Driving experts at Rooster Car Insurance has shared their top tips on what to do if your car starts to skid on the icy roads, as drivers are urged to follow easy advice.
Driving on snowy or icy roads can be scary, especially if you don't have much experience with it. While it might not seem like a big deal for some, the snowy or icy conditions while make the road more slippery than before, which can lead to drivers losing control of their vehicles.
With temperatures across the UK having been freezing for most parts of January, many might have already found their cars skidding on their roads, which can often cause panic for drivers. Luckily, it can be easier to gain back control of your car than you may think.
Experts from Rooster Car Insurance have taken to their social media page to share how to best avoid accidents if you start to skid on the icy roads, as drivers are urged to do one simple thing when it happens.
"What to do if you skid on ice while driving," they wrote on the video, as they went on to show an animated video of how to best deal with skidding cars on cold winter days.
"When you first start to skid, ease of the gas and do not break hard," they explained in the video.
While it might seem like common sense to slow down the car by hitting the break, this won't work, as this will lock the wheels, eliminating steering control and worsening the skid, often causing a spin.
Instead, you should make the car slow down by removing your foot from the accelliratior and
Next up, they explained that you should steer the wheel to the direction that the back of the car is sliding in, to then slowly recentre the wheels as the car regains its traction on the road.
The key things you need to look out for to avoid skidding involves driving slowly, maintaining large gaps, avoiding sudden movements, using low gears, and watching for invisible black ice, especially on bridges, the Met office have reported.
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The generally recommendations for driving on icy or snowy roads are fairly similar, with the most important tip being to avoid driving in serious conditions. But if you must drive, the AA recommends to make sure to prepare well before you set off – check your fuel and make sure your mobile phone is fully charged for in case you get stuck.
When driving, you should accelerate gently, get into a higher gear as soon as possible, and reduce your speed in general. This will help to avoid losing control of the car, while also giving you a better chance to avoid accidents in front of you.
You should also avoid harsh braking and acceleration or aggressive steering, and instead reduce your speed smoothly and use brakes gently.
Drivers should aslo keep an eye on the vehicle in front of you as this can give a clue to where patches of black ice are, as you may see the vehicle in front skidding slightly. Black ice is a thin layer of ice on the road surface that’s usually transparent. Because it's very difficult for drivers to see, it can be one of the biggest dangers of winter driving.
If you do hit black ice, keep calm and avoid sudden or aggressive manoeuvres, and don’t hit the brakes but lift of the accelerator fully and try to keep the steering straight, allowing the car to pass over the ice.
