Now that the northern hemisphere is in the midst of winter, many countries have to deal with the effects that snow brings. Some people love it when it snows. While for others, it brings travel chaos and misery.
If you’ve got no choice but to drive in the snow, this guide will prepare you and help you to avoid many travel woes. The only bad thing is I can’t tell you how to make it stop snowing. Of course, you could move to sunnier climes until spring or summer! But if that’s not possible, check out these vital winter driving tips!
Check Your Tyres
Before you set off down those snow-covered roads, the first thing you need to do is check that your tyres are up to the job. For a start, your tyres should have plenty of tread. Brand new tyres have a tread depth of 8mm. The legal limit is 1.6mm. Check your treads, if they are 4mm or less, get new tyres.
There is a plethora of choice on the market when it comes to new tyres. I recommend choosing either winter tyres or all-season models. Don’t buy summer tyres; they are useless in extreme weather conditions!
A friend of mine that works at Carco Group Cars gave me this handy tip that I’ll share with you now. If you buy asymmetric tyres, you need to bear in mind that they must get fitted in pairs. That’s because they work together in tandem to increase traction on the road.
Check Your Screen Wash
When you drive in snowy weather, you will doubtless need to use your screen wash and wipers plenty of times during each trip. Because temperatures will be below freezing, you need to use winter screen wash.
It’s concentrated and so will need to get mixed with water. In extreme conditions, the instructions on the bottle may tell you to use the screen wash undiluted. That’s so it doesn’t freeze in your windscreen washer bottle.
Remove Snow and Ice from Your Car Before You Drive
Driving around in a car with thick snow and ice on it is dangerous to you and other road users. Before you drive anywhere, remove the snow from all of your car. To get rid of ice, you can use deicer sprays or lukewarm water. Don’t use boiling water!
While you’re doing that, start the engine and turn your demisters on. I advise not leaving your car unattended with the keys in the ignition for theft prevention reasons.
Keep a Disaster Recovery Kit in your Car
In case you wondered, it’s a kit that comprises of various things to help you out in many emergency situations. Typical kit components include:
- Battery booster/charger
- Jump leads
- De-icer spray cans
- Portable snow shovel
- LED torch
- Blanket
- High visibility jacket
- Spare (and charged) mobile phone battery
- Long-life snacks and drinks.
Keep such items in a box in the boot of your car. That way everything won’t rattle around as you drive!
Picture Credit to: Craig Cmehil