Winter driving: prepare before you set off

Before a winter journey, check the forecast and road conditions. If snow or ice makes travel unsafe, postpone a non-essential trip. Ask your instructor about your lesson rather than assuming it will go ahead.

Prepare the car

Clear the windows, mirrors, lights and number plates. Remove snow that could fall into another road user’s path. Check tyres, washer fluid and lights before leaving. Pack warm clothing, a charged phone, a torch and essentials in case you are delayed.

Leave more room

Drive gently and leave a much larger gap on slippery roads. In icy conditions, the Highway Code advises a slow speed in as high a gear as possible, with gentle acceleration and braking—not a blanket instruction to use low gears. Read the adverse-weather rules for the conditions you face.

If you break down

What is safest depends on where you stop. On a motorway, get to a place of relative safety if possible. Leave by the side away from traffic if it is safe, and wait well away from the vehicle and moving traffic. Do not place a warning triangle on a motorway.

If you cannot reach relative safety and cannot get out safely, stay belted in, keep the hazard lights on and call 999 for the police. Follow the Highway Code’s breakdown instructions. Staying inside a vehicle is not always the safest option.

Build experience with support

If poor weather makes you uneasy, tell your instructor which situations worry you. Discuss observation, speed and stopping space during a suitable lesson; do not practise in dangerous conditions just to gain experience.