A new survey carried out in the UK on behalf of road safety charity Brake and Direct Line Insurance has shown that 71% of drivers questioned do not know how much longer it will take their vehicle to stop in wintery conditions. This means that almost three quarter of drivers are putting themselves and other road users at risk because they are under-estimating stopping distances.

11% of drivers think the stopping distance is twice as long in icy weather, a third think it’s four times as long and 27% think it should be five times as long. Just 23% of drivers know that the actual figure is up to 10 times as long, with 6% being even more cautious and believing it is up to 20 times as long.   

That means, while on a fine day, if you are driving at 30 mph and need to brake immediately it will take you 23 metres to stop, in icy conditions it could take up to 230 metres - that’s the length of two-full size football pitches.

The survey also found that many drivers do not know enough about stopping distances in wet weather. More than one in five drivers (22%) fail to check the gap between their car and the car in front, and another fifth (21%) do not leave a large enough gap, meaning that, if they have to brake suddenly, it could lead to a serious crash. Brake recommends that drivers leave at least four seconds between their vehicle and the vehicle in front in wet weather.