We’ve been holding off writing this post for a while because we were kind of expecting some proper winter weather to talk about – instead we’ve got wind and rain with a side order of frost – so for now, no nice snowy pictures of the Cathedral from outside the garage. We have though been thinking about our top tips for winter motoring and, as ever, if you need any help with any of these or your car just checking over for the cold weather, please do get in touch and we’ll book you in.
So, here are our Top Tips for Winter Motoring:
- Check everything – ideally not just before you leave the house. Check your tyres still have the legal tread, that your anti-freeze and screen wash are topped up, that your wiper blades still work and that you have ample fuel to get you where you need to go. Make sure you have a micro-fibre cloth in the car for cleaning the windscreen if the glare from the winter sun shows up the dirt and makes it hard to drive.
- Run your air-conditioning for at least 10 minutes every week. Using the air-con is a great way of demisting your screen when it’s cold – and keeping you warm in the car! If it doesn’t seem to be doing anything, give us a ring and Rob will be able to have a look at it – and re-gas it if necessary
- Be prepared! Keeping a spare coat, blanket (or blankets and extra warm clothes if you regularly travel with children), a shovel, boots and a high-vis jacket in the car means that should you get stuck, you’ll be able to help yourself keep warm and hopefully on the move again. Take a flask of hot drink with you and extra snacks too if the weather forecast is looking bad and make sure your phone is fully charged.
- Slow down. Even if you’re just travelling around town at the moment, be extra aware of the potholes (if you need to report one, here’s how), ice on frozen speed humps and un-treated roads. Make sure you windscreen is fully demisted before you set out – you can be prosecuted if your windscreen is not clear enough for you to see out of properly.
- Stay informed. Check the forecast, the route that you’ll be travelling (and that you have an alternative route if you need one – not the country lanes that the SatNav wants to send you along) and if there are any scheduled roadworks. Once you’re on the move, checking the travel reports on the local radio station will keep you up to date with exactly what’s going on where you are.
We know that this can seem obvious to experienced drivers but we don’t want you to be caught out this winter.