With the cold weather really now starting to bite, it is really important for your safety and the safety of any passengers that you make sure your car is given a little extra care and attention right now. I very much see our job at 1stClaims to prevent accidents whenever we can, and to pick up the pieces when we can’t. This article falls into the accident prevention category (and we all know that prevention is far better than cure)!
Think Carefully About Where You Park
This one is one that I write based on my own bitter experience. Last year during one of the snowy periods I parked my car on a side road at the bottom of a hill. When I returned to it later in the day I found that a nice lorry driver had skidded down the icy hill into my car putting a nice big dent in the front wing. Of course he did not do the decent thing but drove straight off, leaving my insurance premium to go up and me to pay a hefty excess. Please learn from my experience and save yourself this trouble. Park away from hills or corners (or preferably stay at home and leave your car safely on the drive.
Check Your Care Tyres
With ice on the roads your tyres need to be in top condition to do all that they can to stop you from sliding into a car that stops suddenly in front of you. You need to make sure that you have plenty of tread on your car tyres. However, this is not all, you also must check to make sure that there are no bulges in the side walls of your tyres which can cause a blow out. These are often caused by driving into large pot holes in the roads, and at this time of year with the ice cracking open the road surfaces there are far more potholes. Ensure that the tyre pressure is set to the right level on each tyre (the wrong tyre pressure can shorten your stopping distances considerably).
You also need to ensure that your spare tyre is inflated to the correct pressure in case you need to use it.
Above all, remember that if you do have a blow out on a motorway, you must immediately get all of your passengers out of the car using the doors closest to the embankment of the motorway and get as far away from the car as possible. Many people are killed while waiting on the hard shoulder; it is one of the most dangerous places to be.
Windscreen Wiper Care
The next thing is to make sure you have plenty of wiper fluid in your winsdcreen wiper tank, including the right amount of washer anti freeze to prevent it from freezing. Good visibility is vital to ensure that if anyone is forced to break sharply in front of you that you will be able to stop in time too.
Clean Your Lights, Front And Back
With all of the salt and mud on the road at this time of year your car lights can quickly become dirty and become far less effective. Keep some kitchen towel or tissues in the car and give them a wipe before each journey to ensure that you can see and also be seen.
Drive More Carefully
The most important tip is probably the most obvious one too! If it is snowing or icy you really do need to drop your speed right down. If you are late for work or an appointment whoever you are meeting will understand, and you are certainly better arriving late than the alternative!
Winter Care Care Items To Keep In Your Boot
If the worst case scanario does happen and you are trapped in snow, you should keep the following items in your boot during these colder months:
- A snow shovel to dig yourself out if you need to;
- Warm coats and blankets in case you become trapped in your car;
- High energy food supplies and plenty of water;
- A spare battery for your mobile phone or a portable charger (your phone battery might run out along with your car battery too so a spare could be invaluable for you);
- A tow rope (for your own or another vehicle if your or they become stuck in the ice); and
- A torch
I hope you use these winter car care tips to keep you safe this winter.
