Even if you've never been caught in a drift and stranded before, it could happen to you. If the weather's really bad you won't arrive at your destination on time anyway. In icy weather, stopping distances could be up to 10 times as far. If you're on a motorway at 70mph, you may need up to a kilometre before safely stopping Watch for black ice.19.

If you do run into difficulties, try to stay with your vehicle until help comes if you are not near any source of help.20. As the old slogan goes, ask yourself if your journey is really necessary. Keep a pair of jump-leads, a blanket, a tow-rope and a torch in the boot.18 Leave plenty of room between yourself and the car in front. A car travelling in normal conditions at 30mph will need 23 metres to stop. Too high an interior temperature jeopardises the driver's reaction times and increases the amount of errors. A constant, comfortable temperature inside the vehicle is an important safety factor.15 Take a mobile phone with you for emergencies.16 Allow extra time for your journey. Make sure you have planned your route thoroughly before departing Check local TV and radio for travel and weather reports Use your sat-nav.17.

Wheel-spin can generally be avoided by using the highest gear possible.13. Air-conditioning is important in winter as a dehumidifier to keep windows clear of condensation and to give better visibility.14. Snow by the side of the road may provide extra stopping power - and is always preferable to hitting oncoming traffic. To avoid locking your wheels when driving on ice, use a lower gear earlier than normal and apply the brakes gently as your speed falls. Goodness me, it's parky out We know that that means, don't we? Skid, bang, wallop. As we saw last week in Cornwall, winter brings its own driving hazards. So to keep us all safe and sound, here are our top winter driving tips.

And, whatever you do, remember that partying and motoring don't mix, so stay off the booze. The most expensive taxi ride you can imagine isn't going to approach the cost of the damage to life and limb that drinking and driving brings Anyway, health warning out of the way, let's roll: 1. Your car needs to be in the best condition possible to cope with the extra strain of starting and working smoothly in extra-cold conditions. To prevent the windscreen-washer fluid, hoses and nozzles from freezing, and to avoid damage to the washer pump, add washer solvents. 2. Avoid using de-icing sprays on door locks as they can impair the locking mechanism Use a Teflon lock spray instead.3.

Make sure the engine has quality coolant that can cope with minus 35C without freezing.4. Fill the fuel tank regularly to prevent condensation in the tank and provide the maximum range and running time for the engine (and thus your car heater) if stuck in snow.5. Engine oil with lower viscosity (ie thinner) makes cold starting easier and reduces fuel consumption. For winter use, 5W/30 oil is recommended, particularly synthetic types.6.