As winter approaches, STEPHEN LEWIS seeks some expert advice on safe driving.

WE'VE already had the first ice of the year - and on Sunday the clocks go back. The darker evenings, combined with the likelihood of rain, fog, ice and even - as winter deepens - snow, are going to make for more hazardous driving conditions.

Winter driving is dangerous enough for the most experienced of motorists. So spare a thought for the crop of young drivers who may have passed their test over the spring or summer, and have never yet had to face icy roads and dark evenings.

According to a survey, commissioned by Peugeot and aimed at discovering young drivers' attitudes towards road safety, many admit to being worried at the prospect of winter driving.

Top concern was icy roads - followed by fog, heavy rain, and driving at night. Many young drivers were also, understandably, worried about driving on motorways.

Despite the findings, Jon Goodman, Peugeot's marketing director, believes that many young motorists will be unprepared for the hazards of winter driving.

"After such a wonderful long summer and early autumn, many new drivers may have been lulled into a false sense of security about what motoring is really like," he says. "Young motorists tend to drive older cars and, as the weather deteriorates, we are concerned that a combination of poorly-maintained cars and lack of winter driving experience may lead to their safety being compromised."

Mick Natt, a former senior accident investigator with North Yorkshire Police, now making a new career as a judge on the TV series Britain's Worst Driver, knows from grim experience how dangerous winter roads can be.

He remembers being on duty on the A64 once, in his days as a policeman - and actually seeing a motorist crash and kill the person sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

"He came out of the fog travelling far too fast, couldn't see, and ended up under a truck on the other carriageway," he says. "It only takes that split second."

After a summer of good weather, Mick says, the secret to safe winter driving - whether you've only recently passed your test or are an experienced driver - is adapting to the conditions.

The key, whether it is fog, ice, rain, snow or simply dark evenings that you have to contend with, is to drive more slowly. "Kill your speed before it kills you!" Mick says. "The slower you are going, the less likelihood you have of sliding and, if anything does go wrong, you have more time to stop."

For novices and experienced motorists alike, however, Mick has plenty more advice, both on your own driving and on ensuring your car is in tip-top condition, to help ensure you drive safely this winter.

Adjust your driving to the winter conditions:

Drive more slowly

Avoid sudden braking or sharp turns. In icy conditions, both could cause your car to go into a slide or out of control

Be aware if there is a risk of ice on the road. A good guide, Mick says, is whether you had to clear ice off your windscreen before you set out. If you did, chances are the road could be icy too. Adjust your driving accordingly - you can't just rely on roads being gritted

Make sure your windscreen is clean before setting off - and ensure your wiper system has sufficient washing fluid to be able to clean the windscreen while driving. In winter conditions, it is common for windscreens to get very dirty from the effect of salt and grit thrown up by other cars

Make sure your lights - both front and back - are clean before you set off. They, too, can become very dirty

Take particular care when negotiating sharp bends, or features like railway bridges, which are more likely to be iced up

Allow extra time to react while driving in fog. You won't be able to see very far

Avoid looking directly at oncoming headlights while driving in the dark. Look forward, but not straight at the lights.

Remember, twilight is the most dangerous time, when the light is failing but your lights do not have much effect. Take particular care at this time.

Make sure your car is ready for the conditions. It may be worth putting your car in for a service if it has not been done for some time. Otherwise:

Make sure the battery is properly charged. Remember, as the nights draw in, you will need to use your lights more

Ensure your tyres are not worn - you will need a good grip in the treacherous conditions. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, but in winter you ideally need more. "The more tread you've got, the more water can be shifted, the drier the road is under your tyre, and therefore the better the grip you have," Mick explains. If in doubt, get your tyres checked out

Invest in some de-icer, so you can easily and quickly clear your windscreen

In icy conditions, carry a flask of hot water in the car. It can be useful for unfreezing locks, or clearing iced-up windscreens

If it is snowing, go prepared. Carry a blanket in the back of the car, just in case you break down and need to keep warm.

Updated: 08:55 Thursday, October 23, 2003