Motorists stayed off the roads on Friday rather than face the hazardous conditions as the big chill continued.
Thousands of children also enjoyed a second day off, as hundreds of schools remained closed.
With warnings of freezing fog, black ice and more snow on the way, traffic numbers were low, as motorists stayed at home or chose an alternative way to travel.
A spokeswoman for traffic information company Trafficmaster said that reported incidents this morning were fewer than half the usual amount. Around 60 incidents were reported, compared with the average number of 160.
"Everyone seems to be staying off the roads," the spokeswoman said. "The volume of traffic is very low." Motorway speeds were generally "around normal" she said.
A section of the M1 motorway was shut in Derbyshire after a collision involving a Ford Focus car and a Scania box van near Mansfield. A Derbyshire Constabulary spokeswoman said there was nothing on the police log to suggest the accident was weather-related. Vehicles were also slow-moving on the M4 near junction 36 at Bridgend, South Wales, Trafficmaster said.
An army of salt spreaders was on the roads and the Highways Agency warned motorists not to drive unless their journey was essential and also to watch out for black ice. Icy roads and travel disruption caused a 320% increase in non-medical employee absence, according to an organisation which aims to cut down absence from work.
Met Office forecasters are particularly concerned for Wales and the West Midlands, where 2-4in (5-10cm) of snow is expected widely on Friday, with the worst affected areas seeing a further 8-12in (20-30cm) of snow. They warned that snow can settle quickly on untreated roads and pavements, so extra care while travelling is advisable.
The unsettled weather looks set to continue into next week, the Met Office warned. There is a risk of more wintry conditions with snow and ice for some Northern areas of the UK with heavy rain and the possibility of flooding for parts of the South.
A forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "Parts of central and eastern England have seen the iciest places. There has also been freezing fog in counties to the north of London. There have been some wintry showers running into north east England and eastern Scotland, with temperatures around or below zero."
