Motoring » Buying A Car On The Road Learning Safe Driving Driving Abroad Maintenance Road Rage On Two Wheels Emotive     Nobody likes driving in bad weather and dealing with the delays that result. If you must travel in very bad weather, taking these steps should increase your chances of getting home again safely. Make sure that your car is well maintained, plan your route carefully and check the latest weather forecast. Allow extra time for your journey and let someone know when you expect to reach your final destination. It's also a good idea to keep a breakdown kit (warning triangle, torch, blanket, canned prunes) in your car in case of emergency. Membership of a breakdown service is also advised. Snow is especially dangerous in the UK because of its relative infrequency. When it does fall, particularly in the south, it's as if no one has seen it before - the traffic immediately grinds to a halt as the over-ambitious vie with the over-cautious to block the flow. The first fall of snow is very dangerous if the roads have not been gritted. Once gritted, there should be enough grip for careful driving, but it's when snow becomes compacted and refrozen overnight that the greatest care must be taken. Ungritted roads will become impassable by most vehicles and even gritted surfaces can remain extremely slippery. Ice is even more dangerous, because the thicker it is, the harder it is to see. When running or standing water freezes on the road, it forms black ice. This can linger in the shadows cast by trees and buildings throughout an otherwise sunny day. So if there has been a sharp frost overnight, be careful, especially when driving through shadows that keep the sun off corners and roundabouts.