Quick answer
Slow down, hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands, and stay alert for sudden gusts on exposed roads, high bridges and open stretches. Give extra room to cyclists, motorcyclists and high-sided vehicles, and watch for debris. Expect the strongest gust as you leave shelter.
High winds turn an ordinary drive into a balancing act. A strong gust can shove your car sideways in an instant, and it rarely gives warning — one moment you're tracking straight, the next you've drifted towards the white line. The exposed places are the worst: motorway viaducts, high bridges, open moorland, and long straight stretches with fields on either side. On these roads the wind has a clear run at you, and so do the vehicles around you.
The trick isn't strength, it's readiness. If you're holding the wheel loosely and daydreaming, a gust will move the car before you react. If both hands are on the wheel and your mind is on the road, you'll catch the drift early and correct it smoothly. Everything in this guide comes back to that idea: reduce your speed so you have time, keep a firm grip so you stay in control, and read the road ahead so nothing takes you by surprise.
It's not just your own car that's at risk, either. Motorcyclists and cyclists can be blown clean across a lane, and high-sided lorries, caravans and trailers act like sails. Part of driving well in wind is anticipating what the wind will do to everyone else on the road, and leaving them the space to wobble.
Study time
36 min
Level
Advanced
Confidence
+10%
Practice
34 Qs
What you'll be able to do
- Understand why bad weather stretches your stopping distance so much — and the simple rule that keeps you safe in it.
- Understand which lights to use in rain, fog and gloom — and the one fog-light rule that catches people out.
- Understand how to handle the weather that isn't rain — gusts, dazzling sun, and water across the road.
The facts that matter
- Strong winds can blow your vehicle off course, especially on exposed roads, high bridges and open stretches — slow down to give yourself more time to react.
- Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands and be ready for sudden gusts, particularly where you pass gaps in hedges, buildings or trees.
- High-sided vehicles, caravans and trailers are most affected by the wind and may be blown into your path — leave them room and be cautious when overtaking or being overtaken.
- Give extra room to cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders, as they can easily be blown sideways.
- Watch for debris and fallen branches on the road, and be ready to slow or steer around them.
- On very windy days, some high bridges close to high-sided vehicles or to all traffic — plan ahead and follow signs and diversions.
Make it stick
Memory anchors
Wind = Sail
Picture every high-sided lorry, caravan and trailer as a sail. The bigger the flat side facing the wind, the harder it gets pushed — so give sails a wide berth and expect them to lean into your lane.
Shelter then shove
Remember 'the gust waits at the edge of the shelter.' As you emerge from behind a lorry, a line of trees or a bridge parapet, the wind hits hardest right at that boundary. Firm up your grip just before you break cover.
Stay sharp
The mistakes everyone makes
Steering with one lazy hand
On a calm-feeling motorway it's tempting to rest one hand on the wheel. In high winds that's how gusts catch you out — by the time your second hand arrives, the car has already wandered. Keep both hands on the wheel and your grip firm but relaxed so you can react instantly.
Sitting too close to high-sided vehicles
Drivers often tuck in tight behind or alongside a lorry, forgetting it can be shoved sideways without warning. Being alongside a caravan or trailer as a gust hits leaves you nowhere to go. Hold back, pass decisively when it's clearly safe, and never linger in the danger zone beside a large vehicle.
Squeezing past cyclists and motorcyclists
A rider tracking straight one second can be blown a metre sideways the next. Passing close 'because they were fine a moment ago' is a real hazard in wind. Treat every two-wheeler as unpredictable, give them as much room as you would a car, and wait for a genuine gap.
Out on the road
What this looks like in real life
The bridge that caught the caravan
You're following a car towing a caravan onto a high motorway bridge. Halfway across, an open gap between the parapet sections lets a strong gust through, and the caravan visibly sways towards your lane. Because you'd already dropped back and eased off the accelerator, you have room and time — you hold your line, let the swaying settle, and don't try to squeeze past until you're both back on sheltered ground. Tailgating would have left you nowhere to escape.
Emerging from the lorry's shelter
On an exposed dual carriageway you pull out to overtake a high-sided lorry. While alongside it, the lorry blocks the wind and the car feels calm. The important moment comes as you clear the front of it: with nothing sheltering you, a crosswind slams into the side of your car and tries to push you towards the verge. Because you expected it and had both hands firmly on the wheel, you make one small, smooth correction and stay dead straight — no snatch, no swerve.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How do I hold the steering wheel in strong winds?
Keep both hands on the wheel in the '10-to-2' or 'quarter-to-3' position, with a firm but relaxed grip. You want to feel the car through your hands so you notice a drift early, and be ready to make a small, smooth correction. Avoid a white-knuckle death grip or steering one-handed, as both make you slower to respond to a sudden gust.
Should I slow down in high winds?
Yes. Slowing down is one of the most effective things you can do. Lower speed gives you more time to feel a gust, react and correct, and it reduces how far the wind can push you before you respond. It's especially important on exposed roads, high bridges and when passing large vehicles.
Why are high-sided vehicles and caravans so affected by wind?
They have a large, flat surface for the wind to push against, so they act like a sail. Lorries, caravans, trailers and even some vans can be blown sideways or, in extreme cases, over. Give them extra room, be patient about overtaking, and never sit alongside one as a gust hits, because it may lurch into your path.
Can high winds close bridges?
Yes. On very windy days some high bridges close to high-sided vehicles such as lorries and caravans, and in severe conditions they may close to all traffic. Watch for warning signs and matrix messages, follow any speed limits or lane closures, and be prepared to take a diversion rather than risk an exposed crossing.
Turn high winds into marks
Reading builds understanding — practice makes it stick. Pick up where this guide leaves off, free.
Revision checklist
0/6Tick each point once you can explain it without looking.