WEATHER: top snow driving tips

As temperatures plummet below minus ten and snow covers the borough’s roads there are a few top tips that could help you from squirming to a halt in the Rotherham tundra.

And while the IAM’s Chief Examiner, Peter Roger admits that people should “avoid travelling unless completely necessary” he and his colleagues have issued advice to motorists for whom staying at home is not an option.

The IAM offers the following advice on driving safely through this period:

1) Make sure your windows are clear and that you have all-round visibility before you set off.

2) When driving in snow, get your speed right—not too fast that you risk losing control, but start gently from stationary, avoiding high revs.

3) Stay in a higher gear for better control, and if it is slippery, in a manual car move off in a higher gear, rather than just using first.

4) If you get yourself into a skid the main thing to remember is to take your foot off the pedals and steer

5) Only use the brake if you cannot steer out of trouble.

6) Double or even triple your normal stopping distance from the vehicle in front so you are not relying on your brakes to be able to stop.

7) Plan your journey around busier roads as they are more likely to have been gritted.

8) Avoid using short cuts on minor roads—they are less likely to be cleared or treated with salt, especially country lanes and housing areas.

9) Bends are a particular problem in slippery conditions—slow down before you get to the bend, so that by the time you turn the steering wheel you have already lost enough speed.

10) On a downhill slope get your speed low before you start the descent, and do not let it build up—it is much easier to keep it low than to try and slow down once things get slippery.