UKC

How To Drive in Winter

© Chris Craggs

Winter can be a challenging time on the hills - and sometimes just driving there is the hardest part of the day. When snowfall hits the country motorists are often urged to stay indoors. Yet this is precisely when winter walkers and climbers most want to get out. If there's snow and ice on the roads and you're heading somewhere wilder than the nearest retail park, then it pays to go prepared.

photo
Fox House road in the late 1970s
© Chris Craggs, Dec 2008

'In bad weather motorists can very easily find themselves stranded because of the sudden changes so it is vital that take every precaution when setting out on any journey' advises RAC spokesman Simon Williams.

'Checking the local weather regularly and making sure you have the right kit in the car - warm, waterproof coat, blankets, boots, a shovel and a fully charged mobile phone - is essential. Some breakdowns are avoidable through maintenance and preparation, and taking extra caution such as leaving more distance between you and the car in front is advisable. But even with well-prepared vehicles, if the weather looks like it's going to get worse, try to make a sensible decision about how necessary it is you drive in the first place.'

That's easily said of course. But when there's snow on the Snowdon horseshoe or The Ben is coming into perfect nick then even if road conditions are challenging you might well deem it an essential drive. These tips should at least help to make it a safer one.  

The road to Mam Tor.  © Falko Rech
The road to Mam Tor.
© Falko Rech, Feb 2009

Winterise your car

 

  • Top up the screen wash with a brand that's designed to perform in sub-zero temperatures
  • Check that all the lights are working
  • Make sure there's plenty of tread on your tyres, and that they are correctly inflated - remember the air pressure in tyres changes with the temperature.
  • Consider swapping to dedicated winter tyres for the coldest months of the year. The rubber compound of a winter tyre remains flexible in the cold, giving it appreciably more grip than a standard tyre. This means greater control on snowy or icy roads, and shorter stopping distances. Don't push it though, they're not a magic bullet.
  • Keep the fuel well topped up. Stop/start winter traffic burns plenty.  
  • Allow extra time before leaving to clear ice or frost from your windscreen, windows, mirrors and lights, and to de-fog the inside of the windscreen. Don't pour hot water on a cold windscreen - it might crack.
  • Car batteries can struggle in the cold, so if your car's not starting this could well be the problem. Check and, if necessary, charge your battery regularly in colder weather.

 

photo
Found the car
© Drexciyan, Dec 2009

What to bring in the car

 

  • A windscreen scraper and a bottle of de-icer spray (handy for clearing heavily iced windows and spraying into frozen-up locks)
  • Winter strength screen wash
  • Spare hat and gloves, a warm jacket and a sleeping bag or blankets in case you get car-bound in the snow - it happens even on commuting routes, but the chance of getting stuck is higher still on remote mountain roads. Out in the sticks the odds of a speedy rescue are also likely to be slim. 
  • Some high-energy food and drink - again, in case of unforseen delays.  
  • Torch with well charged batteries
  • Snow shovel
  • To get out of a tight spot or if you plan to do much driving on un-ploughed or un-gritted roads, consider snow socks or snow chains (ensure they're the correct size for your wheels).
  • A couple of carpet offcuts can be handy to give your drive wheels something to grip on if you get stuck in the snow.

You want a high gear and low revs for driving on snow  © Jonathan Lagoe
You want a high gear and low revs for driving on snow
© Jonathan Lagoe

Planning ahead

 

What's the weather doing, and how are road conditions? Are there traffic jams on the way out of town, or snow gates closed on high roads through the hills? Major roads will be gritted and ploughed regularly, but smaller roads may well not be - particularly in remote mountain country. After recent heavy snowfall, it's worth finding out in advance if your day's objective is likely to be easily accessible by road. Alternatively, if you're intending to park at a remote road-head, and it then snows hard all day, what are your chances of getting back out? If plan A is likely to give you a difficult drive then consider a more car-friendly plan B. Good sources of road info include the RAC Route Planner, Traffic Scotland, Traffic England and Traffic Wales

Tips for driving in snow

 

  • Try moving off in second gear to reduce wheel slip
  • When driving on snowy or icy roads accelerate very gently, change up to a higher-than-normal gear, and keep the revs low
  • Go slow, and do everything as smoothly as possible
  • Steer and brake very cautiously
  • If you enter a skid, don't slam your foot on the brake but instead steer very gently into it to correct your line - for instance if the rear wheels start skidding left, then steer left. But don't over-compensate.
  • Stopping distances will be greatly increased (up to 10 times normal), so stay well back from the car in front, and anticipate your braking well in advance.
  • In deep snow it is tempting to follow in existing tyre tracks, but be aware that the snow here may be compacted and icy
  • Falling snow can be dazzling in full-beam headlights: try dipping them
  • If it's also very windy then be prepared for gusts, give other road users more room than normal, and be particularly wary of sudden side winds when passing high-sided vehicles

 

If you're a fan of this sort of thing, check out our recent article Britain's Best Drives to the Hills

 




12 Jan, 2016
Good article - I was undone by this in the past, and "parked" my old Megane in the side of someone else's car in Bethesda. It did not go down well. I've since got a land rover.
12 Jan, 2016
With equivalent tyres on, a 4x4 does not brake any better than a normal 2wd car. All cars have 4x4 braking, something I think a lot of drivers of larger cars seem to forget - they may have better traction uphill, but downhill they're the same as everyone else in terms of (normal) braking.
12 Jan, 2016
But you can use the engine to break to much greater effect. And being a proper 4 x 4, I would hardly describe the tyres as similar.
Driving to winter climb in heavy snow at night with the headlights on is pretty awesome. Always reminds me of something like star wars jumping to light speed. Alright, Chewie, punch it!
12 Jan, 2016
I bought and put my winter tyres on my car in the late summer (the summer tyres were nearly dead). I therefore apologise for jinxing this winter...
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