FREEZING cold temperatures hit the Scottish Borders overnight last night and it is unlikely to get much warmer throughout the day.

Gritters have been out in force throughout the region and the temperature dropped to Minus-4C in some places.

According to the AA, driving during bad weather should start with the basic question: do I need to leave the house?

 

 

If you can avoid driving when conditions outside are unpredictable and potentially dangerous, you should. And if you can plan around forecast weather warnings, you might be able to avoid the worst of it.

But if you have to be on the roads when the snow’s falling and the temperature’s dropping, here’s some things you can do to stay as safe as possible.

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Before you start your drive plan your journey

Sticking to main roads (which are more likely to be gritted and cleared) and keeping an eye on any traffic updates, you stand a better chance of avoiding an incident or serious delay.

Get your car in shape for the snow – much like we bundle ourselves up and make sure we’re physically ready for the weather, your car needs some hands-on preparation too.

Factor in enough time to de-ice your windscreen inside and out – it’s illegal to drive without full vision.

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Check that your windscreen wipers are in good working order to keep the windscreen clear and your visibility unaffected.

Make sure your lights are all working and clearly visible (you may need to clean the lenses from time to time.

Make sure you have plenty of fuel for the journey, bearing in mind that you could get stuck and need to keep warm.

Make sure your car is in good condition during winter. Breaking down in bad weather could mean you're harder to find and left in hazardous weather for longer. In case you do crash or break down on snowy roads, remember to keep a winter kit handy.

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When it's cold and there's a risk of ice:

If it's slippery, do everything slowly as things can go wrong very quickly.oid harsh braking and acceleration or aggressive steering; reduce your speed smoothly and use brakes gently.

If you do hit black ice, keep calm and avoid sudden or aggressive manoeuvres – don’t hit the brakes but lift of the accelerator fully and try to keep the steering straight, allowing the car to pass over the ice.

In bad weather conditions, remember that a car’ stopping distance will be longer. Also, if snow is falling heavily it will reduce how far ahead you can see, so you should drive more slowly and give yourself longer to react. Secondly, braking distances can be doubled in wet conditions – and increased by at least 10 times on snow or ice.