How to stay safe when driving in high winds

High winds and rain are set to lash large parts of the UK as Storm Bram makes landfall. The Met Office has issued a ‘danger to life’ warning for rain and wind in parts of Scotland, Wales and South West England, making travelling treacherous.

Heavy rainfall and further winds are expected to hit wider areas of the UK throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday, too.

If you do need to travel, though, how can you remain safe when behind the wheel? We’ve got some tips and tricks to remember.

Think about whether your journey is essential

Before anything, consider whether you really need to make a journey in the first place. The safest spot you can be is at home, so consider postponing that trip for a later date if possible.

Of course, if it’s an emergency or you do need to travel, then it’s still okay to do so, but if it’s a trip that can be delayed until after the high winds have disappeared, then it may be safer to do that instead.

Take your time

Should you get behind the wheel, give yourself more time than you might usually. Strong winds can cause debris to fly across the road, while there’s a greater chance of trees and branches falling into the road.

Likewise, giving yourself more time allows you a longer period to react should a driver ahead have to swerve or hit the brakes unexpectedly.

Pack some emergency supplies

You can never know what might happen when driving in poor weather, so pack some supplies to help out if you do need to stop for a longer period than expected. You don’t need to go mad, but some warmer clothes, a bottle of water and some snacks could make an unpleasant trip a little more bearable.

Park in a safe spot

That bad weather doesn’t go away when you’ve stopped, of course, so think about where you’re leaving your car in order to prevent any damage later on. For example, it’s not a good idea to park underneath a tree or low-hanging branches when the wind is still pushing on, so try and leave your vehicle somewhere clear.

Your best bet is to leave your car in a garage or under a covering but if this isn’t possible, then a wide open area can help.

Increase your distance

When driving in rain and heavy winds, increase your stopping distance to the vehicle travelling in front. In doing so, you give yourself more time to react to a slowdown or if the car ahead needs to stop suddenly.

You’ll want to give larger vehicles such as trucks and lorries more space when you overtake them, too, in case they’re hit by a gust of wind and caused to swerve as a result.

Leave more space

Other road users can be affected by high winds, which is why it’s important to give them more space than usual. If there are any cyclists on the road then leave a large ‘cushion’ between your vehicle and them when passing, and the same goes for motorcyclists.

If you notice pedestrians walking on the pavement at the side of the road then leave a little more space – a strong gust could easily push them out and into the path of traffic.