Tips for Driving in Snow

With Tasmania experiencing record snowfalls unseen in over twenty years, customers have shared with us their experiences driving in icy conditions. Here are our top tips for driving in snow.

Slow down

Use your gears instead of brakes to slow down and watch for icy patches on the shaded side of the road. If you are taking a long journey, watch out for bridges and on winding stretches where ice may have formed over a thin layer of snow. Take care to drive gently, with no sudden stops and starts or sudden movements. Driving in snow can cause skidding, so drive into the skid rather than slamming on your brakes. If you do get stuck, don’t rev. Instead put the car in a high gear and gently move forward or in reverse over the snow.

Drive only if it’s necessary

Ask yourself is your journey really that urgent or important? It probably feels like it is, but ask yourself what harm would come if you didn’t leave home – and weigh that up against the harm that might come if you were to have an an accident or get stranded.

Before you leave

If you do decide to head out, you shouldn’t just be thinking about how to cope with the driving itself. You should also make sure you’re prepared in case things don’t go to plan.It’s a good idea to pack a bag of supplies to keep in the car . These should include food and water, warm clothing or a blanket, a torch, a first aid kit, a fully charged mobile phone, jump leads, a shovel, an ice scraper and some grit, sand or cat litter. The effort it takes to put these supplies together far outweighs the alternative.

Use your headlights

When the snow does start to fall, turn your headlights on. Check the position of your headlamp switch and make sure it is set to the dipped beam setting. This will improve your vision, and enable other drivers to see you in good time.

If you have automatic headlamps, make sure these have activated – or better still, override them manually by turning the headlamp switch to the dipped beam setting.

You should keep your dipped beam headlamps turned on to make yourself more visible even  when it’s not snowing, because snow clouds can cause light levels to drop as well as mist and murk, while snow on the ground can increase glare on sunny days.

These tips for driving in snow and ice are just a few of the recommendations. Stay safe, have sense and stay warm.

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