Driving Safely In The Winter

I drive every day as we need to drive the little ones to school and back. In the winter is does worry me as in the mornings the roads can be slippery with ice and we live in an area where it is quite hilly so I'm always extra careful. One year when I was heavily pregnant with Little Miss J the hubby didn't want me to drive in the ice so he took Bean to school, only for him to crash the car on the way home! Luckily he was on his own and no one was hurt, although he did damage our car, a van, a lamppost and a house when the car went skidding out of control.

The team who provides car insurance from chill have put together this fantastic e-book to raise awareness of the dangers of driving in winter time and how you can make changes to drive safely. They undertook a survey of Irish motorists and discovered that 15% had been in an accident on Irish roads in the winter, and 14% agreed that they spend one to two hours more behind the wheel in winter than they do in the summer. More time on the road equals more risk, so how do we go about driving safely in the winter?

Snow and Ice

In snow and ice avoid heavy breaking. If you do skid, take your foot slowly off the accelerator and steer gently in the direction that you want to go. Drive slower in snow and ice and slow down for corners and sharp bends.

Fog

If the weather is foggy you should avoid driving unless you have to. Use your fog lights and don't get too close to the car in front in case you or they need to brake suddenly.

Rain

In the rain don't forget that braking distances are doubled. Use your wipers and avoid driving through large puddles at speed.

Car Maintenance

It is important to take extra care of your car in the winter too. Make sure you have the correct roadworthy tyres. Keep your windscreen clear by keeping a scraper and defrosting spray in the car. Make sure your screenwash has anti-freeze added. It is useful to check that all your lights are working correctly and your battery is in good condition, as the battery life is poorer in cold conditions.

For more hints and tips you can read the full e-book here.

Disclosure - this is a sponsored post.