It happens almost every year and yet most of us do not seem to cope in one way or another so lets start with the basics;

As with the dark you should see and be seen, so you need to clear ALL your windows of snow and ice (clear the fog inside too) and if you have snow on the roof this should be cleaned too! Remember it is an offense to drive without doing so!

What is the best way to clear the ice off them? The kettle of warm water is not my ideal choice as too hot and it could crack the glass, plus there is a good chance it freezes again if not warm enough. I read a tip of putting warm water in a sandwich bag and running over the glass. I tried it and it seems to work ok, but maybe I am old fashioned and prefer to scrape it off with a scraper. not as bad as you think because I have treated the screen first with something like RainX so it cannot grip and comes off easily!

Ever had the car stick so you cannot open it? Treat the rubber first with some petroleum jelly, no problem!

What about the locks freezing? Again give the locks a squirt of WD40 before they freeze and it should not be a problem!

Keep it smooth and gentle! Now your vehicle is ready for the road my top tips to keep you safe is be smooth & gentle. Keep your distance from the car in front so you do not need to make any sudden changes, remember your driving lesson days and stopping distances, you should have a 20 second gap from the car in front!

Skid control! Best advice is don’t panic, the first thought is usually the wrong one! So if you are trying to stop and have lost your grip then come off the brakes! Yes I know it seems wrong but it will be the only way to get any grip back again and then brake more gently! ABS will help greatly here but better to be gently and not let it kick in if you can and will allow you to steer better!

Any other tips and advice? Let us know your top tips to pass on to our followers.