Although the snow always looks very pretty from the window, it can often produce treacherous conditions. So to try and help you out with a little bit of advice, here are Drive Ahead’s top tips for driving in snow:

– only drive if your journey is absolutely necessary. There’s no pointing risking driving in the bad conditions unless you have to.

– Make sure your WHOLE car is cleared of snow. Maybe people clear the windows then go. Leaving snow behind on the roof or bonnet is very dangerous. As your car warms up, the snow will begin to melt and could slide over your windscreen or onto the road causing dangerous conditions for any vehicle that may be following.

– Make sure you and your car are prepared. Ensure your tyres are well maintained, and your lights are all working. Put some warm clothes, a flask with a hot drink, a shovel, and some grit in your boot in case you get stuck.

– Stopping distances can be up to TEN times longer in snowy/icy conditions. Be prepared that the car will not slow down as easily as it normally would. Keep your overall speed lower, and start your braking considerably earlier than you normally would.

– If your car begins to skid from the rear, turn your wheels into the skid. Eg, if your back end is going right, steer right to counter the skid.

– Always try and drive in the highest gear you can without the car struggling. Keeping the engine revs down will reduce the chance of the wheels spinning.

– If you’re trying to get up a hill, don’t rev the engine, it’ll only encourage a skid and won’t help at all to get up the hill. Keep the acceleration to the minimum you can.