January 2004

At the start of another new year, we have to expect that Britain has yet to face the worst of the winter weather. If you need to drive as part of your job or if you employ others who need to drive, then it’s always worth being prepared for the worst.

Prepare Your Vehicle

First of all, make sure your vehicle is well prepared, which broadly means that it is properly serviced and maintained. Ensure there is plenty tread on your tyres and that they are inflated to the correct pressures. It’s also important that your brakes are in good condition.

Along with handling of the car, clear visibility is also vitally important. That means regular cleaning of windows and lights, ensuring wipers are working efficiently and that your washer bottle is topped up with the appropriate mixture. If your vehicle is parked outside, then some morning you will be faced with ice or snow that needs to be cleared from the windows before setting out on your journey. Even if you are able to garage your vehicle overnight it is still wise to carry a scraper and some de-icer for those occasions when you need to park up away from home.

Adverse weather conditions make a breakdown even less pleasant than normal, so ensure your cooling system is topped up with the correct mixture of anti-freeze and that your battery is in good order to cope with the extra demands put on it in cold weather.

Finally by way of general preparations, it is wise to have plenty of warm clothing with you, footwear that is appropriate for cold, wet conditions, something to eat, a working torch and a spade in case you are unfortunate enough to get bogged down in mud or snow. It may sound peculiar, but it is also wise to have a pair of sunglasses in the car. The reason, of course, is that winter sunshine may not be all that warm, but it is still bright and is usually just low enough to shine unobstructed below the car’s visor.

Prepare for Your Journey

A few checks before each journey are always worthwhile. They only take a few moments but could save you hours of grief and frustration. An obvious one is to check the national and local weather forecasts for your route. TV and radio also carry warnings about traffic conditions or you can use your phone to access the reports, but not while you are driving. If you do have reason to use your phone, first park your vehicle in as safe a position as possible.

Take account of the weather, traffic conditions and any information about road works, when calculating the time for your journey. Much better to arrive at your destination a little early than have to take risks in order to meet a tight deadline.

One more precaution when you know the weather is unfavourable – ensure someone knows where you are going, your intended route and your expected arrival time. Having someone else to look out for you can be a godsend if something should go wrong.

Winter Driving

Snow, ice, heavy rain or fog all affect visibility and stopping distances. Consequently, you should drive a little slower than usual, and allow extra room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front. Be aware of loss of traction – perhaps because of ice or aquaplaning in heavy rain. Your first experience is often in the form of a lack of responsiveness in the steering, and it will obviously be problematic if you need to brake. If you find yourself in this situation, your response should be to ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually until traction returns.

Anti-lock brakes can be helpful when the road surface is slippery, though it is infinitely better not to drive in such a manner that you are dependent on them to get you out of trouble. In general, all driving manoeuvres should be gentle, avoiding heavy acceleration or braking. Driving in as high a gear as reasonably practical also helps to avoid wheel spin.

Poor visibility is often compounded by fog, rain and spray thrown up by other vehicles. Fog can be particularly tricky since it is often patchy, which can catch out the unwary driver. Ensure you can be seen by other drivers by using dipped headlights and, in particularly poor conditions, fog lights. However, you should always remember to switch your fog lights off again as soon as visibility improves.

In foggy conditions, it is not wise to hang on to other people’s rear lights. It is very easy to misjudge your distance and finish up driving much too close.

When the Worst Happens

If you are unfortunate enough to have a breakdown or, even worse, an accident, get your vehicle out of the way of other traffic if at all possible. Try to ensure other drivers are able to see you, by using your hazard warning lights, for example, and then call for help.

If you break down on a motorway, then follow the normal advice, which is to pull over to the hard shoulder and then wait beside your vehicle for help to arrive, but well away from other traffic. In fact, if possible, you should stand behind the safety barrier. Advice may be slightly different if you are a woman travelling alone. When calling for help, it is generally best to use the standard roadside telephones since the emergency services are then in no doubt about your location. If you have to use a mobile phone, then try to establish your location by reference to the numbered marker posts on the side of the hard shoulder.

Fleet Managers

If you are responsible for your company’s fleet of vehicles, then under the recently published HSE guidelines on Driving at Work, you have a duty of care to ensure your vehicles are maintained in a safe and fit condition. That means you must have “adequate maintenance arrangements in place” and additionally have adequate means for ensuring “maintenance and repairs are carried out to an acceptable standard”. If your arrangements are ever going to be put to the test, then it will be in the next month or two so now is the time to ensure everything is in order.

It may also be worth circulating a few suggestions to your drivers – just by way of reminder. Sometimes, driving in bad weather is unavoidable and that inevitably carries a degree of risk. Undoubtedly, the winter weather will claim victims again this year, but a little bit of preparation and extra care while driving can significantly reduce your level of risk, which is what health and safety is all about.

Contact EDP HS&E Consultants for all your health, safety and environment needs. We can check your current arrangements and advise you about any changes or improvements you need to make.

To discuss your requirements, without any obligation on your part, please gives us a call or complete the Enquiry Form on our website.