I’m a driving expert and these are the six things you need to do to before bad weather hits
MANY drivers head out into treacherous weather conditions without making sure their car is up to the journey – often with costly consequences. Adverse weather conditions, especially snow and ice, can be dangerous to drive in and motorists are being urged to check over their cars before setting off. James Blackham, founder of By Miles, […]
MANY drivers head out into treacherous weather conditions without making sure their car is up to the journey – often with costly consequences.
Adverse weather conditions, especially snow and ice, can be dangerous to drive in and motorists are being urged to check over their cars before setting off.
James Blackham, founder of By Miles, warns drivers to be safe and careful on the roads as the temperature drops.
Simple checks can be the difference between a smooth car journey and a breakdown or even a fine.
Here are six things to check on your car before driving in winter:
Fuel
Cars may be clever at warning drivers when fuel is getting low but that doesn’t always mean there’s enough in the tank to get you to your destination.
More drivers are switching to electric cars too, and it’s vital you keep them charged, especially if there are no charging points local to you and you can’t do it at home.
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James says: “Try to avoid letting your fuel gauge or electrical charge getting too low.”
“In wintery conditions it might not always be possible to get to a petrol station or charging point in time, so always keep both above half full.”
Lights
Not only is it unsafe to drive in the dark or foggy conditions without lights, but it can also risk a fine.
James says: “Your lights will help maintain visibility for both you and other road users.
Before setting out on a journey, double check that both main headlights and fog lights are working.
“Make sure your lights are in full working order and clean, for maximum effectiveness.” says James.
But be careful about leaving your full beams on when they’re not necessary – they could dazzle other drivers and cause an accident, or get you a fine.
Windscreen Washers
It is illegal to drive a car without the windscreen washers being topped up with either water or screenwash.
Not being able to clean your windscreen, especially if it’s dirty and stopping you from seeing the road properly, is dangerous for you and everyone else on the roads.
Regularly top up your screenwash.
If you’re having trouble seeing how much you have left, just pour additional in until it reaches the top.
“Having your washer topped up is essential, and a legal requirement.” says James.
“Make sure the levels of antifreeze in the fluid are high enough, for obvious reasons.”
Wiper Blades
To go alongside screenwash, wiper blades need to be in top condition to work.
“Functioning wipers are your friend when you’re facing the elements.” says James.
Before driving, make sure no dirt is stuck underneath the wiper blades, you don’t want that covering your screen.
James said: “If they leave smears on your windscreen in regular conditions then check them for splits or worn patches.”
It’s best not to use wiper blades when trying to get rid of any ice off your windscreen.
Forcing wiper blades over ice make them prone to splits in the rubber or even breaking altogether.
Fluid Levels
Keeping tabs on all the fluids in your car may be a headache but it is needed to ensure your vehicle runs smoothly.
“Engine oil and radiator levels are simple to check on most cars, but could cause real bother if you’re a long way from home and they run out.” says James.
To check your engine oil, open your car bonnet and find the dipstick.
If you’re unsure where this is in your car, check the manual for help.
Once you’ve located the dipstick, give it a wipe and you should see two marks on it, which indicate the minimum and maximum oil levels.
Put the dipstick back in the oil tube and pull it out a few seconds later to see what oil level your cars at.
If it’s under halfway full then it is recommended to top it up.
Tyres
Drivers tend to get purchase their car and then completely forget about the maintenance of the tyres.
The UK doesn’t tend to get hit by many snowstorms, so drivers don’t often have a set of winter tyres, but if you are in a colder region that gets severe weather they could be worth having.
If switching your tyres for the winter isn’t doable, make sure they still have enough grip.
David says: “Good tyre grip is essential to making sure you can stick to the road in icy or snowy weather.
“We’d recommend not letting tread get below 3mm for safety.”
Driving with bald tyres is not only unsafe, it could land you with a fine of up to £10,000 if all four don’t meet requirements.