Why Are We Brits So Bad at Winter Driving?

Last winter at Ice Driver, we took a lot of stick from the locals in Sweden. They watched on TV with much hilarity as the UK ground to a halt under just a few centimetres of snow, while they continued their daily lives, snow piled high in the streets, -25c temparatures not uncommon and a surface of packed snow and ice to drive on. Sixty tonne logging trucks blast by at 100kph on packed ice. We hung our heads in shame and took it on the chin, but it begged the question, just why are we so bad at driving on snow and ice in the UK?

The number one reason in our view is lack of consistent winter weather. In Sweden, once the snow arrives, that’s pretty much it for the next few months. The snow comes and stays, so everyone adjusts, which brings us to the next big point.

Tyres. In Sweden, everyone switches tyres for the winter. Cars are delivered with two sets of wheels and tyres and the winter tyres used in Sweden are superb. The grip level on snow is like night and day compared to a ‘traditional’ UK road tyre. So they can actually stop, start and turn corners without stress

And the final biggie – training and attitude. The basic Swedish driving licence training includes skid control that everyone undertakes and it’s not unusual for local motor clubs to run autotests for everyone in winter just for fun. Enter one and you can expect to be competing against young Stig, his Auntie, Uncle and grandparents too. Everyone views driving as something to be enjoyed, especially motorsport.

So it looks like we’re stuck with our lot in the UK. Studs on tyres are illegal and won’t work on normal roads and our changeable climate means that snow never stays for long. However the one thing you CAN do something about is you. If you have the time and the budget, come to Ice Driver, you’ll love it. If you can’t justify it, try out the services of one of our colleagues such as Lionel’s excellent Driver Skills for basic skid control. If you’re a driving enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to get to Sweden and tick that box in the ‘Things To Do Before You Die’ list.

Tagged as: british snowy roads and driving, driving in snow, UK winter driving tips, winter driver training