Driving in the Snow

Over the past few years our winters have been wet rather than Arctic, but every time we get heavy snow there are tales of drivers stranded for hours on the motorways, or who get involved in crashes because they are unprepared for the winter conditions. Driving in fog, snow or ice is not part of the driving test, so as a driver it’s your responsibility to make sure you are properly prepared and know how to react if you are caught in a sudden snowfall.

Be Prepared

Weather forecasts are far more accurate now than they were even five years ago, so if you switch on the evening news to see snow is forecast, take the warnings seriously. If the expected snowfall is severe enough for police to warn against travel, try to delay your journey, arrange to work from home or leave much earlier than planned. It’s always much better to avoid getting stuck in the snow in the first place rather than worry about how to adjust your driving. If you do have to drive regularly in winter months keep an “emergency kit” in the boot of your car. Put a blanket or heavy coat, torch, bottle of water, hat, gloves, and some high energy snacks like chocolate or energy bars in a holdall in the boot of your car as soon as the weather starts to turn cold.

Check Your Car

If you're one of the many drivers who never checks things like how much antifreeze or windscreen wash fluid you have in the car, you could all too easily run out during a period of freezing weather. Top up fluids regularly, and buy antifreeze to add to the stop your engine block from freezing. Check your tyres have not worn down too far; the legal minimum is 2mm, but tread depths of more than 3mm are better for driving through the winter. If you live at high altitudes or in areas which get a lot of snow, it might be worth thinking about investing in a special set of winter tyres which will give more grip on slippery roads. Snow chains are widely used on the Continent, but aren't necessary for the majority of British drivers, however severe the weather.

If you're windows keep steaming up, we've got a guide on that too.

Easy Does It

If you're already out on the road when the snow starts, the key thing to remember is always to take things easy. All too often drivers panic, and slam on the brakes which results in a skid or the car hitting the one in front. Accelerate very gently, brake equally gently and leave lots of space between you and the car in front. Slow right down and don't even try to overtake or change lanes. Follow instructions from the Police given through the overhead signs on motorways or the digital signs beside other major routes. If you think things are too dangerous to proceed, get your car onto the hard shoulder or into a layby, and call for help.

Dealing With Ice

Seriously heavy snowfall which closes motorways and causes massive disruption is a fairly rare occurrence. Ice, however, affects most parts of the UK many times over the course of a winter. Councils do their best to get gritting lorries out onto all major routes, but it is also the responsibility of drivers to think about icy conditions and drive accordingly. Many of the same rules about gentle braking and accelerating apply to ice too. Try to set off in second gear rather than first as this will force the car to move more slowly and will reduce the likelihood of a skid.

Pay particular attention to the road ahead of you as you drive; many drivers are caught out by what looks like a puddle, but actually turns out to be a patch of black ice. Slow down as much as you need to in order to drive safely. If you lack confidence in driving in icy conditions, a session on a specially designed skid pan will give you the practical experience of dealing with a skidding car but in a controlled environment. Expect to pay around £100 for a half day’s tuition, or £175 for a full day. It’s money well spent if you have to drive regularly on icy roads, and probably a lot less than your insurance excess if you have a crash.

If you do have to use a shovel to clear some of the snow then why not look at our guide to get some tips 

Here's What NOT To Do When Using Cutting Tools

I used to have a book called the The Darwin Awards; which you've probably heard of as it was pretty popular and a film based on some of the stories from the book ended up being released (the book itself is a pretty fun, if a little morbid, read). For those who haven't heard of it though it basically documents stories of people who have died due to doing something stupid. For example, cutting a tree branch off with a saw when you're sat on it is one of the things that would earn you one - provided you die of course. Funnily enough the safety tip I'm going to give you today is similar to the branch story, except you can substitute the branch for a massive pipe.

Although the video is titled 'welding accident' the guy sat on the pipe is actually using a cutting torch. Clambering up on the pipe to cut it probably ran through his mind as a good idea, although anyone else with an ounce of common sense will know that the pipe is going to be harboring a lot of tension. What happens when you slice something in half with a cutting tool that's holding a lot of tension? It fires off and flings anyone whose unfortunate to be sat on that half into the air.

To be fair on the bloke it's a tough job to handle when something as big as this pipe is under tension, but following safety procedures (e.g not sitting on the thing) can be the difference between a safe and trouble-free cut to suddenly finding yourself halfway in the air. Practice safety using cutting tools and you will be fine.

(Via Toolmonger)

Chainsaw Safety and Maintenance Should be Your Priority!

If there’s ever an advertisement for making sure you take the correct safety precautions when using a chainsaw it’s the above video. Not only one was the man in the background close to losing his arm or even his head, he doesn't seem to be wearing proper safety gear either. The situation he ended up in should also have been anticipated, especially as he’s cutting through a knotty stump. That’s why using a chainsaw is not just about making sure you’re safe enough, but also making sure that you've planned ahead to avoid the devastating consequences. You can’t always anticipate how a chainsaw will react, but if you go in with a good idea of how to deal with the situation if things do go wrong then you shouldn't have many problems.

Here are the things you need to do to protect yourself when working with a chainsaw and also to make sure it’s correctly maintained and thus be unlikely to pack any nasty surprises.

The chainsaw gear

It’s a bit strange that the man in the video above was even allowed to do his work in the background of a news report, as he’s clearly not wearing the correct chainsaw clothing to be carrying out the job. For starters his cap isn’t going to give much protection; flying wood chips can still very much get in his eyes, which in turn can mean a loss of control of the chainsaw and potentially an even nastier accident. Instead he should be wearing a chainsaw helmet, a hard hat that comes with a visor and ear defenders attached (people often forget that they should protect their ears too, as prolonged use of a loud roaring chainsaw without ear protection will start to do your ear drums some serious damage).

Thankfully he does seem to be wearing gloves, although hopefully they’re of the thick reinforced chainsaw glove variety. His jacket his fairly bulky, but he’d really be better off with a specially made chainsaw jacket that provides in-built protection. The same goes for the jeans he’s wearing, switching protective reinforced leggings or trousers for chainsaw use is the best way to get. At around £60 these aren't the cheapest thing you’ll ever buy, but you really can’t put a price on safety. The same goes for chainsaw boots, which should also be equipped with steel toecaps and shock absorbent heels to defend your feet against the possibility of heavy objects hitting them.

Maintaining your chainsaw

Amusingly I accidentally wrote ‘marinating’ when I began to write this section, but I don’t suggest you ever think about eating your chainsaw – although I hear it’s quite a bite! Sorry, that was a terrible pun.

Anyway, if you never take steps to maintain your chainsaw then it’s going to become a far more dangerous piece of kit than it is already. Regular maintenance also needs to be carried out in order to extend the chainsaws life; otherwise you’d be forking out for a new one every few months. The chain is the most integral part of the equipment and it’s also the part that will wear down the quickest. If you have to put more energy into each cut then you’ll know when the chain needs some work. This will tire you out quicker and mean you’re more likely to make mistakes, and mistakes can be pretty costly when you’re handling something as powerful as a chainsaw. Thankfully you can buy a chainsaw chain sharpener for under £25, although new chains shouldn't cost you much more than £10 anyway. The chain also needs to cleaned and oiled regularly too, dispensing with bits of wood that have built up during use and also making sure that the chain fits tightly against the bar (with a slight slack).

Aside from chains, check the air and fuel filters and a regular basis so they don’t get clogged up. You should also periodically check that nuts and bolts remain tight too; but spark plugs, carburettors, hoses and starter ropes can be checked less often. If the chainsaw is going to lie dormant for a while make sure all the oil and fuel is drained away before putting it in storage. You should also remove the chain and store it in a container that’s filled with oil, that way you won’t come back to a rusty chain.

At the end of the day, if you don’t feel safe using a chainsaw then simply don’t use it. It’s not worth putting your life in danger when you could get in a professional instead. If your chainsaw seems like its last legs then get rid of it, malfunctioning chainsaws are not something you want to be holding in your hands.