What gear should I drive in when it snows?

IT doesn’t snow very much in Britain, with an average of about 23 days of snowfall a year – so it can be nerve-wracking to be on the roads when it does.

Generally the advice is to take it slow and be prepared, because it can be very dangerous to drive in snow.

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What gear should I drive in when it snows?

It’s recommended that you start off in second gear to prevent your wheels slipping, but you need to change up to a high gear as quickly as is safe.

Some cars have a “winter mode” which starts you in second automatically.

Move back to a lower gear to go downhill, and avoid braking if possible.

Try to stay in the same higher gear you are driving in as you go uphill, so leave lots of room in front.

How do you drive when its snowing?

Only drive if you have to, and very carefully when it’s snowing.

Accelerate smoothly and slowly, using low revs.

In fact, perform all operations like braking and changing gear slowly when you are driving in snow.

Maintain ten times the gap for stopping distance than usual.

On corners, brake before you start to turn the wheel.

Stop accelerating if you lose grip, and make sure your wheels are pointing the way you want to go.

If you skid one way, gently turn the wheel in the same direction as the skid and avoid the urge to slam on the brakes.

If you have four-wheel drive or automatic braking system, be sure you know how to use it effectively – but remember, it’s best to avoid braking as much as possible.

The advice is to use dipped headlights in place of day lights in heavy snow, and fog lights if the visibility is bad.

Try to avoid driving in icy tracks made by other vehicles.

Allow more time for your journey, and plan your route carefully, checking traffic and weather reports and avoiding exposed or flooded areas.

To prepare your car for the journey, you should take the following steps:

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• Check that you have good tread on your tyres, your windscreen wipers can move, and you’ve got good quality screen wash on board that works in freezing conditions;
• Be ready for the worst, with a demisting pad, wind-up torch, warm blanket, water and food, high-vis vest, scraper, map, phone charger, warning triangle, piece of carpet to put under your drive wheel, first-aid kit, jump leads, something to do, a shovel, and the number of your breakdown provider in your car.

What speed should I drive in snow?

Drive a lot more slowly than usual in snowy conditions, and try to avoid changing gear or braking.

Speed is the real killer in snowy and icy conditions, and braking is the cause of skids, so it’s OK to keep safe at 20, even in a 50 miles per hour zone.

If you are using winter tyres – which is recommended in wintry conditions – the top speed of the car is set out depending on the tyres.

Wintry road conditions prevent the car from being able to travel at its top speed with winter tyres on.

For instance, in a car that can reach speeds of up to 150mph, winter tyres may only allow it to go a maximum of under 120mph.