of spare time so that you don’t feel rushed
• Choose a safe route and inform someone what time you expect to arrive at your destination

Keep these essential items

During the winter season, we highly recommend keeping an emergency kit alongside other essential items in your vehicle. As a minimum we recommend that your kit includes the following:

• Anti-freeze and windscreen wash
• Warning triangle
• Shovel
• Blanket
• First aid kit
• Warm clothes
• Food and water
• Torch
• In-car mobile phone charger (also make sure your mobile is fully charged upon departure)

Check your vehicle’s condition

Ensuring your vehicle is fully serviced and maintained in the winter months is vital. Throughout the season we recommend:

• Keeping your vehicle’s lights, windows and mirrors clean and free from dirt, ice and snow
• Making sure that your wipers and lights are in full working order
• Checking your tyres’ tread depth and maintaining the correct pressure. Note that reducing pressure does not increase grip
• Keeping your battery fully charged
• Regularly topping up all necessary fluids, including oil and windscreen wash

Drive safer in snow or ice

If you need to drive in hazardous weather conditions at any point, such as snow or ice, keep these tips in mind.

• Avoid braking harshly or steering sharply
• Reduce your speed significantly and go slower than the speed limit as necessary
• Take extra care and reduce speed significantly when approaching junctions and bends
• Avoid braking sharply and if you feel the car skidding, pump the pedal gently and lower your gear
• Keep alert for black ice

Call if you need assistance

In the event of an emergency, we advise following the actions below:

• If you need to use your mobile, stop in a safe place or ask a passenger to make the call for you
• We recommend using roadside emergency telephones, so the breakdown/emergency services can locate you easily
• If you need to use your mobile phone, make sure you know your location and acknowledge the numbers on any marker posts and signs
• When you pull over, don’t forget to put your hazard lights on
• It’s important to stay with your vehicle until help arrives, as abandoned vehicles cause hold ups. If you have to leave your vehicle, ensure that other motorists can see you

We hope these tips have been helpful and if you have any other topics you’d like Fleet Operations to cover, please feel free to contact us.