The Essentials of Winter Weather Driving

The autumn and winter months can produce some extreme weather conditions which make driving more difficult, and at times, downright dangerous.

Heavy rains can cause aquaplaning and skidding, while surface water can disguise the actual depth of flooded areas. Both can result in vehicle damage and injury or on occasion, even death. Fog, ice and heavy snow can greatly reduce visibility and make road surfaces slippery. With shorter daylight hours more driving is done in the dark - which has its own difficulties including the capacity to tire drivers more quickly.

Help protect your staff from the extra dangers adverse weather can bring by ensuring the following:

• That all vehicles have regular maintenance checks and some simple pre-driving checks before every use
• Journeys - particularly long ones - are well planned in advance
• Drivers are aware of the necessity to suitably adapt their driving behaviour during periods of adverse weather

Making those vital regular checks

To avoid the potential for breakdowns it is essential to ensure vehicles are properly maintained and that time is spent in regularly carrying out some basic checks. This includes checking the brakes, the most important safety feature of any car. Keep an eye on wear rates - especially when grip could be at its lowest in winter.

According to the RAC 28% of breakdown issues are battery-related. So it makes sense to keep it regularly maintained, charged and in good health.  The RAC provide useful advice on battery checks what to do if your car won't start in the cold on their website.

Setting aside just five minutes every few weeks for these simple checks can help to keep your drivers safe on the roads, as well as save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Ensure your vehicle is journey-ready

In recent research where the RAC asked if drivers checked their cars to ensure they are 'road-ready' before making a trip, an alarming 30% said they never do!

As much as we wrap ourselves up warmly to ensure we're physically ready for the weather, so your vehicle needs some hands-on preparation too.

See our guidance in Driving in Poor Weather for advice on what is needed in preparation for each journey. The RAC also offer some practical advice on prepping your vehicle such as clearing your windscreen inside and out. Using cold air rather than hot air will actually clear your windscreen faster (see the RAC's how to demist your windscreen in double-quick time).

Changing driving behaviours

Driving in poor weather conditions, requires a change in driving behaviour in order to keep both drivers, and other road users safe. Safe driving needs good reactions and concentration.

Speed: Stopping distances can be 10x longer when it's icy. Gentle manoeuvres and slow speeds are therefore key to staying safe on winter roads.

Reaction times: good reactions are all important when driving in poor weather conditions. In the seasons for colds and 'flu, driving ability can be affected if a driver is feeling unwell. Cold-related medicines can also make drivers drowsy and affect their reaction times. Driving when unwell should, therefore, be avoided if at all possible.

Distractions: can inevitably make a driver less observant and more likely to fail to anticipate the hazards around them. While it is difficult to obtain accurate data on the impact of distraction on road accidents it is believed that over 70% of crashes and 65% of near crashes had distraction as a contributing factor. Such distractions include use of mobile phones, consulting sat-navs and listening to infotainment systems.

Your responsibilities as an Employer

British weather is unpredictable. Bad weather can strike suddenly so the best advice when severe weather hits is to stay off the road. If a journey is necessary, your drivers should plan and be prepared with these conditions in mind. Consider including advice and guidance for safe driving in your Drivers' Handbook and Driving Policy.

For further information please get in touch.