Driving in Snow and Ice in the UK: A Survival Guide

#Should you drive at all?

The first question every UK driver should ask in heavy snow is whether the journey is necessary. The Highway Code is explicit: do not drive in snow or ice unless your journey is essential. National Highways, the Met Office, and the police actively advise people to stay home in red and amber warnings. If you can postpone, postpone.

If you must drive, give yourself extra time, tell someone your route and expected arrival time, and carry essentials: warm clothes, a phone charger, a torch, water, and something to eat. A small shovel and a bag of grit or cat litter can get you out of a slick patch. A tow rope is useful but only if you know how to use it safely.

#Tyres: the single biggest factor

In freezing conditions, your tyres are doing 90 percent of the work. UK summer tyres harden below about 7 degrees Celsius and grip drops sharply. Winter tyres remain pliable down to about minus 30 and have tread patterns designed to bite into snow. All-season tyres are a sensible compromise for parts of the UK that see only occasional snow.

The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6 mm, but for snow you really want 4 mm or more. Pressures should be at the manufacturer recommended level; under-inflation is dangerous in snow. Snow chains are legal in the UK but only useful in genuine deep snow, typically only relevant in the Scottish Highlands or the Pennines.

#Pulling away and gentle inputs

In snow and on ice, the rule is "no sudden inputs". Brake gently. Accelerate gently. Steer gently. The controls should feel deliberate. A modern car with traction control will help you, but it cannot violate physics; if there is no grip, no electronics will create it.

Pull away in second gear if you have a manual. The lower torque reduces wheelspin. If the wheels do start spinning, lift off the throttle, then re-engage gently. With an automatic, use winter mode if your car has it (often labelled W or with a snowflake), which starts the car in a higher gear.

• Brake gently and early; the brakes are the worst tool on ice
• Accelerate smoothly; wheelspin loses grip and digs you in
• Steer in small inputs; sudden steering causes loss of front-tyre grip
• Use engine braking on long descents (lower gear, ease off accelerator)
• Plan every junction; if you can avoid stopping, you avoid the hardest part

#Hills, both up and down

Hills are where most stranded UK drivers end up. Going up, the rule is build your momentum on the flat before the hill, change down early so the engine is doing the work, and never stop. If you stop on a snowy hill, you may not be able to start again. If you have to stop, leave a much bigger gap to the car ahead than you would normally; that is your runway when you re-start.

Going down a snowy hill, the danger is the brakes. Use them as little as possible. Engine braking (drop a gear or two and ease off the accelerator) does most of the slowing. If you do need the brakes, use them gently and intermittently; a constant brake on snow can lock the wheels (modern ABS will pump for you, but you still lose steering control). If the back of the car begins to slide, steer gently into the slide and ease off whatever you were doing.

#Black ice and the invisible threat

Black ice is a thin, transparent layer of ice that looks like wet tarmac. It forms in shaded sections, on bridges, in valley bottoms, and on flyovers where cold air pools. The first warning is usually the steering going light, the engine note rising, or the car drifting slightly off your steering input. Recovery is the same as for aquaplaning: lift off, hold the wheel straight, do nothing sudden.

Common UK black ice locations include the M6 over the Cumbrian fells, the A1 across the Pennines, the M62 between Leeds and Manchester, and almost any rural bridge in Scotland. If the temperature is around freezing and the road looks oddly shiny, treat it as ice.

#Visibility and de-icing

Every winter, drivers are fined for what the police call "portholing", driving with only a small clear patch in an otherwise frosted windscreen. Fines start at £60 and can reach £2500 in serious cases. Clear all windows, mirrors, and lights before you set off. A scraper and a spray de-icer take less than five minutes. Pouring boiling water on a windscreen is a quick way to crack the glass.

Snow on the roof of your car is a hazard for everyone behind you. As you accelerate, it can slide forward onto the windscreen. As you brake, it can slide off the back onto another car. Brush it off before you start. The Highway Code requires drivers to ensure their vehicle is clear of snow that could endanger others.

#Building winter skills

If you have never driven in snow, your first time should be in an empty car park or a quiet residential street. Practise gentle starts, gentle stops, and the feel of low grip. The test snow and ice conditions guide covers what happens to tests in winter weather; in short, the DVSA cancels them. The Pass Plus course includes a winter driving module that is worth the cost if you live somewhere with regular snow. For broader weather guidance, see the fog driving guide and the rain driving guide.