This unexpected hack uses cat litter to prevent your car from sliding around (Image: Getty)
If your drive to work is looking ever more perilous with the onslaught of snow and ice battering Britain, this unusual trick involving cat litter may calm your fear of taking to the roads in this weather.
With all the advice pointing to moving off being one of the most difficult parts of in a cold snap, one expert has pointed out that can be used to safely get your wheels moving.
Motoring expert Maria McCarthy said: “Spreading cat litter around the wheels is a useful hack for providing traction, or you could use the foot well mats or gather some twigs or gravel.” This applies especially if “you return to your vehicle after it’s been snowing” when you may find it “more difficult to move off.”
McCarthy continued: “‘You might want to consider getting winter tyres, which have better grip in . You can fit the tyres yourself, or ask your garage to do so. When it comes to storing them, some garage chains will send the tyres you’re not currently using off to a ‘tyre hotel’ .”
Filip Sevostianov, Managing Director, car expert at ecarsTrade recommended carpet squares to keep your functional in the ice and snow. He said: “They are reusable, and provide a durable surface that creates friction under your tires. Carpet squares offer the traction your tires need to grip and pull out of snow. They are convenient to store in your trunk and can serve as kneeling pads when you need to dig yourself out of a snowbank.”
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Another theme amongst expert advice is keeping your gears high to retain control. Eamonn Turley, CEO of MPV rentals said: “High gear, as represented by fourth or fifth, will generally be what you want on a flat stretch or rolling surface since it has greater fuel economy and lessened load on your car’s engine. However, shift down when more power is necessary, for instance, driving up hills or needing to gain acceleration fast.”
Turn off your cruise control is another idea. “When you enable cruise control, the car can resume control of the throttle when the system misinterprets road conditions,” said Sevostianov. “You might experience sudden bursts of acceleration when driving over packed snow or a patch of ice. Your tyres could lose grip, leading to fishtailing or spinning out. Disable cruise control to gain complete manual control over acceleration and avoid these risks.”
Back-loading your vehicle with extra weight will also keep you safer, be it with kids, sandbags or suitcases. Sevostianov said: “Additional weight, like sandbags, improves rear-wheel traction. Most RWD cars have ‘snow’ or ‘traction’ mode, which you can activate for better control. The sand could also come in handy under the wheels in case you get stuck in the snow.”
And lastly, prepare for the worst. Keep a bag of blankets, food and liquids if everything does indeed go south. To stop you gorging on these before the appropriate time, Maria recommended “choosing something like an energy bar in a flavour you don’t like instead.”