CONTRARY to a widely held belief the phrase 'cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey' is not an obscene or vulgar expression. It does not at all relate to simian genitalia but is a naval term from the Napoleonic era. The brass monkey was a holder for iron cannonballs on the deck of a ship. In very cold weather the brass and the iron shrunk at different rates causing the balls to drop off. Actual brassmonkey weather is very rare in Ireland and so is snowfall. Met Eireann says the average number of days in the year when snow is lying on the ground in the morning is 4.96, a bit more in the midlands and less on the coasts.

Winter driving is done in damp and miserable conditions and in fog, with poor visibility. This causes particular problems for cars that have not been serviced regularly. Now is the time to have the car seen to.

Electrical faults count for fully half of the calls to the AA's rescue service and demand peaks on wet mornings. Batteries last for four or five years and only work at 40% of their power in cold weather. To improve your chances of starting, all the electrics should be switched off. If the car is struggling, use the starter motor in five-second bursts but give the battery 30 seconds to recover each time. Jump leads are a temporary measure.

Check the level of antifreeze in the cooling system.

A handy tip is to put an eggcup-full in the freezer overnight. If it freezes then you need to top up the solution or replace it.

Many of us will spend the first five minutes of each morning hacking frost off the windscreen. Plastic scrapers are fine but it is easier (security permitting) to let the engine idle with the demister on. The kettle of boiling water is usually a bad idea. If it is too hot it will weaken or even crack the glass.

Once out on the road the golden rule is slow down.

Braking distances increase dramatically on wet roads so stay well back from the car in front. 'Fender bender' accidents double and triple on a wet morning. Dipped headlights should be in constant use. It is at least as important for other traffic to see you.

Ice is probably the worst hazard of them all. Traction can disappear from under you without warning and a car that feels under complete control on the straight can go out of control on braking or cornering. Black ice is a killer . . . you can't see it but reduced road noise tells you that it is there.

Use the highest gear that you can and look out for skid-traps like wet leaves or shady spots. Beware of bridges as ice tends to linger on and under them.