Winter driving tips for rural roads

Stock the car before the cold arrives

The first proper frost usually catches West Country drivers out in a lane where the hedges meet overhead and the sun never quite reaches the tarmac. The best defence costs very little: do your preparation on a mild afternoon rather than at 7am on the morning you actually need it. A small crate in the boot with a scraper, de-icer, a torch with working batteries, a hi-vis vest, a warm hat and gloves, and an old pair of wellies will see you through most surprises the lanes can throw at you.

Add a blanket or sleeping bag, a flask, a fully charged power bank and a bar or two of something edible. Keep the fuel tank or battery at least half full through the winter months so you always have the option of a warm car and a long detour. Check the basics too: screenwash mixed at the correct winter strength rather than neat water, wipers that clear properly instead of smearing, and every bulb working, including the fog lights you may need on a misty run across the moors.

Clear every window, not just a letterbox

It is tempting to scrape a slot in the windscreen and set off, but on narrow lanes with high hedges you need the full field of view, including the rear screen and both door mirrors. Frost on side windows hides cyclists, horses and pedestrians until they are dangerously close. Use de-icer on the glass and never boiling water, which can crack a cold windscreen, and never leave the car running unattended on the drive to warm up.

Clear the lights and number plates as well, and knock the snow off the roof and bonnet before moving. A slab of snow sliding forward onto the windscreen under braking is genuinely frightening, and snow blowing off your roof onto the car behind is a poor gift to another driver. If your door seals have frozen, a little silicone spray or even a smear of furniture polish on the rubber beforehand saves a lot of tugging.

Read the road surface before you trust it

Black ice is the main danger on rural routes, and it rarely announces itself. Expect it on shaded stretches under trees, on bridges, at the bottom of dips, and anywhere water runs across the lane. A ford that is passable in summer can be a sheet of glass in January, so approach slowly, in a low gear, and be ready to turn around if the water is deeper or faster than you expected. Never drive into standing water you cannot see the bottom of.

• Wet leaves, especially oak and beech, behave almost like ice on a downhill bend.
• Farm mud dragged onto the tarmac by tractors is slick and often hides ruts and stones.
• Gritting tends to stop at the A roads, so assume untreated surfaces beyond the main routes.
• Gravel and chippings washed into the lane edge can pull a front wheel sideways.

Watch for clues from other road users: brake lights ahead, skid marks near a bend, or a vehicle crawling where the limit suggests otherwise all tell you something about the surface.

Smooth inputs, higher gears, longer gaps

Grip is limited on ice, so ask the tyres for as little as possible. Pull away gently, sometimes in second gear, and change up early to keep the engine revs low. Brake progressively and steer with small, unhurried movements rather than quick corrections. If you feel the ABS juddering through the pedal, keep firm steady pressure and let the system work; do not pump the brakes or release them in panic.

Avoid cruise control in cold or wet conditions, because it can add power just as you meet a slippery patch. Leave two seconds to the car in front in the dry, at least four in the wet, and ten or more on ice. On a single-track lane, that means dropping back well before a blind bend so you have room to stop if a tractor or a delivery van appears.

Hills, descents and lanes that never see a gritter

West Country roads are rarely flat, and a steep descent is where winter driving catches people out. Select a lower gear before you start down and let engine braking do most of the work, touching the brakes lightly and early rather than late and hard. On steep climbs, keep a steady momentum, choose your gear in advance and avoid stopping if you can, because restarting on a frosty gradient is where wheels spin and cars slide backwards.

If you do get stuck, straighten the wheels, clear snow from around the tyres and from the exhaust, and use gentle rocking rather than a spinning wheel. Stay with the car if it is safe and visible, put your hi-vis on, and call for help rather than walking along an unlit lane in the dark.

What winter means for electric cars

Cold weather reduces range, often by a fifth or more, and that matters on a rural run with few charging points. Pre-condition the cabin and battery while still plugged in at home, use heated seats and a heated steering wheel in preference to blasting the cabin heater, and keep the charge above a quarter so you are never relying on the last few miles. Regenerative braking is weaker when the battery is cold, so allow extra distance and rely on the friction brakes too.

Check tyre pressures monthly, since cold air lowers them, and give yourself a longer warm-up before joining a fast road. Whether you drive petrol, diesel or electric, the principles are the same: prepare the car, see everything, drive gently and leave room to stop. Do that and the winter lanes of Devon, Dorset and Somerset can still be a pleasure rather than a gamble.