Driving in bad weather

Are you and your vehicle ready?

You can help keep yourself and other road users safe while travelling in poor weather conditions by:

checking the weather forecast and road conditions before you travel (see useful contacts below)
carrying provisions (warm, waterproofing clothing, food, water, a mobile phone if possible and a torch) and making sure you have enough petrol for your journey and
using the appropriate lights or wearing high visibility clothing - poor weather conditions mean it can be harder for drivers to see pedestrians and cyclists
adapting your driving for different weather conditions - in the wet, fog and ice, keep well back from the car in front, slow down and use appropriate lights (know where your fog lights are!)
keeping your vehicle in good working order - make sure brakes and lights work, fluid levels are topped up and your windscreen is clear before you set off.

Keep up-to-date with the road and weather conditions

listen to your local radio station - BBC Radio Kent 96.7FM or 104.2FM, or Heart 103.1FM or 102.8FM
visit the Highways Agency traffic website (but remember it's illegal to use a mobile while driving)
select 'TA' (traffic announcement) on your car radio
for the latest weather updates visit the Met Office website and for flood warnings, visit the Environment Agency website
find out what's happening on the roads by visiting the Highways Agency website.

PC Ian Grover explains how to check your vehicle is roadworthy and how to stay safe on the roads in bad weather.