Prepare for Winter Driving

With Snow and Sleet showers forecast for the east coast over the next few days now would be a very good time to work out how prepared you are for some serious British Precipitation.

With Snow and Sleet showers forecast for the east coast over the next few days now would be a very good time to work out how prepared you are for some serious British Precipitation.

Snow is fantastic fun for sledging, snow ball fight and building snow men but each year it causes chaos on our roads and in Lincolnshire we have 9000 km of them! So what can you do to make driving in wintery conditions safer this year? Firstly prepare; make sure you car has Anti freeze in it and that your tyre pressures are correct.

When the weather starts to get colder make sure you check weather forecasts and allow more time for journeys. If you car is kept outside make sure you allow time to clear the windows properly.

One on your journey listen to the noise your car makes on the road if you are driving on ice the tyre noise will almost disappear completely. Watch the cars in front are they sliding on any particular parts of the road.

If you do hit ice and feel the car start to slide immediately take your foot off the accelerator, don't be tempted to brake (this will increase your risk of spinning) and steer gently into the slide. The best way to avoid sliding in the first place is to make sure your speed is right, it may need to be slower than you think, at just 30mph you are travelling 30ft every second! To reduce the risk further make sure you are very smooth when you accelerate, brake or turn.

What else can you do to prepare? You may want to consider getting some practice at controlling a car on slippery surfaces, Local event management company VIP Adrenaline offer a range of course which are both informative, great fun and could save your life. They start at just £70 and can be bought for your-self or as a gift voucher for someone else. To find out more about these and other courses call VIP Adrenaline on 01507 606030 .

21-01-2005