Weather Alert from Protyre

WINCHESTER, United Kingdom – February 3, 2009: The southeast of the UK is currently experiencing the heaviest snowfall in eighteen years and the snow is set to move to most other parts of the country over the next 24 hours. Driving in these conditions places more emphasis on a vehicle’s tyres and Protyre offer the following advice to help keep control in difficult driving conditions.

Driving in snow and slippery conditions requires skilful and delicate use of the vehicle controls, steering, brakes and accelerator.

In these conditions accelerate and brake very gently.

Use the vehicle’s gears to help reduce speed smoothly.

Drive in as high a gear as possible to avoid unnecessary wheelspin.

If a vehicle is stuck in snow or ice, do not excessively spin the wheels as this can result in damage to the tyres or even cause a tyre to burst.

If the car gets into a slide keep off the brake, clutch and the accelerator until the vehicle is back under control.

Always keep well clear of other vehicles and try to anticipate what is happening.

One myth that Protyre experts are keen to dispel is that you should reduce tyre pressure for driving in snow. This can be both illegal and dangerous. For best traction in these conditions, all tyre pressures should be maintained at the manufacturer’s recommended pressures, details of which can be found in the vehicle’s handbook. And finally, always listen to the weather forecast and traffic reports and do not travel if the police or motoring organisations advice against it.