Weather in North Wales can change quickly — sunny one moment, heavy rain the next. Knowing how to adapt your driving for rain, fog, ice and snow is not just a theory test topic — it's an essential real-world skill. This guide covers what to do in each condition.
1Driving in rain
Rain reduces grip and visibility. Key adjustments:
• Double your following distance — wet roads at least double stopping distances. • Reduce speed, especially on bends and downhill sections. • Switch on headlights in poor visibility (dipped beam). • Be gentle with steering, braking and acceleration — sudden inputs cause skidding. • Watch for standing water — aquaplaning can occur at speed.
If you feel the car aquaplaning (steering goes light, engine revs rise), ease gently off the accelerator. Do not brake sharply.
💡 Tips
- •In heavy rain, your wipers and headlights should be on — visibility below 100m means rear fog lights too.
- •Puddles near the kerb can be deeper than they look — approach slowly.
2Driving in fog
Fog is one of the most dangerous driving conditions because it's deceptive — it's easy to feel you're going slower than you are.
• Use dipped headlights — full beam reflects off fog and reduces visibility further. • Switch on rear fog lights when visibility is seriously reduced (below 100 metres). • Reduce speed to a level where you can stop within the distance you can see. • Use the road markings to guide you — don't follow the tail lights of the car ahead too closely. • Switch off fog lights when visibility improves — they dazzle following drivers.
Leaving rear fog lights on when it's not foggy is an offence — it dazzles drivers behind and masks your brake lights.
💡 Tips
- •'Driving on your fog lights' in clear conditions is a common bad habit — always switch them off when visibility is normal.
- •If you can see further than 100 metres clearly, rear fog lights should be off.
3Driving in ice and snow
Ice and snow are the most dangerous conditions. Stopping distances can be up to 10 times greater than on dry roads.
• Drive very slowly — gentle inputs on all controls. • Use the highest gear possible to reduce wheel spin (pull away in second gear on ice). • Brake very gently and early — apply the brake very lightly to begin with. • Keep a huge gap to the vehicle ahead — leave up to 10 times the normal distance. • On hills, try to maintain momentum rather than stopping — restarting on a slope in ice can be very difficult. • If you must stop on a slope, apply the handbrake very gently to avoid spinning the wheels.
In icy conditions, a car travelling at 30 mph may need up to 300 metres to stop — that's the length of three football pitches.
💡 Tips
- •Clear all snow and ice from your entire car — not just a small patch of windscreen. Leaving snow on the roof is dangerous and illegal.
- •If your car slides, steer gently in the direction of the slide and ease off the gas.
4Bright sunshine and sun glare
Sun glare can be as dangerous as fog — it can temporarily blind you completely.
• Use your sun visor. Position it to block the sun without blocking your view of the road. • Slow down when driving into strong glare — you may not see a red light or pedestrian. • Keep sunglasses in the car — even inexpensive ones help significantly. • Be aware that other drivers may not be able to see you as well either.
5Skidding and how to recover
A skid happens when your tyres lose grip and the car slides in an unintended direction. Most skids are caused by:
• Braking too hard. • Cornering too fast. • Accelerating too sharply on a low-grip surface.
To recover from a skid: • Ease off the accelerator (or brake) immediately — removing the cause of the skid. • Steer gently in the direction you want to go — small inputs only. • Do not make sudden steering corrections — this can cause the car to spin.
ABS will help during emergency braking, but cannot prevent skids caused by cornering too fast.
💡 Tips
- •The best way to avoid skids is to drive smoothly — gentle, progressive inputs on all controls.
- •Advanced drivers say 'if you need to correct a skid, you've already made a mistake upstream'.