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Winter driving is by far the most challenging of all. There are so many hidden dangers that many choose not to drive. Because they are afraid of getting into an accident when the roads are in really bad shape. Some even do this to avoid losing their no-claims discount. Saving it for when they are in an emergency accident and are not at fault. But, you don’t need to cower away and risk being late due to traveling by public transport. You can continue to drive on the icy roads and retain your no-claims bonus if you do the following things.
Tread depth
It has been proven that tread depth lower under 3mm causes grip and handling issues. No matter how advanced your car is, whether it’s got computers to help it stay on the road or four-wheel drive. You cannot drive in winter, with anything less than 3mm of tread depth. If you’re in the UK, the minimum tread depth is 1.6mm. However, this is not advised, especially during winter. The more tread you have to wade through the slush, snowy roads, the safer you will be.
Get advanced lessons
Many drivers that lack confidence during winter driving, will often take some advanced driving classes. If you look at the information on no claims discount policies. You can save up to £1,000 every single year if you have no incidents at all. This should give you enough incentive to not risk dinging your car off a parked car’s bumper. Or a lamppost because you didn’t have the skills to stop and or avoid a crash in icy conditions. Advanced driving lessons will give you the skills to sense a loss of traction, sliding, car control via counter-steering and using the brake with finesse.
Black ice
The silent killer of drivers in the country B-roads is black ice. This only forms when there has been a light spatter of rain and the air has been humid but cold. The air doesn’t evaporate the water off the surface of the road but the cold temperature freezes it. This can cause a very thin but hard layer of ice, which can catch out even the most attentive drivers. How do you defend against this? When you’re on a road that seems to have an extra shine to it, then cut 10mph off the speed limit. If you’re on a B-road at the speed limit is 40mph, take it down to 30 mph or even less. Avoid sharp and sudden steering maneuvers. And don’t brake hard when you feel like you’re slipping, as this will cause the car to spin violently.
Keep tanked up
Driving around the roads with half a tank is a no-no. You must keep your tank topped up during the winter. As you never know when the next delivery of petrol is going to arrive at the station. If the roads are really bad, large, heavy oil tanker trucks will not be able to get their load to where it needs to go.
Winter driving is not for the weary. But it’s also not rocket science. With these tips, you should be in good stead to be safe on the icy roads during this winter.