Top tips for driving in winter

Drivers are being urged to prepare themselves and their vehicles for travelling in bad weather this autumn and winter.

Officers at Bury Council advise motorists to check the forecast, make sure their cars are in good condition, carry an emergency kit, and drive to the road conditions.

Jan Brabin, senior road safety officer, said an emergency kit should include warm clothing, a torch, an ice scraper, battery jump leads, a first aid kit, food, a warm drink and a shovel in case of snow.

She added: “Often the hardest thing for drivers to do is to adapt their driving style to the changing weather and driving conditions. Wet and icy roads can have a huge impact on a vehicle’s stopping distance, so slow down and drive carefully even on roads that have been treated. In icy conditions it can take up to ten times as long to stop, so be very careful of the car in front.”

Safer Winter Driving Top Tips:

Advice on how to check your car before a journey

• Ensure that your tyres are at the correct pressure and that they are within the legal guidelines for the correct depth of tread (at least 1.6mm).
• Check your lights and wipers are working correctly.
• Keep your lights clean as they can get dirty from the spray off the road.

For more regular car maintenance checks, remember the word 'flower'.

F is for fuel. L is for lights. O is for oil. W is for water. E is for electrics. R is for rubber.

Jan Brabin added: “In extreme weather it may be necessary to close roads to traffic using road closed signs and cones. Drivers should be aware that this is done for good reason and on safety grounds. It is an offence to remove signs and cones and drivers insurance can be invalidated, if they travel down a closed road. The main concern is Rawson’s Rake in Ramsbottom, which due to the gradient can become impassable in severe weather.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 10 November 2015.