Winter Road Safety Tips To Stay Safe On Icy Roads

Winter can be a challenging time for driving in Cornwall and across the UK, with icy roads, poor visibility, and dangerous weather making driving conditions unpredictable and dangerous. Here at Cornwall Air Ambulance, we’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact that winter driving accidents can have so we thought we’d share some essential road safety tips to help you stay safe on the roads this winter.  

Whether you’re a seasoned driver or just learning the ropes, these tips can make all the difference in helping you reach your destination safely all year long. By staying alert and prioritising safety, you can help prevent accidents and avoid the need for our air ambulance services this winter. Read on to discover our top winter road safety advice so you can be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

Why Winter Driving is Different

Driving in the winter can be significantly more challenging and dangerous compared to other times of the year for a few key reasons:

• Icy, Slippery Roads: Cold temperatures cause water on roads to freeze, creating icy, slippery conditions that make it much harder to control a vehicle. Traction and braking distances are severely reduced on icy surfaces meaning that vehicles require significantly more distance to come to a complete stop, increasing the risk of collisions. 
• Reduced Visibility: Winter weather often brings snow, fog, and heavy rain, all of which can drastically reduce visibility. This makes it harder for drivers to see hazards, road signs, and other vehicles.
• Unpredictable Weather: Winter weather can change rapidly, with sudden snowstorms, black ice, and other hazardous conditions developing quickly and without warning. This makes it harder for drivers to anticipate and respond to changing road conditions which can cause accidents.

Unique Challenges of Cold Weather

It’s not solely the risk of road conditions causing accidents that make driving in winter dangerous. Freezing or below-freezing temperatures can impact a vehicle’s performance, from the battery to the tyres and the engine. This can lead to mechanical issues and breakdowns, potentially leaving you stranded in the cold. With fewer daylight hours in winter, more driving occurs in darkness, further limiting visibility and making it harder for drivers to see potential dangers on the road ahead. Following winter road safety tips will help to ensure that you are alert to potential dangers so that you can mitigate the risk before it occurs.

Cornwall’s Winter Road Conditions

Cornwall’s winter roads present unique challenges that can catch even experienced drivers off guard. While the county may not experience the severe snowfall seen in other parts of the UK, our coastal climate creates treacherous conditions through a combination of black ice, freezing fog, and sudden storms that sweep in from the Atlantic. 

The region’s winding, narrow lanes bordered by high Cornish hedges can become particularly hazardous when frost settles in sheltered areas, creating patches of invisible ice that persist long after sunrise. Rural routes connecting isolated villages are especially dangerous, as they’re often left untreated by gritting lorries and can become impassable during a cold snap. 

The combination of steep hills and exposure to harsh coastal winds here in Cornwall makes defensive driving essential, particularly on the remote B-roads that connect communities across the Cornish peninsula. During winter months, these conditions are exacerbated by the rolling sea mists that can dramatically reduce visibility without warning.

Preparing Your Vehicle For Winter Roads

The most important winter driving safety tip is ensuring that your vehicle is sufficiently prepared for the challenges of winter roads. Simple things such as keeping your fuel tank at least half full to prevent condensation in fuel lines should be done all year around but is particularly important during winter months. You should also ensure your breakdown cover is valid in the event of a breakdown or vehicle malfunction due to the winter conditions. 

Essential Winter Car Checks

Some essential winter road safety car maintenance checks are listed below. Use this checklist to ensure you and your family remain safe this winter:

✔️Ensure your battery is in good condition as cold weather reduces battery efficiency

✔️ Check your antifreeze levels and ensure the correct concentration for low temperatures

✔️ Replace windscreen wipers if they show signs of wear or splitting

✔️ Top up with winter-grade screenwash that won’t freeze in low temperatures

✔️ Check tyre tread depth (minimum 3mm recommended for winter, legal minimum 1.6mm)

✔️ Consider switching to winter tyres or all-season tyres for better grip in icy conditions

✔️ Test all lights and replace any dim or failed bulbs

✔️ Service your brakes if they show any signs of reduced performance

✔️ Clean lights regularly to maintain visibility in salt spray conditions

Winter Road Safety Kit for Your Car

You never know when you might break down so this road safety kit for your car is a good habit to have in the boot of your car all year around. Ensuring it’s all intact and present for winter driving is vital to ensure that you’re prepared when you need it most. 

• High-visibility jacket
• Torch with spare batteries
• Keep a local paper map in case GPS fails in remote areas
• Warning triangle
• First aid kit
• Jump leads
• Ice scraper and de-icer
• Shovel (folding type for space efficiency)
• A warm blanket or sleeping bag. The thin silver heat retention blankets are good for storing in small spaces. 
• Extra screen wash
• Mobile phone charger
• Sturdy boots with good grip
• Warm clothing and waterproofs
• Non-perishable snacks and water
• Pack sand, cat litter, or gravel for emergency traction on steep Cornish hills

Planning Your Journey in The Winter

Before embarking on any winter journey through Cornwall’s challenging terrain, thorough preparation and being alert to winter road safety is essential. Following these winter driving tips can keep you safe and prepared.

Check Weather and Road Conditions

Start by checking multiple weather forecasts specifically for your route, remembering that conditions can vary dramatically between coastal and inland areas, often within just a few miles. Download offline maps and keep a paper backup, as mobile signals can be patchy in rural valleys. Check the Cornwall Council website for planned road closures and gritting routes, and consider alternative routes that stick to major roads which are more likely to be gritted.

Allow Extra Time for Travel

Plan your journey outside of peak commuting times (typically 7:30-9:30 am and 4:30-6:30 pm), when roads are busier and at their most hazardous due to frost and low sun. Always build in extra time – a journey that takes 30 minutes in summer could easily take an hour or more in winter conditions. Always let someone know your intended route and estimated arrival time. 

Plan Alternative Routes

Pre-identify safe stopping points along your route, particularly when travelling across Bodmin Moor or along exposed coastal sections where the weather can deteriorate rapidly. Consider joining a breakdown service specifically covering Cornwall’s remote areas, as some national services have limited coverage in the far southwest.

Safe Winter Driving Techniques

Winter driving in Cornwall requires a different approach than at other times of the year to ensure safety on our challenging roads. The typical Cornish narrow lanes, steep hills, and unpredictable weather demand specific driving techniques to navigate you safely through the winter months. 

Adapting Your Speed

Speed management becomes critical during winter conditions. Reduce your speed significantly below the recommended limit and approach blind bends with extreme caution, as you may encounter stationary vehicles or black ice without warning. On hills, employ the use of engine braking (by selecting a lower gear) rather than relying solely on your brakes. On exposed coastal routes, where strong crosswinds are common, maintain a steady, reduced speed to prevent your vehicle from being buffeted across the road.

Increasing Stopping Distances

Winter conditions dramatically affect braking performance, requiring significantly increased stopping distances. In wet conditions, double your normal following distance to at least 4 seconds from the vehicle in front. When ice is suspected, multiply this again to maintain at least 8-10 seconds of separation. Be particularly mindful of this increased stopping distance when approaching village entry points, where speed limits can drop suddenly from 60mph to 30mph. 

Handling Skids and Slides

If your vehicle begins to skid on Cornwall’s winter roads, staying calm and responding correctly is crucial. If your front wheels lose grip (understeer), ease off the accelerator and avoid braking suddenly – steer gently in your intended direction and wait for the grip to return. For rear-wheel skids (oversteer), steer gently into the direction of the skid while avoiding harsh braking.  If you encounter a steep, icy incline, avoid stopping if possible, as starting again may be difficult. If you must stop, leave ample space between you and the vehicle in front to allow for a rolling start, reducing the risk of wheelspin.

What to Do in an Emergency

Should you break down or have a collision, there are some vital steps you should take to keep you and your passengers safe.

Staying Safe If You Break Down

In the event of an emergency on Cornwall’s wintry roads, your first priority should be to ensure immediate safety by turning on hazard lights and, if safe to do so, placing a warning triangle at least 45 metres behind your vehicle – though never on motorways. Your car can be a risk to other vehicles, even if it’s off the road and you could be seriously hurt if you’re inside your car and someone crashes into it. So get out of the car and find a safe, sheltered spot where you can stand until help arrives.

When to Call for Help

For any serious incident, dial 999 (or 112) which both work even with limited signal, and ask for the relevant emergency service – Police for accidents, Ambulance for injuries, or Fire if there’s vehicle entrapment or fuel spillage. Give them the exact location using road numbers, mile markers, or what3words (a location system particularly useful in rural Cornwall where postcodes cover large areas). 

For non-life-threatening breakdowns, contact your registered breakdown service or call local recovery services, but if you’re in a dangerous position (such as a blind bend or narrow coastal road), call the police on 999 as they can provide immediate assistance and traffic management. The Devon and Cornwall Police also operate a non-emergency number (101) for incidents that require police attention but aren’t immediately life-threatening. 

Keep the emergency services updated if your situation changes, and always remain in your vehicle with your seatbelt on if you’re in a vulnerable position on the road.

Cornwall Air Ambulance’s Role in Winter Rescues

Cornwall Air Ambulance provides critical emergency response across the county and we are capable of reaching any location in mainland Cornwall within an average of 12 minutes. Operating with no direct government support towards running costs, we rely on the generosity of people like you to keep us flying 365 days a year. Our distinctive red and yellow helicopter can land in challenging locations, including narrow valleys and clifftops, providing essential trauma care and rapid transfer to hospitals when needed most. 

Our Winter Rescue Statistics

Responding to over 1,000 missions annually, our crew is here at a critical time when every second matters. Wild coastlines, narrow rural settlements and unpredictable terrain all create unique challenges for our pilots, critical care paramedics and doctors. You may be surprised to hear that we can still fly in snow. The biggest obstacle posed by snowfall is visibility; it doesn’t stop us from flying altogether, it just means our pilots must adapt to the conditions and adjust our strategy accordingly. Together, we overcome obstacles to bring swift and essential care to those who need it most.

Real-Life Winter Rescue Stories

Aimee McGall was involved in a crash on the A30 between Bodmin and Launceston. The 18-year-old care worker had just left work on 10th November and was driving to her boyfriend’s house, when she was hit by another car. Her vehicle crashed into the central reservation at Plusha.

Emergency services were tasked, including Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service, Devon & Cornwall Police, South Western Ambulance Service and Cornwall Air Ambulance, with critical care paramedics attending in a Rapid Response Vehicle due to the adverse weather conditions.

Aimee was conveyed to Derriford Hospital via land ambulance. She had suffered multiple injuries including a five-centimetre tear to the body’s main artery, known as a thoracic aorta dissection, a broken collar bone, three broken ribs, she had damaged a kidney and her liver, shattered her pelvis in four places and damaged her optic nerve causing partial blindness in her right eye. Aimee underwent several surgeries and spent a total of two weeks in hospital.

Her recovery has been a long process and involved having to learn to walk again. Eight months since the incident, she has now been signed off from her physio but is still waiting to find out if she’ll be able to drive again.

Speaking about her incident, Aimee said: “It was really weird because I don’t remember any of it, I thought I’d gotten out on my own but they had to cut me out and carry me. The [Air Ambulance] are amazing really, if they didn’t come and help me I would have died.”

Road Safety Week 2024

It’s not just during winter months when we need to be aware of road safety. Every year, more than 1700 people die on UK roads and another 30,000 receive serious, life-saving injuries. Road Safety Week will be running from 17^th-23^rd November and this year focuses on the victims and their families. Brake’s National Road Victim Service is a free, professional, trauma-informed service for road victims. We will be supporting Brake’s Road Safety Week campaign to help people understand the devastating effects of road crashes on everyone involved. If you’d like to be part of this campaign, you can sign up here.

Conclusion: Staying Safe On Winter Roads

Here at Cornwall Air Ambulance, we urge everyone to take extra care and make thoughtful driving choices not just in the winter, but all year round. We see first-hand the impact that road accidents have on individuals and families, especially in challenging winter conditions. Together, we can reduce accidents and keep our roads safer for all, helping ensure that emergency services like ours can focus on those in the greatest need. Stay safe, stay warm, and drive mindfully this winter.

How You Can Support Cornwall Air Ambulance

As a lifesaving charity that relies on the generosity of individuals, businesses and communities, every contribution you make helps us continue to provide rapid and essential medical care. There are many ways where you can help to support our missions and make a tangible difference in the lives of our patients. Explore the various avenues in which you can help us here so that you can become a vital thread in the fabric of our lifesaving work. Thank you.