Here are five super-useful winter driving tips to keep you safe on the road. You can see them all in action over just 90 seconds in the video above.
1. Slow Down
Pretty straightforward. The faster you’re going, the longer it takes to slow down and stop. Slowing down will simply shorten your stopping distance.
2. Give yourself extra space
When the roads are slick, it will take more space and time to come to a complete stop. Leaving more room between you and the cars in front will give you more space and time to react to anything in front of you.
3. Don’t panic
Panicking typically leads to you slamming on the brakes or leading to abrupt or aggressive manoeuvres, which increases your likelihood of locking up the brakes and losing control. Remember no quick movements. Make those inputs as smooth as possible.
4. What to do when your car slides?
Firstly, in the event of an accidental drift, make sure you’re looking where you want to go, and not at what you’re going to hit. Secondly, you want to steer into the direction of the slide. This is often called counter-steering. And lastly, gently modulate the throttle if needed.
5. Get winter tires
We can’t stress this one enough. Winter tires are specificially engineered to perform well in cold, snowy and icey conditions, and are a must have for any winter driving you may do.
