How do you drive on snowy roads if you’re not used to it?

How do you drive on snowy roads if you’ve never done so before? The short answer is to slow down, increase the distance to the car in front and drive more gently than usual. Winter driving is less about skill and more about giving yourself time. If you drive slowly and plan your journey, you’ll generally get on fine, even the first time.

This guide is written for those of you who come from countries where snow on the roads is unusual, and who are planning to drive the final stretch up to the Sälen ski resort in Dalarna. Nothing here is a promise that it will be easy. These are tips that experienced winter drivers follow, and which make a difference. If you wish to minimise winter driving altogether, you can choose a house with a short and straightforward approach amongst accommodation in a prime location, so that the final section is as short as possible.

Short answer: slow down and keep a greater distance

If there’s just five things you take away from this text, let them be these:

• Drive more slowly than the speed limit indicated on the sign. The speed limit shown applies to dry roads, not snow-covered ones.
• Keep a greater distance. The braking distance on snow and ice is several times longer than on dry tarmac.
• Make everything soft. Smooth braking, smooth steering, smooth acceleration. It’s sudden movements that cause the car to lose grip.
• Brake before the bend, not in it. Slow down on the straight and coast through the bend.
• Look in the direction you want to go. Looking far ahead guides your hands in the right direction without you even realising it.

Add a sixth point that has nothing to do with driving at all: plan your journey so that the final stretch is driven in daylight, if you have a choice. It’s by far the biggest simplification you can make for yourselves.

What’s different about a Swedish winter road

A snow-covered road does not behave like a wet road. Grip varies from metre to metre, and this is not always visible on the surface. The road may have been ploughed and gritted in the valley but be covered in snow further up. After a sunny day, meltwater can freeze into ice as the temperature drops in the afternoon, and the ice is hardest to spot when it is thin and glossy.

The roadside also looks different. Snow ploughing builds up snow banks along the sides, and these hide where the carriageway actually ends. The snow banks also make the road look narrower than it is, which causes inexperienced drivers to veer too far towards the centre. Stay in your own lane and rely on the road markings and the snow poles – the thin poles that mark the edge of the road.

The forecast for today gives you a good idea of what to expect. Our overview of the weather in Sälenfjällen describes how conditions tend to vary throughout the season.

Uphill and downhill sections in mountainous terrain

Hills are where most inexperienced drivers run into problems, and the solution differs depending on which way you’re travelling.

Up: Build up speed before the hill begins and keep steady pressure on the accelerator pedal all the way up. Avoid coming to a stop in the middle of an uphill stretch, as it is difficult to get going again. If you see a car stationary in front of you, wait at the bottom of the hill rather than driving up and getting stuck behind it.

Downhill: Slow down before you start driving downhill. Shift into a low gear so that the engine helps to slow you down, and avoid braking hard on the way down. An automatic gearbox usually has an engine braking mode or a manual gear selector. If you’re unsure how this works in your particular car, find out before you set off, not whilst the car is already rolling downhill.

Darkness, snow flurries and limited visibility

Winter darkness falls early on the Dalarna route, and the final hour of the journey is often driven in the dark. It isn’t dangerous in itself, but it is more tiring than driving during the day and makes it harder to spot wildlife. Take turns at the wheel more often than you would on a summer journey.

When it is snowing, full-beam headlights reflect off the snowflakes and reduce visibility, rather than improving it. Use dipped headlights in heavy snowfall. Rear fog lights should only be used when visibility is severely reduced, as they dazzle the vehicle behind you. When encountering oncoming traffic on a snow-covered road, snow swirls up behind the cars, and visibility can be completely lost for a few seconds. Take your foot off the accelerator, keep driving straight ahead and wait for the snow to clear rather than braking hard.

If the snowstorm gets so heavy that you can’t see the road: find a safe place to stop, such as a lay-by or a car park – never the hard shoulder. It costs nothing to wait out a snow shower for twenty minutes.

If the car gets stuck or skids off the road

It happens, and it’s usually no big deal. The car gets stuck in a snowdrift and comes to a standstill. Here’s what to do:

• Stay in the car if you are safely parked and traffic is passing close by. Switch on your hazard warning lights.
• Is it safe to get out of the car? Put on your high-visibility vest first, set up the warning triangle and stand behind the crash barrier or on the snow bank – never on the carriageway.
• Check that the exhaust pipe is not blocked by snow before you run the engine to keep warm.
• Call a breakdown service or your insurance company. In the event of personal injury or a traffic hazard, dial 112.
• If the wheels are spinning but the car isn’t moving: take your foot off the accelerator. Pressing the accelerator further will only cause the car to dig in deeper.

Bear in mind that a recovery operation can take some time in a mountain environment at the weekend during the peak season. That’s why having the right equipment in your car is more important than you might think.

Equipment to keep in the car

This isn’t a legal list, but a practical one. Keep these items within easy reach in the passenger compartment, not at the back of a packed boot.

• Warm outerwear, a hat, gloves and boots within easy reach throughout the journey.
• One blanket per person, and preferably an extra one.
• An ice scraper and a snow brush, and a small spade if you have room.
• Jumper cables or a charged starter battery, and a power bank for your mobile phone.
• Water and something to eat, as well as a high-visibility vest for everyone in the car.
• Windscreen washer fluid designed for low temperatures – for use in the car, not just in the reservoir.

You’ll find a full guide to what to include in our Packing list for the winter trip. The rules governing which tyres a car must have fitted during the winter are a separate matter, and they also apply to vehicles registered abroad. Find out what the rules are in the overview of Tyre regulations in Sweden before you set off.

The final stretch up to the cottage

The final few kilometres up to the mountain villages are narrower and more winding than the motorway network you’ve been travelling on, and they’re often snow-covered even when the main road is clear. Set off in good time, have the address and directions to hand before you turn off, and bear in mind that your sat-nav may suggest a route that hasn’t been ploughed.

On arrival: do not drive into a driveway where you cannot see the end. It is better to reverse into a space where you know the ground has been ploughed, so that you are facing the right way when you leave. If you are unsure what the driveway at your accommodation looks like, please ask us before you arrive. You can also read more about planning your journey in our article on driving to Sälen in winter.

Summary – how to cope with winter driving

Winter driving is no secret art. Reduce your speed below the speed limit, keep a distance that feels excessive, make all your manoeuvres smoothly, brake before a bend and shift into a low gear on downhill stretches. Plan your journey so that the final stretch is driven in daylight, have warm clothes and a blanket to hand in the car, and it’s better to stop once too often than once too little. Check the road conditions and weather forecast for Dalarna the day before you set off, and check the tyre regulations with the Swedish Transport Agency before you pack the car. If you do find yourself driving in snow against your will, we’ll be happy to help you find accommodation where the final stretch of the journey is as short as possible.