After a freezing November, and a December that promises lower than average temperatures, we take a look at what drivers can do to stay safe on Shropshire's roads this winter. Shropshire County Council's Road Safety Officer, Steve Chadwick, gives BBC Shropshire his top tips.
Summers are easy on cars, but winter is when any lingering fault can become serious, so the most important thing motorists should do is make sure their vehicle is up to the job.
Your vehicle
- Your battery has to work much harder in the winter, working lights and wipers, for example. Make sure it's in good working order, as a battery can fail completely with hardly any warning - even leaving you stranded.
- Make sure there's anti-freeze in the radiator, and washer fluid in the windscreen washer bottle. Make sure the bottle is topped up.
- Check the tread depth on your tyres, and that they are inflated to the correct pressure. Poorly-inflated tyres can cause severe handling problems.
- Keep your lights clean and make sure all bulbs are working.
On the road
- Adjust your driving to suit the conditions. Even in ideal conditions, you should be at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front to give yourself time to stop in an emergency.
- A wet road surface means you'll take twice as long to stop, and so you need to be at least four seconds behind the vehicle in front. Hail, heavy snow and rain reduce visibility, so you should reduce your speed.
- On rainy, murky days, use dipped headlights so that you can be seen by other road users. Dark vehicles especially tend to blend in with their background, even in broad daylight.
Fog
Fog is especially a danger in autumn and winter, and is a major cause of accidents.
- Slow down, keep your distance and turn your lights on in fog
- Drive very slowly using dipped headlights. Use fog lights if visibility is seriously reduced, but remember to switch them off when visibility improves.
- Don't hang on to the tail lights of the vehicle in front - this gives you a false sense of security and means you may be driving too close.
- Don't speed up suddenly - even if it seems to be clearing you can suddenly find yourself back in thick fog.
Icy or slushy roads
Ice and snow drastically reduce the ability of your tyres to grip the road, which means that slowing down, speeding up and changing direction all become hazardous. The trick to driving in these conditions is to be as smooth as possible.
- Drive slowly, allowing extra room to slow down and stop.
- It can take 10 times longer to stop in icy conditions than on a dry road.
- Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin, manoeuvre gently and avoid harsh braking and acceleration.
- To brake on ice and snow without locking your wheels, get into a low gear earlier than normal, allow your speed to fall and use the brake pedal gently.
- If you skid, ease off the accelerator but do not brake suddenly.
- In rural areas, be prepared for slippery roads at any time - leaves on the road from hedgerows and trees make for a greasy road surface and tractors going from field to farmyard leave mud.
Flooded roads
- Drive slowly in first gear but keep the engine speed high by slipping the clutch - this will help stop you from stalling.
- Avoid the deepest water, which is usually near the kerb and don't attempt to cross if the water seems too deep
- Remember - test your brakes when you are through the flood before you drive at normal speed.
Very poor conditions
Sometimes conditions can be so bad that you should seriously think about whether you should make your journey at all.
- Ask yourself if your journey is absolutely essential - check local and national weather forecasts.
- Listen to local and national radio for travel information and tell someone what time you expect to arrive.
- Take a mobile phone if you have one, but remember you could break down in a 'dead' area, so also take warm clothes, boots and a torch - it could be a long walk to a phone.
- Clear your windows and mirrors of snow and ice before you set off. Not only will snow and ice reduce what you can see, but it could also be dangerous to other road users.
If you do break down
- Abandoned vehicles can cause problems for rescue vehicles and snowploughs. To ensure that the road is cleared as quickly as possible, you are advised to stay with your vehicle until help arrives.
- If you have to leave your vehicle to get help make sure you can be seen by other vehicles.
