Weathering winter's worst

Sir Vivian Fuchs was not a man to stay in during a storm. He was the explorer first to successfully motor across Antarctica, the worst place on earth to drive.

In place of huskies, Sir Vivian's solution was the Sno-Cat; large motor tractors with manoeuvrable caterpillar 'wheels'. The adapted vehicles were crucial to his team's success: the 3,500km journey took 99 days, but they did it.

Not many of us will face the same treacherous journey this winter, but it's worth going over some winter motoring tips as we head into the usually dull and dismal months of January and February.

Check your coolant/antifreeze levels and oil levels, you may need to change or top them up. Consider an antifreeze additive for your windscreen wash, if you already do, you will need to strengthen your dilution.

Tyres are one of the most important components on a vehicle. Remember, a legal minimum tread depth of 1.6mm. You should think about replacing tyres long before this. If you are in any doubt, get them checked. Your life and that of your passengers and other road users depends on them.

Invest in a decent ice scraper or antifreeze. Clearing only the area in front of you is insufficient. The whole of the front and rear windscreen together with all other windows must be clear for all round vision, as must mirrors.

Give your wiper blades a good clean and do not use them to clear ice or snow from your windscreen. The weight of snow, or wipers frozen to the windscreen could damage the wiper motor or wiper rods if activated.

Your lights will need to be checked and may need to be frequently wiped clean as a layer of grime on headlamps may distort the beam direction. You will also be using your fog lamps a lot more, so make sure they are working.

It's good to carry an old raincoat in the boot, for if you have to change a tyre you want to be able to keep dry while not be too concerned about getting your good clothes dirty. It should also be warm enough to keep you well wrapped in case you have to walk some distance for help. Thankfully these days the mobile phone is available. But don't depend on it to keep you warm or change your tyre.

Finally, its worth remembering that simply cranking up the car's heating is not the answer. Volvo researchers compared two cars with interior climate control. They examined two groups of test drivers over the same route, with two different temperatures inside the cars. The temperature in the first car was 21 C; the second car was kept at 27 C. The number of mistakes and missed actions were dramatically higher for the drivers operating in the higher temperatures, according to the study.