Driving in Rain, Fog, Ice and Low Sun
30-second summary
Bad weather changes more than visibility. It can change grip, stopping distance, steering feel and how easy it is for other people to see you.
The correct response is not one fixed speed. It is to increase your safety margin.
Rain
The Highway Code states that stopping distances in wet weather will be at least double those on dry roads.
Useful habits:
- increase following distance;
- reduce speed where necessary;
- use wipers and demisters effectively;
- avoid sudden steering, acceleration and braking;
- watch for standing water;
- remember other drivers may see less clearly too.
Aquaplaning
At speed, tyres can lose effective contact with the road surface when water builds beneath them.
Prevention matters more than trying to recover dramatically:
- appropriate speed;
- suitable tyres/pressure;
- avoid harsh inputs;
- take standing water seriously.
Fog
Visibility can change quickly.
The Highway Code requires headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally where you cannot see for more than 100 metres, and restricts fog-light use to seriously reduced visibility.
The driving principle is simple:
Do not drive faster than the distance you can safely see and stop within.
Avoid following tail lights as if they prove the road ahead is clear.
Ice and snow
Grip can reduce dramatically.
Plan for:
- much longer stopping distance;
- gentle acceleration;
- gentle braking;
- smooth steering;
- lower speed;
- extra space.
Shaded sections, bridges and untreated roads can remain slippery even when other surfaces look clear.
Low sun
Bright sunlight can temporarily destroy useful vision.
The Highway Code advises slowing down and, if necessary, stopping if dazzled.
Keep the windscreen clean, use the sun visor appropriately and avoid “driving through” a view you do not have.
Wind
Strong side winds can affect:
- high-sided vehicles;
- motorcycles;
- cyclists;
- your own lane position when passing gaps in buildings or hedges.
Expect sudden changes in wind exposure.
The weather mindset
Do not ask:
“Can the car handle this?”
Ask:
“How much extra margin do I need?”
That may mean more distance, less speed, softer control inputs and earlier decisions.
Common mistakes
- keeping the normal following gap in rain;
- using fog lights when visibility has improved;
- relying on daytime running lights without considering rear visibility;
- driving into glare without reducing speed;
- abrupt inputs on low-grip surfaces;
- assuming a familiar road behaves the same in different conditions.
Real-world scenario
Heavy rain begins on a familiar road. Familiarity does not cancel reduced grip or visibility. The conditions have changed, so the plan must change too.
Next-lesson drill
Before driving in poor weather, identify the main visibility, grip and stopping-distance risks and what would make you delay the journey.
Quick check
Think through each question before opening the answer. These checks are not saved and do not assess your practical driving competence.
What happens to stopping distance in wet weather?
Show suggested answer
It will be at least double the dry-road distance according to the Highway Code.
When should fog lights be used?
Show suggested answer
Only when visibility is seriously reduced, and they must be switched off when visibility improves.
What is the key bad-weather principle?
Show suggested answer
Increase your margin: space, time, visibility and smoothness.
Connected lesson focus
If this topic appears in your lesson report, choose one observable target for the next drive rather than trying to fix the whole skill at once. Review this page, bring one question to your instructor and confirm the practical change in the car.
Official basis and further reading
DVSA skill 25; Highway Code adverse-weather rules 226–237.
This FPA guide explains the skill in original teaching language. Where a legal rule or test process matters, current GOV.UK / Highway Code wording takes priority.