Whether you’re a seasoned driver or have just started your PCO journey, winter driving in London, UK, can be harrowing. Weather is unpredictable, and you’ll face various challenges, including rain, snow, dense fog, strong winds, and long dark nights. In this blog, we’ve listed some tips you need for taking care of your health, passengers, and PCO car.

Plan Your Journeys Carefully

Winter journeys require more time than usual due to unexpected road and weather conditions. Here’s how you should plan your trips:

• Start your day 10 minutes early to have enough time to prepare your car and de-ice it.
• Check maps and routes for clear and gritted roads.
• If your PCO car has a winter mode, use that. It helps during slippery conditions.
• Check fuel levels and keep the tank full for emergencies.
• Treat your passengers well and ensure they’re comfortable during the ride.

Remove Snow from Your Car

According to Highway Code Rule 229, your windows, mirrors, lights, and number plates must be clear of ice and snow while you’re on the road. So before you begin driving, double-check all these spots and remove snow to avoid penalties and potential incidents.

Although the rule doesn’t mention removing snow from the roof, you should still do it. While driving, this snow can fall into other drivers’ paths or on your windscreen, leading to penalties. So it’s best to stay safe and completely remove snow from your car before driving.

When removing snow, clean the entire back windows and front windscreen because leaving any space frosted will increase the size of blind spots.

Replace Your Tyres

Replace your current tyres with “all season” tyres, and make sure the new ones have at least 3mm tread. The rubber in these tyres offers better grip in wet, icy, and cold weather conditions. Although the law requires you to have a minimum of 1.66mm tread, investing in good 3mm all-season tyres will help you all year long.

Most drivers assume that removing air from the tyres will increase their grip. However, doing this doesn’t help much on UK roads and makes steering difficult.

If you’re using snow chains, make sure there’s deep enough snow. Using them over gentle dusting will damage the road and your PCO car.

Essential Supplies Checklist

Before you begin your PCO journey, keep all these supplies in your car. They will help you during emergencies.

• Ice scraper
• Snow shovel
• Torch
• Mobile phone and portable charger
• First aid kit
• Warm clothes, blanket
• Snacks and water
• Emergency contact list
• Emergency warning triangle

Increased Stopping Distances

When driving in the UK, you’re more likely to experience ice than snow. So it’s important to remember that the stopping distance on ice is ten times greater than usual. This means that if it takes 2 seconds for your car to stop usually, it will take 20 seconds to come to a halt on icy roads. Therefore, you must maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.

Similarly, wet and rainy conditions also increase the stopping distances. Driving too close to the car in front of you is never a good idea because your car won’t be able to stop in time, and this can lead to accidents.

Drive in a Higher Gear

Driving in higher gear can help you maintain better car control while driving on ice and snow. If you’re unable to start your car and it’s icy outside, pulling away in second gear may help. First gear doesn’t give you enough grip to pull away on an icy or snowy road.

Maintain Your Lights and Heating Systems

Besides cold weather, you’ll also experience short days and long nights during the winter season. The lack of sunlight will require you to use lights much more than you normally would. Before beginning your journey, ensure that your car’s lights and heating system are working.

Some advanced PCO cars come with better lighting and heating systems. Make sure you learn the following:

• Which lights to use and when
• How to de-ice the car with heat controls
• How to ensure mist doesn’t build up during de-icing
• How heated seats work

If lights or heating controls aren’t working properly, don’t start your PCO rides without getting them fixed. Driving in the winter without a heater can be uncomfortable (or dangerous) for you and your passengers.

Use Lights in Fog

You’ll experience extremely foggy weather during the winter, so make sure you know how to use lights properly. According to the Highway Code, you must use headlights when the visibility is reduced, and you can only see less than 100 meters. You should use the front and rare fog lights if the fog is denser. This will help other pedestrians and drivers see your car.

However, using fog lights when there’s no fog is illegal. Read Road Lighting Regulations for details.

Listen to Oncoming Traffic

You may face difficulty seeing far down the road during fog (even with lights on), so make sure you’re paying complete attention to the oncoming traffic. Keep the radio off and listen if any car is approaching. Make sure to pull away gently when you hear a vehicle coming toward you. Sudden harsh braking will put you and others at risk.

Avoid Driving When You Have a Cold

During the winter, catching a virus or illness like the flu, cough or fever is possible. It’s best to avoid driving when you’re not well to prevent any damage to your health and other risks. Cold medications usually make you feel drowsy, which can affect your reaction times while driving. In addition, you’re also risking the health of your passengers. So sit back, relax, and let yourself recover for a few days.

Read More: Uber Drivers Guidelines for Winter

Slow Speed and Gentle Manoeuvres

During the winter, you’ll be driving on icy and snowy roads. You should create a habit of driving at a slow speed and using gentle manoeuvres. Avoid harsh braking and steering, especially around bends. If you have to stop, go into a lower gear early and let your car slow down smoothly before hitting the brakes. Otherwise, it can result in your car skidding.

Another common yet dreadful challenge drivers face during winter is black ice. It is usually invisible on the road, so you may not be able to identify it. Driving slow will help you avoid black ice and risky manoeuvres.

Skid Control

If you find yourself skidding, try not to panic and do this instead.

When you lose control over steering, keep both hands on the wheel and don’t push the brakes. Try to steer into the skid; this helps straighten your car and regain steering control. It’s difficult to avoid feeling panicked and anxious while skidding but stay calm and focused. Be aware of the surroundings and carefully use skid control techniques.

Maintain Good Ventilation

The temperature and moisture levels are significantly different inside the car than outside, which causes condensation. This build-up can decrease your visibility while driving. Heaters make this even worse and increase drowsiness. To avoid all this, you need a well-ventilated car.

Using air recirculation settings closes off the vent, preventing outside air from entering the vehicle. Avoid using these settings and open the windows slightly when needed.

Don’t Rely Completely on ABS

Most modern hybrid and electric cars have an anti-lock braking system (ABS). This system prevents wheels from locking during heavy braking to help you avoid skidding and maintain better control. However, it doesn’t offer the same efficiency on slippery roads. So instead of completely relying on your ABS, drive cautiously.

Prepare for Increased Glare

Due to less sunlight, every car will have its lights turned on. This results in increased glare on busy roads. Keep your windscreen clean from the inside out to reduce the effect of these glares on your driving. The incoming light is amplified even more during rain or snow, causing visibility issues. You also have to consider the impact of spray from passing cars during rainy weather. To get good visibility at all times, make sure your windscreens are functional and in good condition.

Always clean them before driving to prevent smearing and smudging the glass. Also, ensure there’s enough washing liquid in the tank to clean the mess.

Read More: A Guide to Night Time Driving for PCO Drivers

Tackling Floods

Although you experience rain throughout the year in London, it worsens during the winter months. After heavy downpours in November, the Met Office has forecasted potential flooding in the UK in the upcoming colder months. Always check weather reports and avoid driving during severe flooding. Plan your route according to the weather and only use the main roads.

If you come across a flooded road and are unsure about the water’s depth, turn back and use an alternative route. If the water seems shallow, drive carefully in first gear. Driving in higher gears can cause stalling, and restarting the engine in water can cause severe damage to your car. Once you’ve passed through the water, press your brakes to dry them off.

Watch Out for Cyclists and Pedestrians during the Rain

Besides your car and passengers, you should also take care of pedestrians and cyclists. Drive slowly on flooded roads to avoid splashing people around you. The spray from your car can affect a cyclist’s visibility, so maintain some distance from them when driving on wet roads.

These tips will keep you sorted throughout the winter season. If you need more help, reach out to our PCO car hire experts. You can also get PCO car rental from G&M Direct Hire. We offer advanced hybrid and electric cars for rent to PCO drivers all over London. Explore our fleet here.