Winter driving: 10 top tips

Don’t pour boiling water on to your windscreen – the extreme temperature change can cause cracks and shatter your glass. Use a spray-on formula, like Prestone’s new windscreen de-icer (£2.99 for 500ml, <a href="http://www.prestone.uk.c

It’s vital that you don’t just de-ice your windscreen – snow on the roof can come down and block your view of the road ahead, so you should also clear this. The quickest way to shift snow from your car is to use a brush, like CarPoint’

If you’ve got a garage, winter is the best time to use it – this will save you time in the mornings, as you won’t need to brush off snow or de-ice the windscreen. If your garage is full of clutter, consider investing in a set of shelve

It’s not just your tyres which need traction in the snow. If you salt your driveway, you’re less&nbsp;likely to end up on your backside. Ice &amp; Snow Melt (£11.99, <a href="http://www.fdev.co.uk">fdev.co.uk</a>) will melt snow, while

Should you get stranded away from home, an In Case of Emergency (ICE) kit will come into its own. It includes key items like a shovel, hi-visibility vest, tow pole and torch. You can pack your own – or sling the AA’s Emergency Car Kit

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean that you have to put your sunglasses away. A good pair will reduce glare from the low winter sun, so keep them in your glovebox or centre console for easy access when driving early in the morning o

Choosing the right kind of tyre is crucial, but just as important is ensuring your tyres have enough tread to clear water and slush. For this you’ll need a tread depth gauge – our Best Buy is the RAC Tyre Service Kit RACHP310 (£5.99, <

Stone chips can easily damage your windscreen as the temperature change when you’ve got the blowers on can turn a tiny chip into a huge crack. Check your screen regularly and get any chips fixed before this happens. Drivers with compre

Your car’s interior isn’t immune to winter perils, either. Melting snow brought in on muddy boots&nbsp;can ruin your car’s carpet, so consider getting mats for the footwells. We recommend Cannon Profile mats (£19.99, <a href="http://ww

Now that the clocks have gone back, it’s darker when more motorists are on the road. A new set of headlight bulbs will make a world of difference, because the latest designs put up to 120 per cent more light on the road. We recommend O