Should you clear snow from paths or driveways?

Snow and ice are causing havoc in many parts of the UK today and driveways, roads and paths are covered with more than just a scattering. But are you liable if you clear paths and someone falls? How do you clear snow safely?

Post updated: August 29th, 2023

2 minute read

Should you clear snow from paths or driveways?

Should I clear snow from my path/drive/outside my house?

There’s a myth that crops up every time snow hits the UK – that doing the neighbourly thing and clearing the pavement outside your house could land you in hot water if someone passing by was to fall. However, the government has made it clear that people walking on snow and ice have a responsibility to be careful themselves so don’t be put off from taking action – so long as you’re not doing anything to make it worse!

How to clear snow

We’ve rounded up the top tips from local government websites and the department of transport on how to clear snow and keep your driveway clear during this cold spell:

Clear snow early in the day. It will be easier to clear when it is loose rather than packed by people compacting it when they walk. Focus on steps as these can be especially dangerous. You can then put down salt in the evening to stop any remaining snow or slush freezing over night.
Use salt or sand. It may sound obvious but DON’T USE WATER to melt the snow. As temperatures dip, chances are the water will refreeze and turn to black ice. Salt or sand should be used to clear the area. Table salt or dishwasher salt will work well – a tablespoon for each square metre you clear should work. Be careful not to spread salt on plants or grass as it may damage them. But do spread it on steps.
Put the snow somewhere sensible. Be careful not to shovel snow near to drains or other paths. Shovel it to the sides of the path you want to create. Meanwhile, if you block other people’s paths in order to clear yours you’re unlikely to win any friends!
Look after yourself. Wrap up warm and wear appropriate footwear. Don’t move too much snow. If your shovel feels too heavy reload a more manageable amount of snow before you lift it. You can get wide lightweight wide bladed shovels from most large supermarkets or hardware stores which may make things easier than a garden shovel.
Think of others. Don’t forget to offer to clear a neighbour’s drive or path, especially if they are elderly or disabled.

2 Comments

Newest

Oldest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Angela Kerr Director, Editor

Buying a house: The step-by-step process

How to sell your house: The step-by-step guide

How long does it take to buy and sell a home?

Latest News

Gardeners World Live Discount Code 2025

March 25, 2025

5 ways the HMRC app helps with home-moving admin

March 24, 2025

Will the Bank of England cut interest rates on 20 March?

March 17, 2025

UK homeowners facing cavity wall insulation failures

February 27, 2025

View all news articles

Name	Provider	Description	Expiration
PHPSESSID	hoa.org.uk	Essential for website to function properly	When the browsing session ends
hoa_newsletter_pop	hoa.org.uk	Ensures that the newsletter signup popup is only displayed once to a visitor, and isn't displayed on every page load	7 days
newsletterpage2	hoa.org.uk	Delays the display of the newsletter signup popup until the user is on their second page view	1 hour
reviewPop	hoa.org.uk	Ensures that the reviews pop is only displayed once to a visitor	24 hours
Local Storage (not a cookie)	youtube-nocookie.com	YouTube tracking cookie that is only set when a video is played on our site	n/a
moove_gdpr_popup	hoa.org.uk	Saves your preferences for cookie settings	365 days
ai_session	www.landc.co.uk	Preserves users states across page requests	30 minutes
ai_user	www.landc.co.uk	Used by Microsoft Application Insights software to collect statistical usage and telemetry information. The cookie stores a unique identifier to recognize users on returning visits over time	24 hours
Local Storage (not a cookie)	https://www.landc.co.uk	Enables the L&C comparison tools to function correctly	n/a
ARRAffinitySameSite	white.reallymoving.com	Used to distribute traffic to the website on several servers in order to optimise response times	When the browsing session ends
ASP.NET_SessionId	white.reallymoving.com	Preserves the visitor’s session state across page requests	When the browsing session ends
__cf_bm	checkatrade.com	To allow users to search the Checkatrade search widget	30 minutes

Name	Provider	Description	Expiration
_ga	hoa.org.uk	This is a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses their website	48 hours
_ga_X2LEWPWZEG	hoa.org.uk	Required for Google Analytics to be able to collect anonymous data	48 hours
_gid	hoa.org.uk	This is a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses their website	24 hours
_gat_UA-32915409-1	hoa.org.uk	Required for Google Analytics to be able to collect anonymous data	90 days

Should you clear snow from paths or driveways?

Should I clear snow from my path/drive/outside my house?

How to clear snow

Related Articles

Sign up to our FREE weekly newsletter

Latest News

Sign up to our newsletter