Being unable to get my car out of the village this morning, I went for a walk instead, and I was astonished by the number of cars driving along with two or three inches of snow perched on their roofs. I guess the drivers don’t realise just how dangerous that can be. What if you were to stop suddenly? Chances are that the wedge of snow would slide down over the windscreen, and completely obscure the view! What would happen then?

Actually, that reminds me of a story that a friend of mine told me many years ago. He described an occasion when he was learning to drive with his father. He was driving along in a Morris Minor (that shows my age!) with a loosely attached roof rack. Upon practicing an emergency stop, the roof rack didn’t. Instead, it slid down over the bonnet, and he promptly drove over it doing untold damage to the underside of his father’s car!

Anyway, back to snow: This is what the Official DVSA Guide to Driving the essential skills has to say about it: Firstly, don’t drive unless your journey is absolutey necessary. If you have to drive, then before setting off you should:

• Clear all snow and ice from all of your windows so that you can see clearly all round

• Ensure all lights are clean and free from snow so they can be seen by other road users

• Make sure the mirrors are clear and the windows are demisted thoroughly so that you have the best visibility possble

• Clear snow from the bonnet and roof so that it doesn’t fly off and cause a danger to other road users such as motorcyclists or cyclists.

Oh and take a shovel and blanket in case you do get stuck somewhere.