Driving Safely in the Winter
Where Do You Live?
As the latest weather forecasts warn of possible snow here in the UK how ready are you for some real winter weather?
The long period of cold, snowy weather that we experienced early in 2009 highlighted how unprepared we in the U.K. usually are for bad winter weather. I shouldn’t generalise as people in Scotland tend to be better prepared than their soft southern cousins. Scotland tends to be better prepared than the southern British Isles as they experience some intense winter conditions most years.
One of the issues that arose early in 2009 was that road gritting trucks ran out of grit. It has been suggested that this was due to local authorities running out of money. But it really boils down to inaccurate forecasting. While the south can experience periods of intensely bad winter weather they tend to be shortlived. The prolonged period of five weeks of icy, snowy conditions meant that there wasn’t enough grit to last.
But how do they cope in countries like Sweden and Norway where they have snow on the ground for much of the winter?
Driving on snow covered, icy roads is treacherous. Not only as a result of slippery road surfaces but also due to poor visibility caused by snow, sleet and slush. Winter tyres are recommended as an absolute minimum.
In Norway and Sweden some road gritting is carried out but this is usually concentrated on busier road junctions. Once away from the busy city and town roads you’ll find roads consist of compacted snow and ice. When driving on these roads it is important to travel slowly and not to make any sudden moves.Overaking is not wise when driving in these conditions.
A good set of winter tyres can be enormously beneficial. The rubber contains added silicone which helps the tyres to remain flexible at low temperatures. They also tend to have a heavier tread pattern with fine lateral cuts which help the tyre to put as much surface as possible in contact with the ground.
Another option is snow chains, but it should be remembered that these are really only useful in snow and not much use on icy surfaces.Another useful option is studded tyres, which can be helpful on icy road surfaces.
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