How to drive in winter

It’s easy to blame the snow, rain or your tyres for a winter driving mishap, but have you ever considered that it might be down to you? Are you getting the best out of your car and matching your driving to the conditions?

For all too many motorists, the answer is no. They continue to drive in the same way as when the roads are warm and dry – and that’s a recipe for disaster.

So what should you do? To find out, we headed to world rally champion Prodrive’s proving ground in Kenilworth, Warks, and took its Winter Driving course.

Chief instructor Jamie Wall was our guide as we tackled the site’s simulated surfaces – and speed is clearly a big factor. Jamie said: “Drivers simply don’t appreciate how little grip snow and ice offer, and carry too much speed into a situation.” And the wider the tyre, the less grip it has.

“This is aggravated by the fact that in tricky conditions, a driver’s focus moves closer to the car – just as you watch where you’re putting your feet when walking on ice,” Jamie added. “As you focus in front of the bonnet, you can become less aware of what’s going on down the road, and give yourself less time to react.”

So in slippery conditions, slow down more than you think you need to, especially on open roads like motorways with few reference points to show how fast you’re going. Keep looking down the road to give the maximum space to react and leave bigger gaps to vehicles ahead of you.

If you need to stop in a hurry, let the anti-lock brakes do their job. “People don’t trust the safety systems,” said Jamie. “They come off the brakes when the ABS is working as they’re worried about damaging the car.” Keep your foot down and you will stop quickly and still be able to steer; a locked wheel just goes straight on.

Carry too much speed into a corner, and most modern cars will start to lose front end grip or understeer. When the car is not following the steering input, it’s natural to apply more lock, which will only make the problem worse – as the tyre tread is designed to work when running close to straight ahead. “When you feel the car not turning as it should, reduce the lock and ease off the throttle until the front end grips again,” Jamie told us.

On snow and ice it can help to dip the clutch, as the engine can still drive the car forward even on tickover. But suddenly lifting off the accelerator can cause a rear wheel slide or oversteer.

This is common in rear-wheel-drive cars – it’s caused by excess throttle, entering a corner too fast or a sudden weight shift. “Most drivers instinctively turn into the skid, but often don’t apply enough lock,” said Jamie. Keep the wheels pointing the way you want to go, even if that means grabbing more lock.

Plus, look where you want to go, instead of at what you think you’re about to hit. On rear-driven cars, ease off the throttle; on front-driven models, accelerate gently. 4WD cars tend to behave like those with front-wheel drive.

You may be able to prevent a spin, but correcting a slide takes up a lot of road. Electronic stability systems help here, braking individual wheels and cutting the power to bring the car in line.

All these techniques can help once you’re moving. But what if you’re stuck? First, try to pull off with the traction control on, but without triggering it or spinning the wheels – higher gears make this easier. Do this several times to rock the car back and forth. If the traction control is a bit eager, switch it off and apply the power gently. Then you’re away, and can apply our other tips to complete your winter journey safely.

Performance specialist Prodrive will provide winter driver training in one of its own cars for £150. Or you can do it in your own car for £125 and see how it behaves in extreme conditions.

Contact: 01676 536133, www.prodrive.com