Winter driving and riding tips

When wintery conditions hit you need to take extra care driving, riding a motorcycle or walking.

Here's some tips to keep you safe:

  • Only travel if your journey is necessary - could you use public transport instead?

  • Check your TV or listen to local radio for the latest weather and travel information.

  • In wintry conditions slow down, steer gently and avoid harsh braking. It can take up to ten times longer to stop in icy conditions compare to being on a dry road. Allow extra room to slow down and stop.

  • Use dipped headlights, if driving or riding, during winter conditions and reduce your speed.

  • Ensure your vehicle windows are free of frost and ice and check your wiper blades and replace if they are worn. Do not set off until the inside of the glass has been de-misted

  • Check that your radiator has the correct amount and mixture of water and anti-freeze

  • Check your lights are clean and in working order and your windscreen washer is full with the correct mixture of water and screen cleaner.

  • Check that your tyres have the correct amount of air in them and that they have plenty of tread depth

  • Check that your vehicle battery is in a good condition and fully charged.

  • If going on a long journey take a shovel, torch, wellington boots, warm clothing, food and a hot drink.

  • Make sure that your vehicle has more than enough fuel to complete your journey(s)

  • If you are in trouble do not use a mobile phone while driving. Stop somewhere safe or if you have a passenger ask them make the call

  • If you break down, abandoned vehicles can hold up rescue vehicles and snowploughs. To ensure that the road is cleared as quickly as possible, stay with your vehicle until help arrives

  • If you have to abandon your vehicle then make yourself visible to other road users and inform the local police of the location of your vehicle if it has the potential to cause problems for other road users

  • When roads are icy or covered in snow or slushy use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. When braking, to prevent locking your wheels, get into a low gear earlier than normal and allow your speed to fall and use the brake pedal gently. If you do skid, ease off the accelerator but do not brake suddenly.

Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists

  • Wear suitable footwear and warm clothing

  • Only certain footways and cycle lanes / tracks are currently salted or cleared of snow

  • Take extra care when using, approaching or crossing roads as motorists may not be able to stop as quickly as normal.

Traffic and weather updates

For general traffic and weather conditions information tune into your local radio station on the following frequencies:

  • BBC Radio Derby FM 95.3, 96.0, 104.5; AM 1116

  • BBC Radio Nottingham FM 95.1, 95.5, 103.8, AM 1584 and DAB

  • BBC Radio Sheffield FM 88.6, 94.7, 104.1; AM 1035; DAB

  • BBC GM FM 95.1, 104.6 

  • Amber Sound FM 107.2

  • Peak FM 102.0, 107.4 and online

  • Hallam FM 97.4, 102.9; 103.4

  • Ram FM 102.8

  • Heart FM 106

  • Smooth Radio FM 106.6

  • Mansfield FM 103.2

  • Key 103 FM 103.0

  • Trax FM 107.1, 107.9.

  • High Peak Radio FM 103.3, 106.4

Motoring organisations

AA Roadwatch and Weather Watch, call 0906 888 4322 or 84322 (from mobile phones).

RAC Traffic Information, at www.rac.co.uk (opens in a new window) (opens in a new window).

Check your bus times using our interactive journey planner, or call Traveline on 0871 200 2233. 

Report a road fault

As winter progresses and beyond potholes may appear in the roads, which could pose a safety hazard to all users of the highway network.

If you spot a problem please report it to us online or Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058 058.

Related documents

The following document is in Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download the PDF software for free from the Adobe website (opens in a new window)

Also on our website

Information on other websites

How useful did you find this page?

Not useful

Very useful