With the chilly white stuff forecast for some of the country we've put together some of our fave tips for coping with driving in snow and staying safe.
Prepare for the worst
Hold on, I don't mean grab the snow chains and plough attachment for your beloved Corsa. I mean a bit of forward planning will help you to stay safe.
Leave a little extra time for your journey - getting up and out a few minutes earlier means you have plenty of time to de-ice the car, clearing your vision and scraping windows/mirrors.
Wear a coat and take some extra blankets - in the unlikely event that you get stuck somewhere be sure to be able to stay warm.
Stay fuelled up - if ever there was a good time to NOT run out of fuel it is when it is snowing or minus temps. Wandering along the road looking for a garage in the dark and freezing cold will not be fun.
For longer journeys take a flask - ok so it might seem extreme but it is a welcome cockle warmer if you have a cup of tea by your side if you get stuck somewhere
De-ice - don't skimp on clearing your screen, there are lots of ways to do this, scraper, spray, warmth from the heater inside, luke warm water - please don't boil the kettle and pour it on your frozen glass - science experiment 101. Be extra careful if your windscreen already has a crack or chip as it will be a bit weaker when it's colder than Captain Birdseye's fingers.
Plan your route - even if you don't need the sat nav, use the sat nav or an app on your phone to at least check the route is clear. Waze, Google Maps all alert you to problems on your planned route and help you out of trouble.
Check you have chargers in your car - if you might be out for a bit and potential to get stuck you need to be able to charge mobiles
Share your route with someone else - if you are travelling alone or maybe with the kiddos, you can share a route on google with a friend or family member and they can track your progress
What 3 words - check out the website and gen up on this clever initiative, every three metres square in the world has a unique three word code to help with location.
Take water and snacks - these are essential everywhere and always, I especially like pasties and coffee, another tip is to make sure no matter how many times you've done the journey - make sure you have your mobile and a method of paying for things when you leave the house.
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