Glastonbury People's Driving tips for icy and snowy weather

Although the weather was a little milder this morning in Glastonbury (maybe just a touch over freezing), and for the first time in a week I didn’t have to spend ages scraping ice from my car, I think this was just a blip and the below freezing temperatures are expected to continue for the foreseeable future. There were a few flakes of snow at around 8.30am, but nothing that settled, but it isn’t time to get complacent.

Within a few miles of us some roads are getting very icy, and there has been snow in various parts of Somerset over the past few days so it is wise to plan your journeys quite carefully and only undertake those that are essential

The advice from the Highways Agency is to stay at home unless you really do have to travel. You should delay your journey for a couple of hours until conditions improve and keep checking the latest forecasts from the Met Office.                                                                                                   Driving tips and preparation for bad weather:

• Check both local and national weather forecasts.
• Carry de-icer and a scraper and demist and de-ice your car thoroughly before setting off.
• Check antifreeze and screen wash.
• Check and replace battery and bulbs if necessary.
• Only travel if absolutely essential.
• Take bad weather gear with you like extra clothing, a spade, wellies, a torch etc.
• Keep your distance when following other vehicles and drive more slowly than usual.
• If you find yourself skidding, ease off the accelerator, but do not brake suddenly.
• Brake gently, accelerate gently and turn the steering wheel gently.
• If climbing an icy hill, use as high a gear as possible.
• Carry a pair of sunglasses to avoid dazzle.
• Carry a mobile phone.
• Allow plenty of time for your journey.

Most important of all of course is making sure that your car is actually up to the job of making winter journeys, so have your car checked over ready for this harsh time of year.

While you can do the obvious things like checking levels and replacing bulbs, there are several garages in our local directory that will be able to give your car a quick winter service: Avalon Motors are Citroen specialists, but can tackle all makes; Dowden Motor Services and Lintells Garage are both well respected smaller outfits, while my two personal recommendations are Roger Curtis in Street and Rapsons in Glastonbury. I’ve been using both for years, and both came via word of mouth, and of course it’s always good to build up a relationship with a decent garage so that you can rely on them in an emergency. If you have a recommendation for a garage you use then we would love to hear it, or maybe write a review in the business directory.

Getting your battery checked/replaced is also vital at this time of year as there’s nothing like a cold snap to kill ‘em off and leaving you stranded at the worst possible time. National Tyres in Street is usually a good bet, and Avalon Tyre Services are quick and efficient. Meanwhile Warners Tyres come highly recommended.

Britain as a nation is always caught unawares by bad weather, so if you have any top tips on how we may best prepare ourselves, please let us know below.