There’s still time for temperatures to drop well below zero this winter. Here, IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman, provides us with advice on how to deal with driving and riding on ice with 5 pointers to help us with motoring during the worst winter weather.

1. Only drive if it is really necessary. In very bad weather it is better to stay in or take public transport rather than risk an accident. Always check the weather and road conditions on your route before setting off.
2. Make sure you know how the demister settings on your car work and how to adjust them properly.
3. Never pour hot water on the screen as the sudden the temperature change may cause cracks. Prevention is better than cure so if possible cover the glass overnight with cardboard or an old sheet to prevent freezing, or invest in a windscreen cover. Adding boiling water or heating up a key can melt plastic components in modern car locks so be gentle when it comes to warming them up or use a squirt of de-icer.
4. If you haven’t done so already, get an antifreeze check at your local garage or fast-fit centre. Keep your washer bottle topped up with an even stronger concentration of de-icer.
5. It might sound like old news, but you need to triple or quadruple the distance from other cars in front of you in icy conditions. If a car has to stop suddenly or worse an accident occurs you will need that extra time to react and stop.