Winter Driving Tips For Driving Your Car This Winter

Driving during the summer and the winter are two completely different things. Winter brings much harder driving conditions which can make roads much more dangerous. It is important to make sure to reduce the risk of driving in the winter months as much as possible. Coburg Towing Melbourne are on hand to offer you winter driving tips.

 

1. Maintaining your distance

An important thing to consider is maintaining your distance between other cars when driving. The winter months invite snow and ice onto the roads making them extremely slippery. When you are driving, it is important to try to maintain your distance from other cars and potential obstacles.

Slippery conditions make braking distances increase as the wheels will have much less grip when braking. This is why you should compensate and leave more space between your car and the car in front so that you reduce the chances of a collision.

 

2. Try to drive in higher gears

A not-so-obvious tip for you to consider is to try and drive in higher gears. As weather conditions get worse, it is important to avoid skidding and veering off the road. Having your car in lower gears increases wheel spin giving you less grip between your wheels and the road.

We recommend where possible to put your car into a higher gear so you reduce the risk of this happening when driving. Obviously, this will only apply to manual users however automatic drivers can also reduce wheel spin. Simply using less throttle when pulling away or speeding up will also help keep you safe and reduce the risk of spinning.

 

3. Make sure your lights are working

Another important point to remember when driving is to ensure that your lights are in working conditions whenever you set off. Not only is it illegal to drive a car with faulty lights but it is even more important during the winter months. It will begin to get darker earlier meaning it is extremely difficult to see oncoming traffic and potential hazards without fully functioning lights.

It is crucial to check your lights every time you set off on a journey, whether it is light or not. Lights can stop working in an instant. They may be working on your way to work but then cut out on your way back to work.

 

4. Take your time

One of the most important tips of them all is to take your time when driving. This is important to consider throughout the year but even more important during the colder months. Allow yourself more time to leave before setting off on your journey as well as staying within the speed limits when driving. If conditions get worse when you are driving, then simply slow down or pull over until they get better.

If you don’t leave yourself enough time, you may feel more inclined to speed and take more risks to be on time. Not only is this dangerous, but it will massively increase your chances of crashing and potentially hurting others.

 

5. Try to reduce the amount you drive

Ideally, if you have the option to not drive then you shouldn’t. Car accidents are much more likely to happen in the winter so by reducing the amount that you do drive, you can help prevent a crash from happening.

Alternatively, if you need to move your car for whatever reason, you can have it moved by Coburg Towing Melbourne services.

 

6. Keep your fuel topped up

One of the worst things that can happen is a breakdown, especially during the winter months. A common reason for this happening is not having enough fuel in your car. To prevent this from happening, make sure to check your fuel regularly and schedule when to get more fuel.

If the nearest petrol station to you is 20miles away, make sure that you have enough fuel to get there so that you don’t run out.

 

Overall, it is important to take extra caution when driving in the winter months as there is a lot more risk of crashing due to slippery conditions. If possible, try to drive less and consider using Coburg Towing Melbourne to move your car.