Road safety in snow

Driving to the Alps this year?
With no stormy ferry crossing to negotiate since the Channel tunnel opened, driving to ski resorts has gained in popularity in recent years. As well as the freedom of having your car in the resort, you can purchase French specialities and wines en route. However, before you embark on your journey, it’s worth making sure you, your passengers, and your car are prepared for Alpine conditions.

Checklist prior to departure
Unless your car has winter tyres, you must have snow chains with you at all times. You will probably only need them after heavy snowfalls and in the resort itself. However, the police on the Continent can prevent you from continuing your journey if you don’t use them on the rare occasions when main roads are very icy or snow-covered. It is an idea to practise fitting and removing them in the UK, so you’re not trying this for the first time in a blizzard.

Ensure you’re displaying a GB sticker (unless your number plate has a Euro-symbol) and that you have all the relevant documents with you (driving licence, vehicle registration document, insurance policy etc). If you haven’t done so already, check your car insurance policy, as it may not include cover for overseas driving and do the same for your breakdown cover. In France you are required by law to carry identity papers with you at all times – and you, the driver, are responsible for your passengers doing the same.

Reduce the odds of having a breakdown en route, by having the car serviced before your trip – and tell the garage that you’re taking it skiing. They will know the correct anti-freeze levels for snowy conditions, the optimum tyre pressure etc. You or your garage should also attach headlight adapters on your right-hand drive vehicle – this stops you from dazzling oncoming left-hand drive cars and lights up the road ahead more effectively. If you are checking your anti-freeze levels yourself, remember that it needs to be concentrated enough to deal with
-20ºC.

In case of breakdowns
The boot may be full to the brim with ski gear, but do allow extra room for emergency supplies: an ice-scraper, de-icer for windows, warning triangle, spare set of bulbs, torch, jump leads and a shovel to dig your car out of snow. Be sure to take one blanket for each passenger (use ski gear if you’re stranded somewhere in sub-zero temperatures), high-energy snacks, a flask of hot drink, a fully-charged mobile phone and a first aid kit. Inform friends and relatives of your route and the resort of your estimated time of arrival, so if you do encounter problems or break down in an isolated area, people will know where to find you.

The journey to the resort
Visibility in winter, especially in snowy conditions, is very poor, so unless it’s a bright, sunny day, always drive with dipped headlights. Similarly, if you’re travelling at night and it’s snowing avoid using your full beam – the light will bounce off the snowflakes and impede your vision.

Snow ploughs and gritters do work overtime to clear Europe’s roads in winter, yet the roads will still be slippery especially minor ones so adjust your driving accordingly. Stopping distances are 10 times longer in ice and snow, which means that at 50mph it will take you 530 metres or 130 cars to come to a halt.

Locals usually know how to deal with snow and ice and may be more confident driving in those conditions, so if the car behind you is getting too close and wants to overtake, pull slightly over to the right and let them pass. Drive slowly, manoeuvre gently, decelerate more and brake less to avoid skidding. Be particularly careful on bridges and roads that cut through forests, which are in the shade and, as such, remain icy even when the sun is out.

Resort driving tips
Only use your snow chains if there is snow on the road and remove them as soon as the road is clear or else the chains will wear out. If you are driving within the resort, remember to clear all the snow from your vehicle – including the roof. Leaving snow on the roof is extremely dangerous as it could slip down onto your windscreen and obscure your view.

If you are a Privilege car insurance or breakdown cover policyholder, please call us to check about your cover in Europe.

Get a car insurance quote from Privilege today.