HOW TO DRIVE ON ICE

When the roads get really slippery, it's vital to know how to react. Here's what you need to know

- Chris Rosamond

THE combination of freezing temperatures and wet roads can be a deadly, yet almost invisible, threat. When black ice forms, often during cold snaps overnight, it's a particularly nasty challenge for early-morning drivers. And if the gritting lorries are caught offguard too, the resulting road conditions on the commute can be a recipe for disaster.

Black ice can form any time it's cold enough, of course, but so too can more obviously icy surfaces after snow or heavy frosts. They're all tricky for drivers who don't adapt to the conditions, who are oblivious to the dangers, or who don't know how to react if their car goes into a potentially dangerous skid.

Don't drive!

The first question to ask yourself is do you really need to go out on icy roads? Even if you're prepared and experienced, not everybody else will be, so the potential for an accident is greatly increased. But if you've weighed up the options and are committed to getting behind the wheel, the following tips should help to keep you safe.

Slow down

"Slow down" could be all the advice you need to drive safely in icy conditions. There is a lot less grip when it's icy: stopping distances double in the wet, but can increase by a factor of 10 on ice, and you may not be able to stop at all.

The risk of skidding is always present, even when you're driving at walking pace on ice, but particularly when applying the brakes or making sharp steering inputs, or on inclines. That risk increases exponentially with speed, as do the dangers should you lose control.