Ice and snow

It's very easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when sitting in a warm car. Remember that it's freezing out there and so there are likely to be icy patches!

Watch out on roads with an adverse camber, water can run across and freeze leaving a skating rink surface; this also happens on hills where the road bends.

Places where the winter sun never reaches, for example, under trees and in hollows, can also be icy. Overpasses and bridges are also prone to freezing conditions as cool air passes beneath them.

Ice, unlike snow, is not always easy to see. The first sign may be an eerie silence. This will be coupled with light steering. If this happens, allow plenty of time to stop (up to ten times your normal stopping distance).

Snow can be deceptive. Often your tyres will have more grip on newly fallen snow than on slushy snow. Whatever kind of snow you are driving on you must remember that the car is more likely to go sideways than is normally the case! Gently test your brakes from time-to-time - this will give you a feel for the surface conditions and available grip.