Injuries Direct - Personal Injury Claims

As large parts of the country are affected by heavy snow and ice, many drivers face the dilemma of how best to travel on the roads as safely as possible. It is a scary, astonishing fact that a large number of motorists are unaware of the dangers that icy roads pose, and fail to take any precautions in the way they go about travelling from A to B.

Of course the best advice is, and always will be; if you don’t need to travel then don’t. Staying away from roads is clearly the best way of avoiding road traffic accidents in snowy conditions. However, for people who need to go into work or make an important journey, they may find that driving is an unavoidable task.

If you must drive, the following precautions will help your journey go more smoothly:

Before you set off

Firstly, clear all snow and ice off of your windows, as well as the condensation inside. Ensure you are able to keep them clear by topping up with screenwash containing an anti-freeze element.

Make sure that your car has a full tank of petrol. Certain roads that you usually take can be unexpectedly blocked or too dangerous to drive on. Other times a route you usually take may have a very heavy weight of traffic or may come to a stand-still because of sudden snow falls. Having a full tank before you set off will maximise your chances of getting where you need to go if you need to take a longer, diverted route.

Keeping a number of items inside your vehicle is a great precautionary idea. Bringing a blanket and warm clothes will keep you warm if you get stuck in heavy snow or if your car breaks down. Also carrying water and food, especially that of high energy content such as chocolate will help keep your energy levels up.

Charge your mobile phone fully before you leave – you never know when you are going to need to use it in an emergency. It may also help if you have something to dig your car’s wheels out of the snow if you get stuck, such as a shovel. Carrying a torch would be beneficial here in case you get caught out in the dark or an area with poor lighting. Just remember those spare batteries!

Whilst driving your car

Always drive smoothly and avoid erratic movements. This includes your use of the accelerator and brake pedals. Gently applying acceleration in high a gear as possible will help minimise wheel spin on particularly icy surfaces. Smooth steering will also lessen the chance of skidding.

If you do find yourself in a skid, DO NOT BRAKE. Instead, release the accelerator and steer your car into direction of the skid – i.e. so your front end turns back to face the road ahead.

Black ice is one of the most deadly traps to be caught out in on cold days. It often forms in shadowed areas such as under trees or near buildings. However, it can form anywhere, even in places you may not expect and it is particularly dangerous on dark, unlit roads.

People often make the mistake of thinking that because other cars have already driven over a piece of road that it will be safer to drive in the tyre tracks that have formed. This is not true and the slushy, compressed snow that forms here is usually more slippery than the thicker, untouched snow. Make sure to take it easy on roads with this type of ice.

Drivers WILL be going much slower than normal on icy/snowy days and there is no way around this. If being late for your appointment is something that cannot be contemplated then leave in plenty of time; much too early if necessary. It is better for everyone to get there late and safely than to not get there at all.

Always remember – if the road conditions are too bad you can just turn back and go the way you came.