Most of what goes wrong in bad weather comes down to one word: grip. Your tyres only touch the road over an area about the size of your hand on each wheel. When that grip drops, everything — braking, steering, stopping — takes longer.
The numbers are dramatic enough to be worth knowing. On a wet road, your stopping distance roughly doubles. On ice, it can be up to ten times longer. Your reactions haven't changed; the road just can't hold you the way it does when it's dry.
The fix isn't complicated: leave more room, slow down sooner, and treat every input — brake, steering, accelerator — gently. Smooth is the whole game when grip is low.
The bits that matter
- Wet roads roughly double your stopping distance; ice can make it ten times longer.
- Leave more space and brake earlier — sudden inputs cause skids.
- Wet leaves and the first rain after a dry spell are sneakily slippery.
Memory anchor
Wet doubles, ice times ten
Two numbers carry most of winter driving: in the wet, double your stopping distance; on ice, allow up to ten times. Say it like a chant — "wet doubles, ice times ten" — and you'll always leave the right gap.
Out on the road
The first rain after a dry spell
It hasn't rained for two weeks, then a light shower starts. That's one of the most slippery moments on the road — the water lifts oil and rubber into a greasy film. A driver who knows this eases off straight away, instead of learning it the hard way at the next junction.
The mistake everyone makes
Braking hard when it's slippery
Instinct says stamp on the brakes when grip is low — and that's exactly how skids start. The calm move is the opposite: brake earlier and more gently, so the tyres keep their grip. If a skid does begin, ease off the brake and steer smoothly.