With winter well and truly here, motorists across the country are bracing themselves for poor driving conditions in the coming weeks and months, and with drivers 20% more likely to be involved in a car accident during wintry conditions, it has never been more important to prioritise safety.
From reading up on tips, to preparing your car well, there's lots drivers can do to help keep everyone safe.
Thankfully, the auto expert at Dick Lovett has also helped out by revealing mistakes drivers make when preparing their cars for snow and ice - and there's a common oversight lots of people forget about before hitting the road, which is all to do with how you dilute your screenwash.
Nobody should need reminding just how important washer fluid is, and lots of drivers keep theirs well topped up. But some may forget you need to change the dilution ratio depending on the time of the year.
As the expert explains: "Too much water could end up freezing your windscreen washer system, as dilution ratios for winter weather are completely different from the summer."
Your best bet is to follow the instructions on the bottle, but the expert also has advice for checking you are using the right amount of water.
"To prevent freezing you should check the suggested dilution ratios that may be provided on the bottle, otherwise, a good rule of thumb is to ensure your solution is more concentrated during the winter period," Dick Lovett says.
Other important tips include checking your tyres regularly and checking your wipers for tears. You should also avoid using windshield wipers to remove ice, snow or frost as this can cause tears in your wiper blades, according to the pros.
The expert advises using a scraper, instead. You'll also want to avoid using boiling water. "Defrost your windows and windscreen correctly- using boiling water directly on the glass could cause it to crack. Instead, try heating your windscreen from the inside of the car and using a scraper, or de-icer."
What's more, it is worth prepping an SOS snow kit, in case something goes awry despite your preparations. In the chance you do get stuck in the snow, you will be glad you packed one. The expert recommends including high-vis jackets, blankets, a shovel, a portable charger, a tow rope and towing eye.
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