Roads across the country are expected to turn “dangerous” from Sunday (November 17) as the Met Office has issued three days of weather warnings for snow and ice.
The first warning covers the north of Scotland, coming into force at 4pm on Sunday and lasting until 11am on Monday (November 18). The Met Office says as much as 10cm of snow is possible in some places, and has warned of “icy patches on some untreated roads“.
The second warning covers Glasgow and Edinburgh, and reaches as far south as Huddersfield in England. It is in place from 10am on Monday to 10am on Tuesday (November 19). This warning states some places could see as much as 20cm of snow, with the Met Office also saying driving conditions could become “dangerous”.
It is always best to avoid driving on icy roads when possible – but if you have a journey that is absolutely necessary, a driving expert has shared her top tips for navigating them.
Annie Winterburn shares motoring advice and tips for passing your driving test on her TikTok account (@theorytestpractice). She explains in one video: “When you’re moving away and it’s snowy or icy, it will help if you don’t race the engine, so don’t press too much gas, and use the highest gear that you can.
“While you are driving along, you need to treat every control really, really gently. That is the gas and the brake, and the gears, and the clutch, and the steering. Use them really gently. And stay safe!”
Annie revealed in another video that you need to maintain a 20 second gap between yourself and the car in front in icy conditions, as opposed to the standard two second gap in regular, dry conditions.
The Met Office has its own advice for driving on icy roads too. It says you can “keep yourself and others safe” by:
- Looking well ahead for potential hazards and keep your speed down.
- Accelerating, braking, steering and changing gear as smoothly as possible to reduce the risk of a skid.
- Using a higher gear may be more appropriate to help grip on packed ice.
- Using a higher gear helps manage engine power making it easier to find traction.