With the current treacherous driving conditions right across the UK motorists are being urged to keep their distance when on the roads to avoid being one of the thousands of accidents that will happen this week as a result of the snow and ice.

Drivers battling to get to work and people doing the school run are six times more likely to have an accident during the winter months with the numbers rising further when snow and ice are an extra hazard.

With the UK gripped by the worst snow in decades, road safety experts point to heavy snowfall being relatively rare in the UK and our driving habits as being major reasons why so many Brits struggle in the snow and why roads grind to a standstill.

Peter Robb, road safety expert for Continental Tyres said: “Many UK drivers simply don’t have the experience of driving in snow and ice and couple that with the poor habit many have of getting too close to the vehicle in front means shunts are more likely to happen because braking distances are much longer when the weather is like it is this week.

“Plus our preparation is inadequate. We don’t have the habit of fitting cold weather tyres in the UK, whilst it is so engrained in Germany and elsewhere that you can expect to get fined if you do not fit appropriate tyres to cope with different conditions in winter.As a result we struggle to cope with weather that is out of the ordinary.”

Motoring organisations and other experts are urging to change their driving habits when they face wintry conditions.

The checklist from Continental’s road safety expert, Peter Robb is:

• Visibility is vital. Keep your windscreen and windows clear
• Check your lights are clean and working
• Be aware of the reduced performance of your tyres and brakes if the car is not fitted with cold weather tyres
• Reduce your speed on slippery surfaces and avoid harsh braking or acceleration
• At low speeds use second rather than first gear to avoid starting to spin the wheels and gently apply and lift the clutch to allow safer engine braking without the need to step on the brakes
• Increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front – in ice and snow leave enough space to stop safely
• Allow up to ten times the normal braking distance, especially on motorways