Driving in bad weather

No one likes to drive in bad weather, but we don’t always get what we plan for and sometimes there’s just no avoiding the UK’s infamous grey skies. We’ve all been there before. You’ve been tasked with picking up grandma from the supermarket and suddenly, it’s tipping it down, the fog starts rolling, the wind starts blowing a gale, or if you’re really unlucky, a snowy spell has caused a slurry of black ice. So, it’s important that you’re prepared to drive in bad conditions where visibility may be reduced and your tyre’s grip is decreased.

Here's our guide to staying safe on the road, where we’ll look at some rules of the road for bad weather days and give you advice on how to stay safe.

If visibility is very reduced, it’s crucial that you use your headlights. This means that you should regularly check that they’re in working order and that you turn them on as soon as you need them. Sometimes, you might even want to use your front or rear fog lights if visibility is still heavily reduced, even with your headlights on. But always remember to turn them off as soon as visibility improves, or if you’re in danger of obscuring another driver’s vision coming the opposite way. 

There are a few reasons that reducing your speed and keeping your distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you will help keep you safe in less-than-ideal conditions. On wet roads, stopping distances are often more double what they are normally ^{Footnote [1]}. Decreasing your speed and staying well back will let you to slow down and stop quicker without causing a collision, especially if your tyres lose grip and your steering wheel becomes unresponsive. This is sometimes called aquaplaning and it can even mean braking becomes difficult. Being too close to the car in front of you in wet weather can also mean spray from the road reduces your visibility further.

If you do happen to reach a flooded road and there’s no other way around, then the best advice would be to simply turn back and take your trip another day – it might save you a trip to the garage later. But if you really have no choice but to drive through floods, drive slowly using a low gear and use higher revs than you’d normally use ^{Footnote [2]}. Avoid speeding, stopping or stalling, which can lead to creating a wave and flooding your engine. Always test your brakes immediately after emerging by driving slowly and pressing down gently on the brake. Never attempt to drive through fast moving water.

Because fog makes it harder to see, you should check your mirrors and begin to slow down before switching on your fog lights, always remembering to turn them off once the fog lifts. Braking is your friend here, as it will also warn other drivers behind you how far in front of them you are and that you’re slowing down. If visibility is extremely poor and you can’t see more than 100 metres ahead of you, you’ll need to switch on your normal headlights too ^{Footnote [1]}. Be mindful that fog can appear suddenly, so if you see a sign saying ‘Fog’, be prepared for a bank of fog. Use your wipers and demisters if you need to. 

Snowy and icy roads are at their most hazardous as the ice begins to thaw, leaving black ice and uneven surface water which reduces your car's grip on the road, even when the roads have been gritted. It’s best to avoid driving in this weather, but if you have to, there are a few must-do’s and ways you can prevent skidding.

You must:

• be able to see through both front and rear windscreen
• have clean lights and a visible number plate
• remove any snow that may fall onto the road while driving
• check your route and ensure that no more snowfall or extreme weather are predicted.

If you’ve done all these things and you’re still ready to set off - to start with, take stock of where you’re parked. If it’s on a hill or somewhere with less visibility round corners, you’ll need to be extra cautious. In a manual vehicle, use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin, but make sure your speed doesn’t creep up. Automatic vehicles often have a system whereby they can detect snow or ice on the roads and will switch to the appropriate gear, or they’ll have a feature where you can switch this on so that it uses the correct gear. When accelerating or braking, do so very gently. Stopping distances are greatly reduced in icy conditions even when the roads have been gritted, so take it slow and stay well back from other vehicles. If the conditions worsen, it’s sometimes best to come to a safe stop and wait until they improve ^{Footnote [1]}.

What should I do if my car skids or I lose control?

You can reduce your chance of skidding by maintaining a low speed, especially around bends, and avoiding harsh acceleration, braking or steering. If you do skid, take your feet off the pedals and steer into the direction of the skid (not against it).

On exposed sections of roads and when crossing bridges, strong gusts of wind can easily make driving more difficult. Keep an eye on the weather forecasts when you’re planning your journey and at these points on the road and any embankments, stay alert and keep a secure grip on the steering wheel with both hands. Keep well back from cyclists, motorcycles and high-sided vehicles, as they can be particularly affected by turbulence and can be suddenly blown into your path.

Always keep an eye on weather forecasts, and pull over safely to stop and wait if you’re concerned about worsening conditions on the roads.