Advice comes in the form of four key areas by being informed, prepared, aware and wise.

Be Informed

Check weather and travel updates to properly plan your journey to take into account problems on the road network which will put more time on your journey

Be Prepared

Check that your vehicle is ready for winter driving by checking anti-freeze, lights, battery and tyres. Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle; include things like an ice scraper, torch, blankets, jump leads, a road map and first aid kit.

Be Aware

Advice for driving carefully and adjusting your driving style to match those of the surrounding conditions, for example driving up a hill and keeping a steady speed and perhaps considering delaying a journey to allow time for salt spreaders to get onto the roads.

Be Wise

Watch out for changes in the road where there may be formations of ice and more specific tips on driving in Fog, snow, rain and windy weather

Read more winter driving tips on the Highways Agency website

Water gets in to small cracks in the road tarmac. When the water freezes it forces the tarmac apart, forming a pothole. The Institute of Advanced Motorists has released advice for road users on potholes. Car drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists should all leave room between them and the vehicle in front to be able to see the road surface coming up and if needed take appropriate action. Be wary of other road users as they may change their direction of travel suddenly to avoid a pothole.

The tips include things you should do before setting off and advice for driver’s on spotting potential risks

Pre-flight Checks
Check anti-freeze, ensure lights and windscreen are clean and that bulbs work. If the battery is unreliable, replace and check tyre pressures. Take the time to check the weather along the route planned.

Emergency Kit
Consider carrying an emergency kit with you which could include items such as:

• De-icer and Ice scraper
• Torch
• Blanket
• First Aid Kit
• Jump Leads
• Warning triangle/sign
• Food and drink

Adopt a Safer Driving Style
Observer the road and consider how ice may change due to the road and its surroundings, this can include under bridges, the relative exposure of stretches of road, shade from objects on the roadside and to slow down around corners.

The idea was first tested in the UK about 10 years ago by storing water warmed in the summer under the road in insulated reservoirs, then releasing the water to de-ice the road. The Americans have now developed tiny Nano-fibres made from steel into the concrete which are then heated with electric (about 6 watts to raise the temperature 10 degrees in 2 hours). The advantage is that salt corrosion to the road surface and vehicles is minimised, the disadvantage is that it would be too costly to implement on every road, and would probably only be used on known cold areas and bridges.