17/12/2008 - Winter driving advice : Cumbria County Council

With dark evenings, plunging temperatures and poor visibility, winter driving can be testing even for the most experienced motorists.

But there are steps and precautions all drivers can take to ensure they have safe journeys through the worst of the winter weather.

And with many people travelling both locally and further afield over the festive season to visit family and friends, Cumbria County Council and the Safer Roads for Cumbria partnership are keen to reinforce the safety message with a host of hints and tips. These include…

Your vehicle - keep it up to scratch at all times and follow this checklist before you go out:
• all lights clean and working, washer bottle full
• clean mirrors and windows inside and out
• tyres at the right pressure with plenty of tread
• battery fully charged and topped up.

Your journey - don't take risks:
• keep an eye on the weather forecast and try to use roads on the gritting list / map
• don’t use roads which are closed – you will put yourself and others in danger and abandoned vehicles hamper snow clearance.

Your survival kit - keep these things in your car:
• thick jumper, warm coat, boots, thick gloves, blanket, hot drink in a flask, good torch and a spade.
• if possible include a tow rope, booster cables, some sand and a solid wooden board for the jack.

As well as being prepared, motorists need to be aware they will probably have to change the way they drive in winter, and take into account the variety of weather conditions that can batter the county at this time of year.

TIPS FOR WINTER DRIVING

Ice
Slow down, steer gently and use the highest gear you can. If you have to brake, use short, even applications, not heavy sustained pressure. Look out for skid traps like frost and wet leaves. Always leave a much larger gap between you and the vehicle in front, as it takes a lot longer to stop on ice or snow.

Fog
Use dipped headlights, keep your windscreen clear and drive so that you can stop in the distance you can see. Use rear fog lights if visibility is less than 100 metres.

Rain
Use dipped headlights, keep your speed down and keep well back form the vehicle in front. If you come to a flood, slow right down, but keep your revs high.
Hail
Slow down and use dipped headlights. Beware of slush on the road after a hail storm

Snow
If the sun dazzles, reduce speed and use your visor. Keep well back from the vehicle in front of you. If your tyres won’t grip, there may be a salt/grit heap or bin nearby. Spread the salt/grit in font of your driving wheels and set off in the highest gear you can. If you are caught in heavy snow, wrap up warm and stay inside your vehicle if possible.

During winter Cumbria Highways’ fleet of gritters are kept busy treating the network of priority routes within hours of ice or snow being forecast to maintain transport connections for as many communities as possible.

And while gritted roads help keep the county moving, drivers still need to be cautious, even when they are on a salted route as salt can be washed off the surface of a road by rain or if there is water running from nearby land.

Another area where motorists can be caught out is if they turn off a gritted route on to an untreated road. Salt will have been carried by vehicle wheels from the treated road onto the untreated one, giving the initial false impression that the road has been treated.

Ice will also melt more slowly on sections of road shaded by trees or buildings, and shaded areas may still be icy when the open sections of road have thawed. Likewise, where roads pass over bridges they are often colder as there is no ground under the carriageway to retain heat.

Cumbria Highways network manager, John Robinson, said: “Driving in winter takes a lot more preparation and thought than motoring at other times of the year.

“People need to make sure they are careful and patient and give extra time for their journeys, particularly if severe weather is forecast.

“But by using common sense and following a few simple hints, tips and advice they can reduce the risks and travel safely.”

Kevin Tea, Safer Roads for Cumbria communications manager, added: “One of the main hazards of winter driving is that problems can arise within seconds so the motto to expect the unexpected is a good one to adopt.

“Icy patches on roads where the sun hasn’t reached, fog patches, sudden downpours of rain, sleet and snow can all catch drivers unawares and have potentially lethal consequences.

“Driving within the road, traffic and weather conditions, leaving more time for journeys and anticipating potential dangers will provide a safer drive. It is also important to remember that if it is not foggy to turn off fog lights. Driving with them on is illegal, anti-social and can dazzle other road users.”