Driving in snow and icy conditions can present motorists with several challenges. Freezing temperatures can mean that you might struggle to get your car started in the first place, while low visibility and slippery road surfaces can make driving a struggle.
That’s why it’s key to take good care of your vehicle and adjust your driving style to the conditions. We’ve put together an expert guide (written by AA patrols) to help you – read on for our top tips.
In short, our key tips for driving in snow are:
- Accelerate gently when moving off in snow, avoiding harsh speeds that could cause wheelspin
- Start off in second gear using low revs, and ease your foot off the clutch gently
- Instead of using the brake pedal, cycle down the gears to use engine braking (you can tap the brake pedal lightly to make drivers behind aware that you’re slowing down)
- Leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the one in front
- Use your headlights in heavy snow
- If you do start skidding, stay calm, steer into the skid and avoid sudden movements like hitting the brakes
- If your driving an electric or hybrid car, adjust the regenerative braking to a lower setting
Deciding whether to drive in snow
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.
Plan your journey – by preparing your route beforehand, using our AA route planner, sticking to main roads (which are more likely to be gritted and cleared) and keeping an eye on any traffic updates, you stand a better chance of avoiding an incident or serious delay.
It’s illegal to drive without full vision, so you’ll want to make sure to properly defrost your car windscreen before setting off. In short, you’ll need to:
- Make sure your wipers are switched off and aren’t frozen to the glass before you start your car
- Start your engine and turn on your windscreen and rear window heaters, if you have them, along with the air-con, and stay with your car while it clears up
- Clean off any excess snow from your car and front grille with a soft brush
- Wait for all of the glass to completely clear before driving
- If you own an electric or plug-in hybrid, pre-heating may be available while on charge
This one might seem simple, but if you run out of fuel or EV charge in the winter, then you won’t be able to keep warm in your car in the event that you get stuck or have a breakdown. Believe it or not, a large number of breakdowns attended by AA patrols are for empty fuel tanks.
Get your car in shape for the snow – much like we bundle ourselves up and make sure we’re physically ready for the weather, your car needs some hands-on preparation too.
- Ice scraper and de-icer
- Torch and spare batteries
- A fully charged mobile phone
- An in-car phone charger or power pack
- Sat-nav or a printed route for an unfamiliar journey
- A road atlas
- Sunglasses
- First aid kit
- Empty fuel can
- Warm clothes and waterproofs
- Sturdy footwear
- Snacks and Water
- Jump leads
- Hi-vis jacket
Expert tips for driving in snow
- Make sure to wear warm clothing, with appropriate footwear (make sure your footwear is dry so that you don’t slip off any of the pedals – you can keep a small towel in your car for this)
- Set off earlier than you would if you’re making the journey to work or travelling a route you always travel. This will allow you to have the extra time to drive calmly and sensibly
- Be gentle on the throttle, avoiding any harsh acceleration which is likely to cause wheel spin
- In manual-geared cars, pull away in second gear, easing your foot off the clutch gently to avoid wheel spin
- To slow down, use engine braking through the gears – just touch the brake pedal lightly to show brake lights to others behind
- If you’re driving an electric or hybrid car, adjust the regenerative braking to a lower setting
- Leave as much room as you can between your vehicle and the one in front of you
- If you’re approaching a hill, drop well back or wait until it’s clear of traffic so you won’t have to stop part-way up. Keep a constant speed and try to avoid changing gear on the hill
- Take bends in the road slowly, making sure to brake before you start turning the steering wheel
- If you do start to lose control or skid, it’s important to remain calm. Make sure to steer gently into any skid and don’t make any sudden movements like braking harshly
- If you drive an automatic car, check your manual to see if your car has a setting for icy conditions
- Use your headlights in heavy snow. Daytime running lights won’t be enough, and there’ll be no lighting at the back of your car. You’ll need to make sure you can see ahead and cars behind you know you’re there
- If you’re driving in heavy snow, be aware that the parts of the road with tyre tracks from other drivers are likely to be more icy than anywhere else
- Think about your current driving environment. Just because the conditions might have improved on main roads, country roads or bridges might still be hazardous due to less traffic or because they’ve not been gritted
- When you’re driving in icy conditions or snow, you should always be more cautious for at least a few days after
Driving on 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.
When it’s cold and there’s a risk of ice:
- If it’s slippery, do everything slowly as things can go wrong very quickly.
- Avoid harsh braking and acceleration or aggressive steering; reduce your speed smoothly and use brakes gently.
- If you do hit black ice, keep calm and avoid sudden or aggressive manoeuvres – don’t hit the brakes but lift of the accelerator fully and try to keep the steering straight, allowing the car to pass over the ice.
How to drive uphill in snow
If you’re approaching a hill, make sure to drop well back or wait until it’s clear of traffic so you won’t have to slow down or stop while at an incline. Keep a constant speed and try to avoid changing gear on the hill. If you can get to the top of the hill smoothly then you’ll reduce your chances of stalling or getting into trouble half way up.
How to drive downhill in snow
When driving downhill in snow, don’t use the neutral gear if you’re in a manual car. Instead, use a low gear and only use the brakes gently if you need to. Ideally, use engine braking by going down through the gears with very light taps of the brake to show any road users behind you that you’re slowing down. As with driving uphill in snow, try to hang back and let traffic clear (if there’s nobody behind you) so that you can traverse the hill without stopping and starting in traffic.
How to drive an automatic car in snow
Our advice for driving an automatic car in the snow is the same as for a manual vehicle. Plan ahead, drive slowly, and anticipate your moves so that you won’t have to make any sudden decisions while driving.
If you have a newer model of automatic car, do check if you have a ‘snow mode’ or ‘winter driving mode’ – these will ensure that your car sets off in second gear, avoiding wheel spin. Power delivery to the wheels will also be reduced, giving you more control. You won’t be able to use engine braking in an automatic car, so it’s vital to reduce speed and only brake gently.
