Cold Weather Commuting: Stay Safe with These Pro Tips

Morning Ritual: Deicing Your Car:

Begin your morning routine a few minutes earlier to allow time for de-icing. Invest in a good quality ice scraper to efficiently remove frost from windows and mirrors.

Avoid using hot water to deice windows, as sudden temperature changes can cause the glass to crack. Opt for a de-icing spray or solution instead.

Winter Tires Matter:

Most drivers will get some safety benefit from fitting winter tyres because of the improved grip they provide in cold and wet conditions – they're not just for snow and ice. 

As an alternative to winter tyres, consider 'all-season tyres' which can be left on all year round.

Check tire pressure regularly, as it tends to drop in colder weather.

Prep Your Vehicle:

Check your vehicle's fluid levels, including antifreeze, to prevent freezing.

Switch to winter-grade windshield washer fluid that won't freeze in cold temperatures.

Ensure all lights are in working order, and replace any bulbs that may have burnt out.

Stopping distance

In bad weather conditions, remember that a car’s stopping distance will be longer. Also, if snow is falling heavily it will reduce how far ahead you can see, so you should drive more slowly and give yourself longer to react.

Secondly, braking distances can be doubled in wet conditions – and increased by at least 10 times on snow or ice.

Beware of Black Ice

Black ice is a thin layer of ice on the road surface that’s usually transparent. Because it's very difficult for drivers to see, it can be one of the biggest dangers of winter driving.

It’s important you know how to react if you hit a patch of black ice on the road. Black ice is caused by rain falling on frozen surfaces. It tends to form on parts of the road that don’t get much sun – tree-lined routes and tunnels – as well as on bridges, overpasses and the road beneath overpasses.

Monitor Weather Updates

Driving during bad weather should start with the basic question: do I need to leave the house?

If you can avoid driving when conditions outside are unpredictable and potentially dangerous, you should. And if you can plan around forecast weather warnings, you might be able to avoid the worst of it.