FEATURED POST
Winter driving tips 2024 | How to drive safely in cold weather
Driving in winter can be challenging, especially when you experience bad weather like snow and ice. The Otto Team has a series of articles to keep Uber Partners safe on the roads and maximise their earning power. This post specifically covers how to drive safely in the winter months.
Prepare your PCO car
In addition to getting your PCO car serviced, follow this winter checklist to get your car ready.
- Check your battery to make sure it’s fully charged before you set off.
- Flick your lights on and off to make sure they’re working and clean.
- Make sure brakes and tyres are in good condition.
- Top up your fluids, prioritising windscreen wash, oil and anti-freeze.
- Clear your mirrors of any snow or ice. Never set off with frost on any of your windows.
- Check the handbook to see if your car has a winter mode or if second gear is recommended for pulling off.
- Pack a winter car kit, with de-icer, ice scraper, warning triangle, torch, jump leads, first-aid kit, emergency snack etc.
- Keep the breakdown service number, just in case you are in a challenging situation.
Tips: You must have at least 1.6mm of tread over the central three quarters of your tyre around the entire circumference. Any less and you risk failing a spot check from TfL. Use a 20p coin to check the tread depth.
Plan ahead
As a PCO driver, you always need to be prepared for a plan B.
- Keep an alternative route in mind. The one your satnav suggests might not work in practice with extreme conditions.
- Install the most useful apps for drivers. For example, Waze, Zap-Map, and of course, BP Pulse and Shell Recharge for charging.
- Allow extra time for your journey. Don’t rush.
- Check twice that your car is prepared properly, then relax and take it easy.
Tips: Cold weather can reduce battery performance. If you drive an EV, make sure to precondition the car to warm up the battery and maximise its range.
Top tips for driving in snow
New PCO drivers might be nervous to drive in ice or snow for the first time but here is solid advice.
- Slow down and extend your stopping distances. This can be 10 times longer when there’s ice on the road.
- Avoid harsh acceleration and braking. Drive as smoothly as possible due to the slippery surfaces.
- Use the demister and windscreen wipers when necessary.
- Switch on headlights to improve visibility. Use fog lights only when visibility is reduced to 100 meters or below to help others see you. Remember to turn them off when visibility improves.
- Stick to main roads wherever possible.
- Mind other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
- Keep calm and alert for rain, wind and fog, as they can also make driving difficult.
- When you hit black ice, stay calm. Keep the steering straight and allow the car to pass over it gently.
- If you get stuck in snow or ice, try to straighten the wheels, then put a floor mat under the driving wheels to give the tyres extra grip.
- If your car breaks down, put your hazard lights on straight away.
Tips: Black ice is a transparent coating of ice which blends in with road pavements. It forms at 3 degrees, not zero. Please be especially cautious when driving through tunnels, over bridges and on untreated roads.
Tips: Driving with the windows open helps to avoid the danger of falling asleep at the wheel.
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