Tips for Safe Winter Motoring

Tips for Safe Winter Motoring

The nights are getting darker, the weather is getting colder which means only one thing, WINTER! It is important that you’re prepared for winter and the weather is only going to get worse from here, sorry about spoiling that for you but we must get you prepared for safe winter motoring.

#1) So tip number 1 is pretty simple, winter car maintenance check, this is extremely important to carry out so that you know your car is safe and prepared for the turmoil’s of winter. You can do these checks yourself but it is always better for a professional to perform these checks so that they are carried out to the best quality and gives you complete piece of mind that the job is being done correctly. If you were to do the checks yourself, you should check:

Battery – Make sure your battery is in top condition, some garages offer free battery checks.
Anti-Freeze – This will stop your engine from working properly due to the cold temperatures of winter, make sure it is topped up but don’t exceed the maximum line.
Screen wash – Screen wash is needed to clear your both your front and rear windscreen of anything impairing your vision including snow or ice, make sure it is full.
Lights – It is imperative that you check your lights, this is important because of the dark morning and nights in winter and it means other motorists can see you better.
Tyres – As touched on in another blog post you can find here, it is extremely important to check your tyres, they are the things between your car and the road. The legal limit for your tread depth is 1.6 mm but in winter conditions anything less than 3mm can cause accidents; also winter tyres are an option with more grip and better contact to the road they are a good option which will keep you safe on the icy roads.

#2) Planning your travel before journeys is important and this isn’t just for long journeys or places you haven’t been before, make sure to check even if it is your daily commuting route to work because the roads can be affected by ice and snow, slowing them down and causing accidents which may end up closing that road so make sure you know about any potential hazards and have an alternate route BEFORE setting off on your journey. You don’t want to be stuck somewhere in the cold.

#3) Dressing for the climate is imperative, not just to keep you warm, it’s important that you dress correctly for the weather because you don’t know if your car will breakdown and you’ll be stuck somewhere for some time so why risk it? It is a good idea to have something in your vehicle to keep you warm in case you breakdown or become stuck, spare clothes or a big thick blanket of some sort.

#4) Make sure to have spare food and drink in your car, nothing fancy but if you were to break down or become stuck due to ice or snow then you have something to eat and drink that will keep you going while waiting for someone to rescue you, the last thing you want when stranded is to be hungry or thirsty.

We hope you found these tips helpful and don’t forget to be prepared for the winter roads.