Storm Darragh to bring 90mph winds to parts of the UK this weekend: how to stay safe out on the road

Storm Darragh will hit parts of the UK hard this weekend as 90mph winds pound Wales and the South West of England – with coastal areas being issued a red warning from the MET office.

Driving in high winds and stormy weather can be very dangerous, so it’s important that you take care when heading out on the road. Here are a few tips to help you stay safe over the next couple of days.

Do you really need to travel?

The first and most obvious piece of advice is to only go out if it’s absolutely necessary. Driving in extreme conditions like this is risky – with fallen debris and flash flooding causing chaos on the roads. It’s important to ask yourself if you really need to go out in such bad weather.

If you do have to head onto the roads for any reason, check the local news and weather channels for any road closures or problem areas, and try to plan your route accordingly.

Get a grip (on the wheel)

Strong winds can push your car around on the road, and especially strong gusts could take you by surprise. Make sure to hold the wheel firmly, but not too tight, especially when driving over bridges or in areas with low shelter from the wind so you stay in control.

Take care when overtaking

Just as high winds can blow your car around, they can also push the cars around you off course. If you’re overtaking another vehicle, especially a high-sided one like a van or a lorry, take care and be prepared in case it veers into your lane. Avoid hanging around next to a vehicle for this same reason.

Take it slow

It’s important not to rush when driving in stormy weather. There’s a risk of trees or other debris falling in your path, so you want to give yourself as much reaction time as possible in case you need to take evasive action. High winds can also get under your car and affect the braking and handling

In heavy rain you’ll also have reduced visibility, and there will be the potential to aquaplane on standing water. Just ease off a bit and take things nice and steady, but not too slow as this can create a hazard of its own.

Driving through standing water and flooding

Standing water should be handled with extreme care when driving. Going through what looks like a small puddle too fast could result in you aquaplaning and losing control of the vehicle, and it even has the potential to rip trim or panels off of your car.

If you see any standing water, especially on faster moving roads, just slow right down, put your hazard lights on and try to move towards the centre of the road if you can – the road’s camber means that this is where the water will be at its shallowest.

Roads which are completely flooded should be avoided at all costs, but if you do need to try and get through then you’ll need to proceed with extreme caution.

Don’t take any chances if you don’t know how deep it is because taking a punt and driving through it has the potential to destroy your engine. Get out of the car and try to gauge the water with a stick, and if you’re in any doubt then just turn around.

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