Simple steps you need to follow if you skid on ice while driving

As the UK continues to experience plummeting temperatures and ice and snow, many will have to continue with daily life. Households will still be faced with running errands, getting to work, and ferrying children to school, despite the Arctic airmass disrupting everyday plans.

There are a number of Yellow and Amber weather warnings in place, as reported by the Met Office, which will remain in place in parts across the country until Friday. If the ice and snow are heavy, the Met Office advised to avoid travel if you can. However, if it’s unavoidable and you have to drive, there are some steps you can take to ensure your journey is safe.

Car insurance brand Rooster Insurance also shared some advice for drivers if they find themselves skidding on icy or snowy roads. In a post from November 2025, Rooster Insurance wrote in a TikTok video caption: “Do you know what to do if you skid on ice while driving? Save this to remind yourself and send to someone who might need to know.”

Here is what you can do if you find yourself in this situation:

• When you start to skid, ease off the gas and do not break hard.
• Smoothly steer into the direction the back of the car is sliding in.
• Slowly recentre the wheel as the car regains traction.

The Met Office has also shared some advice, including:

“A summary of the advice is: Take care around gritters. Don’t be tempted to overtake. Slow down – it can take 10 times longer to stop in snowy or icy conditions, so allow extra room. Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. Manoeuvre gently and avoid harsh braking and acceleration.

“If you start to skid, gently ease off the accelerator and avoid braking. If braking is necessary, pump the brakes don’t slam them on. If you get stuck, stay with your car and tie something brightly coloured to your aerial.

“Be aware of black ice. It isn’t always visible and so can be an even greater hazard for both motorists and pedestrians. Black ice may be formed when rain or drizzle fall on a road surface which is at a temperature below zero.”