Caring for Your Car in Winter
For most people, driving your car is a daily routine. You drive to and from work, you drive to the shops, you drive to see your friends or family. As the weather gets worse, it’s important to make sure your car is as safe as it can be. Make sure to do these checks on your vehicle regularly throughout the winter, so that you have full peace of mind while driving!
Car Checks
- Keep the lights, windows, and mirrors free from ice and snow – make sure there is always de-icer in your car!
- Make sure your wipers and lights are in good working order. If you’re not sure, you can take your car to a garage or vehicle shop, like Halfords, and get them to check your car over.
- Add anti-freeze to your radiator and de-icer to your windscreen wash.
- Check the tread depth and tyre pressure of your tyres. This is incredibly important, as if it is below the government requirement, you can receive a hefty fine, as well as put yourself in danger.
- Make sure you have an emergency kit to hand. This should include a scraper, de-icer, snow shovel, hat, gloves, boots, a torch, a bottle of water, and a first aid kit. For longer journeys, make sure to pack a snack, a few blankets, and a flask filled with a warm drink.
- Make sure to wash your car frequently. This is to clean it of any salt or dirt that builds up.
- Always try to keep a full tank of fuel. As tempting as it can be to let your tank run to empty before filling it up, you’re not sure when you may get delayed, so it’s best to make sure you always have enough to get where you need to be.
- Don’t use water to defrost your windows.
Driving in winter can also bring added risk to both you and other drivers on the road. Make sure to drive slowly, and leave a greater gap in between you and the car in front of you when on a road. Make sure your phone is always fully charged: investing in a car charger for your phone is always a good idea, as then you can reach anyone should you need to. Make sure you set aside extra time to complete your journey, especially when it is icy – speeding on roads that may have black ice on them is highly dangerous, so take your time and make sure to arrive safely. Be particularly careful on tree lined roads – they can stop the suns heat from reaching the road, meaning the ice may not have fully melted.
