Devon County Council

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Driving on snow and Ice

Driving on snow and ice can be challenging and has safety and financial consequences for the unwary.

Before undertaking a journey it is necessary to decide if your journey is absolutely essential, with the luxury of hindsight would you still think you were right to try?

Take with you warm clothes, some water or a hot drink, maybe some chocolate, and a charged mobile phone so you can inform friends/family if you become delayed.  A blanket and a shovel can be very useful if your car becomes stranded. And carry de-icer and a torch.

It is important to prepare your car properly, to clear all of the windows and also the lights of snow, not forgetting to clear the roof to prevent the snow sliding down the windscreen or blowing off distracting other road users. You must also clear your number plates.

When driving on icy and snowy roads the golden rule is to drive very slowly, ice can be patchy.  When using the controls it is important to have a light and delicate touch, driving at the lowest speed and in the highest gear possible. Remember to allow more time for your journey.

It is important to have a safe separation distance from the vehicle in front, the usual of advice of the two second is not enough in icy conditions, braking distances can be as much as ten times as much.  Even the car on the right is only about 65m from the car ahead, about 1/3 of the possible stopping distance.

Distances for normal Conditions	Distances for icy conditions

Visibility can be seriously reduced and the use of dipped headlights is essential in falling snow.
	Be particularly careful when on hills and making turnings as the tyres may not have enough grip. If you do become stuck in snow or on ice then try using a higher gear to move away, this may give you the traction you need. If you are still stuck then placing an old blanket under the driving wheels, usually the front, may get you going again.

Devon County Council is responsible for over 12,800 km (8,000 miles) of road from major A roads to narrow country lanes. This is the longest network in England.

The British winter is unpredictable. Bad weather can strike suddenly so the best advice when severe weather hits is to stay off the road. If you must drive, remember over 90% of crashes are attributed to human error, so make sure you are prepared and drive for the conditions.

Plan your journey

• Ask yourself - is your journey absolutely essential? If driving conditions are bad - do you really need to travel?
• Help reduce traffic, be TRAVELWISE. Consider making your journey by rail or bus. You can obtain free timetables from Traveline 0870 6082608.
• Allow extra time for your journey.
• Check the local and national weather forecasts.
• Listen to local and national radio for travel information.
• Tell someone at your destination what time you expect to arrive.
• Make sure you are equipped with a mobile phone, warm clothes, food, boots and a torch. In snowy conditions, take a spade.

Vehicle condition

In winter it is even more important to check you vehicle is well maintained and serviced.

• Keep the lights, windows and mirrors clean and free from ice and snow.
• Keep your battery fully charged.
• Add anti-freeze to the radiator and winter additive to the windscreen washer bottles.
• Make sure wipers and lights are in good working order.
• Check that tyres have plenty of tread depth and are maintained at the correct pressure.

How you can help

If you do need to travel in your vehicle please remember:

• Think about the conditions.
• Drive with care.
• Allow extra time for your journey and reduce your speed.
• Watch out for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders - they can be difficult to see in bad conditions.
• In high winds watch out for sudden gusts and debris on the road.
• Why not take a Skid prevention course at Devon Drivers' Centre

Adjust your driving for the conditions:

Ice / Snow

Only the busiest roads are presalted, most (6300 miles) are not. Never assume a road has been salted. 80% of roads are not routinely salted. - drive carefully

• It takes time for the salt to become effective, if snow has fallen it also needs traffic movement.
• Showers or rain will wash salt off roads leaving them prone to icing.
• In very cold weather even salting will not stop ice from forming.
• Forecasts are not always accurate and it takes over 3 hours to salt the network.
• When freezing or snow follows rain there may not be enough time to treat all the network before temperatures fall to zero.
• Hail, heavy snow and rain reduce visibility. Use dipped headlights and reduce your speed.
• When roads are icy or slushy it can take ten times longer to stop in icy conditions than on a dry road. Drive slowly, allowing extra room to slow down and stop.
• Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin.
• If you start to skid, ease off the accelerator but do not brake suddenly.
• Manoeuvre gently, avoiding harsh braking and acceleration.
• To brake on ice or snow without locking your wheels, get into a low gear earlier than normal, allow your speed to fall and use the brake pedal gently.
• Give snow ploughs and gritters plenty of room - be patient, don’t follow close behind.

Watch out for fog

• Watch out for fog - it drifts rapidly and is often patchy.
• In foggy conditions, drive very slowly using dipped headlights.
• Use fog-lights if visibility is seriously reduced, but remember to switch them off when visibility improves.
• Don't hang on to the tail-lights of the vehicle in front. This gives you a false sense of security and means you may be driving too close.
• Don't speed up suddenly, even if it seems to be clearing. You can suddenly find yourself back in thick fog.
• In fog, you think you are travelling slower than you really are.

Winter sun

• Dazzle from winter sun can be dangerous. Keep a pair of sunglasses handy.

Rain

• If you are required to use your windscreen wipers then switch your lights on.
• Stopping distances will be at least double those required for stopping on dry roads. This is because your tyres have less grip on the road.
• You should keep well back from the vehicle in front. This will increase your ability to see and plan ahead.
• If steering becomes unresponsive, it probably means the water is preventing the tyres from gripping the road. Ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually.
• The rain and spray from vehicles may make it difficult to see and be seen.

Flooded Roads

• Don't attempt to cross if the water seems too deep.
• Drive slowly in first gear but keep the engine speed high by slipping the clutch - this will stop you from stalling.
• Avoid the deepest water, usually near the kerb.
• Remember - test your brakes when you are through the flood before you drive at normal speed.

If you get into trouble

• Do not use a mobile phone while driving. Stop somewhere safe or ask a passenger to make the call. On a motorway, it is best to use a roadside emergency telephone, because the breakdown/emergency services will be able to locate you easily. If you have to use a mobile phone, make sure you know your location from the numbers on the marker posts on the side of the hard shoulder.
• Abandoned vehicles can hold up rescue vehicles and snowploughs. To ensure that the road is cleared as quickly as possible, stay with your vehicle until help arrives.
• If you have to leave your vehicle to get help, make sure other drivers can see you.

Links

• Winter Travel
• Road Maintenance
• Roadworks
• The Country Mile Project
• DriverTraining