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Driving in snow. Most people shudder at the thought. Some, like me, don’t mind it, and some, absolutely relish the idea.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time driving in the French Alps in winter and that’s probably why I am not put off. However, I am usually terrified by the drivers who are completely ill-equipped, both with their ability, but also because they have a car that’s not prepared for snow.
Driving in snow is obviously more tricky than driving on dry roads in summer, but there are several things that you can do to make it both possible and reasonably safe.
So, let’s start with the driver. If you’ve never driven on snowy roads, I’d absolutely recommend getting some lessons on a skid pan. Even an hour or two will put you well ahead of most others. It’s of course not just useful for snowy or icy roads, but any situation where you find yourself skidding. Check out this place for a traditional skid pan, or this place for a hi-tech experience. There are courses within fairly easy reach of most places in the UK.
If you really have to drive in snow, then please make sure that your car has the absolute basics of:
- Washer Fluid with a concentration sufficient for -10 degrees c. The reason is that with windchill your fluid will freeze even if the outside temperature is only 1c or 2c below.
- A shovel or spade, to dig yourself or someone else out if you should get stuck.
- Enough fuel. The reason is not that you can get to your destination, but that should you get stuck overnight, you can keep the engine running to stay warm.
- Blankets or extra clothes, again so that you can keep warm should you get stuck.
- Water and food. This might sound extreme, but if you’ve ever been stuck, you’ll know how nice it is to know that you have supplies.
Ideally, your car should have either all season or winter tyres. This depends on whether you have snow chains or snow socks for your tyres. There are links to these at the end of the article. They are not stupidly expensive, and are easy enough to fit. I use all season tyres on my car, and they are great in temperatures of 7 degrees or less, but perfectly good all year too. Snow tyres in the UK are really only required if you live in rural areas, or in the hills and mountains of Wales and Scotland.
In this article, I am not going to write an entire guide to winter driving. Rather, on this occasion, I’m going to point you in the direction of the RAC’s comprehensive article here.
If you’re looking for a great set of snow chains.
If you prefer snow socks.