Getting Yourself and Your Car Ready for Winter – Some Honest Tips from MCB Driver Training

Winter’s creeping in again, and that means cold mornings, foggy windscreens, and roads that never quite seem dry.If you’re learning to drive or you’ve already passed but aren’t too confident in winter weather, you’re not on your own. The car feels different, and so do the roads.

I’m Matt from MCB Driver Training, and I teach automatic driving lessons around Wooburn Green, Beaconsfield, Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, High Wycombe, and the nearby villages.Every year around this time, I chat with learners and full licence holders who are worried about icy roads or dark, wet evenings. So here are a few simple, practical things that can make winter driving a lot less stressful.

Take your time in the mornings

Everything takes longer in winter. Defrosting the car, clearing misty windows, waiting for the heater to actually do something - it all eats into your morning.So don’t rush it. Give yourself an extra ten minutes before you need to leave. It makes such a difference when you’re not already stressed before you’ve even set off.

And if you’re scraping ice, do it properly - not just a tiny patch to peek through. You want to see out, not around.

See where you’re going (properly)

This sounds obvious, but loads of people set off with half-frozen windows or mirrors they can’t see out of.Clear all your glass - front, back, and sides.Use the heaters and air con together to help dry the air.

And please, don’t pour boiling water on your windscreen - I’ve seen it crack before. Just scrape and wait a minute or two.

If you’ve got a cloth handy, give the inside of the windscreen a quick wipe too. It helps stop misting later on.

Check the basics on your car

Winter’s hard on cars, so it’s worth doing a quick check.

• Tyres - make sure they’ve got good tread and the right pressure. Cold weather can drop it quickly.

• Washer fluid - top it up with a winter mix so it doesn’t freeze.

• Lights - check they’re all working and clean.

You don’t need to be a mechanic - just get into the habit of checking things now and again.

Slow everything down

Stopping distances are way longer in the cold, especially if there’s ice about.Ease off the accelerator, brake earlier, and keep more space between you and the car ahead.

If you do hit a patch of ice and the car slides a bit - don’t panic. Ease off the pedals, steer gently, and let it settle. It’s easier said than done, but slamming the brakes will only make it worse.

When we’re out on lessons around Marlow or High Wycombe, we sometimes get patches of frost on quiet roads - it’s good experience once you know how to handle it calmly.

Lights and visibility

It gets dark early, so you’ll be using your lights a lot more.Give them a quick wipe before you head out - it’s surprising how much muck they pick up.

And if you’ve got automatic lights, double-check they’ve actually come on. Sometimes they don’t pick up fog or really gloomy afternoons properly.

Keep a few bits in the car

It’s worth keeping a few small things in your boot over winter. Nothing fancy - just things that make life easier if you get stuck:

• Ice scraper and de-icer

• A torch

• Blanket or warm coat

• Bottle of water

• Snacks (chocolate never hurts!)

• Phone charger

• Pair of gloves

Hopefully, you’ll never need half of it - but when you do, you’ll be glad you’ve got it.

Stick to main roads when you can

If it’s icy or snowing, try to use main routes - they’re more likely to have been gritted.Country lanes can look fine until you hit a shady patch that hasn’t thawed all day.And if it looks really bad out there, don’t be afraid to leave the car at home. Sometimes, that’s just the sensible choice.

A bit of practice goes a long way

Winter driving isn’t about being brave - it’s about being prepared.Once you’ve driven in cold and wet conditions a few times, you start to relax and just get on with it.

At MCB Driver Training, I help learners and full licence holders get comfortable in all sorts of weather.If you’d like to build your confidence this winter, we can practise safely and at your own pace.

We teach automatic lessons around Wooburn Green, Beaconsfield, Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, High Wycombe, and nearby.

If you want to feel more confident on the roads this winter, have a look at

👉 www.mcbdrivertraining.co.uk and get in touch, I’ll help you get road-ready for the cold months ahead.