The temperatures have dropped and Jack Frost is well and truly out to play at this time of year. So get your hats and gloves out and most important of all, make sure your vehicle is prepared for whatever this winter has to throw at it!
To get you started, here’s just a few tips to help you through this winter, although it won’t help if the apocalypse does decide to happen!
Screen wash should always be plentiful, and have protection down to -35c, usually at one part screen wash, diluted with one equal part water. Use -35c solution in order to keep your washer pump from freezing.
Car Battery saving tips: Turn fan heater down, anything over 21c makes drivers tired, turn lights and wipers on after engine is started.
Once rear heated window is clear turn it off, Windscreen wipers, heaters, and lights eat up power so be aware of usage, especially when stationary.
The key to safe driving is gentle and slow manoeuvres- stopping distances become 10 times longer in ice and snowy conditions.
- Pulling away in second gear, easing your foot off the clutch gently and avoiding wheel-spin is the most controlling way to pull away.
- Uphill – avoiding having to stop anywhere up hill, even if waiting to be free of traffic, or leaving plenty of room to the car in front. Keep a constant initial speed, choose the gear most suitable well in advance to reduce chances of having to change gear on the hill.
- Downhill – before the hill, reduce speed and change into lower gear, try and avoid use of brakes whilst on the on the hill, leaving as much room between your car and the vehicle in front.
If you’re unlucky enough to become stuck, after straightening the steering wheel positioning the wheels forward, get out of the car and remove any snow from the wheels, using a rug under the wheels of the car, drive over the rug to give some extra grip. Keep moving until onto solid ground.
Emergency Cold Weather Car Kit:
Mobile Telecommunications Unit and charger, Sleeping Bags per passenger, Jump Leads, Wellington boots, investing in an in car kettle or making sure you have hot water in a flask and kettle foods, first aid kit, wind-up radio and battery operated radio, and to help with boredom, a packet of playing cards.
Black ice is a horrid little devil which appears during freezing conditions, and stays usually in road untouched by the sun, and is transparent so is often unseen. Often also lying snow often freezes solid and can look lovely and fluffy snowball material yet is actually frozen solid and can make the road very slippery.
Stopping is biggest issue in icy conditions, be aware of that and safety will follow, i.e. leave a good 20 second gap between yourself and car in front, and be aware of the car behind, stay in a suitable low gear and do not take any risks.
Did you know?
On average a human being spends two weeks of their entire lives waiting for traffic lights to change.feels like more sometimes though!
Over 90% of car owners admit to singing behind the wheel.
What part of a car is the laziest?
The wheels. They are always tyred!
