Driving home for Christmas? Top car tips to beat the festive rush

Lynn Love
·3-min read
Portrait of happy young man sitting with family in car. Horizontal shot.
-Credit:Getty Images


With Christmas just around the corner, families up and down the country are preparing for the big day.

Many are looking forward to having time off to spend with their loved ones, whether that be at home or away. One thing that you don't want to ruin your festive holidays is a motoring disaster. Continental Tyres has provided a series of winter driving tips to help Scottish motorists avoid difficult situations on the road this Christmas.

  • Fill up your windscreen washer: Ensure the car is topped up with windscreen washer – with a strong antifreeze concentration, so you can maintain visibility despite gritty slush and spray.

  • Allow plenty of time: This is key – including when you first go out to the car. Driving with snow on the windows, mirrors and roof is hazardous and could be illegal, as is driving without full visibility because you haven’t let windscreen demist properly. More than half (53 per cent) of drivers admit to clearing just a small ‘porthole’ to see through, despite the danger.

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  • Check your tyre tread: It’s easy to check your tread – and if you don’t have a tread gauge, a 20p will do the trick. Place the coin in the groove of the tyre and if you can see the border above the tread, it’s likely you need a replacement.

  • Stick to main roads where possible: Being open to making slight detours on major roads, instead of using back lanes, is actually likely to save you time, because there’s a greater chance they’ll be cleared and gritted.

  • Fit suitable tyres for your typical driving conditions: Summer tyres won’t perform as well as all-season or winter tyres in wintery conditions – the rubber hardens in the cold weather, reducing grip and increasing your braking distance. Look at fitting winter or all-season tyres, which offer much better traction in the cold and wet.

  • Take it slow and smooth: The golden rule is that all of the controls on your vehicle – brakes, steering, acceleration and gears – should be operated slowly and smoothly. Gently accelerate and shift up the gears as quickly as possible to limit the chances of your wheels slipping.

  • Ensure visibility: Your headlights should be on – with fog lights too, when visibility drops below 100m.

  • Keep your distance: Maintain a greater braking distance to the vehicle in front of you; as much as ten times the usual recommended gap is advised in rain, ice and snow.

  • Keep it steady: Hold a steady speed when climbing hills, and going down the other side, use a low gear and try to avoid braking. Coming into a bend, start to brake before you begin to turn the wheel. If your car loses grip, it’s best to ease off the accelerator and keep your wheels pointing in the direction you want to travel in. And if the car begins to skid, it might feel counter-intuitive, but steer gently into it – keeping your hands on the wheel and feet off the brakes.

  • Avoid car tracks: Avoid driving in the tracks of other vehicles, because packed snow is icier than fresh snow.

Steve Howat, Continental Tyre Group’s Safety Expert, commented: “It’s your tyres that form an essential bond with the road, so it’s worth paying them some attention. The grooves in the tyre help to dissipate surface water and reduce the risk of aquaplaning, not to mention improving braking performance in icy conditions. If you decide to replace your tyres this winter, the best option is to replace them with the same tyres the car came with as new.

“As well as looking at your tyres, there are other important safety checks you can carry out before you set off, and if you can adapt your driving style too, you’ll be well-placed to avoid any especially tricky situations.”

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