Is your vehicle ready for winter?

As I write, there are headlines in the newspapers warning us of the usual winter from hell. Apparently, "the beast from the east 2" is about to sweep over our country bring with it, what can only be described as entirely normal weather for the time of the year. We should expect cold weather, a cutting chill in the wind and frosty mornings for a bit, but let's be honest, whilst what's forecast is quite usual for a winters day in January so headlines like that shouldn't cause unnecessary concern.

Taking all that into account, it's a shame really that every year, people do fall foul of the weather when it flexes its muscles a bit. You could end up with fixed penalty notice, having a crash or without your car if you don't take a few simple precautions before driving.

1. CHECK YOUR TYRES - they should be inflated to the correct level stated in your cars handbook, they should be free of damage and the tread depth should be at least 1.6mm. General advice on tread depth is to plan for new rptyres when the tread is less than 3mm as that's when stopping distances start to increase with tyre wear.
2. CHECK YOUR LIGHTS - all of the lights should work and the lenses should be clear. It's more about people seeing you than you seeing where up you are going. There is no problem at all with driving with light on at all times (dipped headlights, not sidelights) as motorcyclists do. You will never know if a driver emerging from a junction only saw you because your lights were on.
3. CHECK YOUR FLUIDS - the oil, coolant and brake fluid should all be checked regularly of course, but in bad weather, you can use your washer fluid incredibly quickly! It might need topping up daily in the worst of conditions. Detergents are available from garages and the concentration should be kept strong in winter to prevent freezing. Being unable to clear your windows due to an empty or frozen washer system can attract an on the spot fine.
4. CLEAR YOUR WINDOWS - one of the most basic ways to cause a crash is to be unable to see where you're going and it can quite rightly attract an on the spot fine if you drive without clearing your windows of frosts or snow properly. The best way to do it is to use a scraper and to run the engine for a few minutes to warm it up. DO NOT leave the vehicle unattended whilst it warms up - it could get stolen and its illegal to leave a car with its engine running for that reason. De-icey fluids are available but notoriously ineffective and pouring warm water over the windows can cause them to crack. When you're driving, make good use of the ventilation / heating system and heated windows to keep them clear.
5. CLEAR SNOW OFF YOUR CAR BEFORE YOU DRIVE - snow and ice flying off the roof of your car can hit following traffic and cause the drivers to lose control, and as a result, it's illegal to drive away without completely clearing your vehicle of snow. You can get proper brushes for this from places like Halfords or you can just use your arm if you're robust enough!

If you do these things, you should be able to cope with most of our "bad" weather easily enough. The only other bit of advice I'd give is to make sure you have warm clothing on, that your phone is charged and don't be afraid to make alternative arrangements for your journey if the police issue an "only drive is completely necessary" warning through local news outlets and social media. As much as people moan, an inch of snow doesn't happen very often and therefore IS a big deal in this country and the vast majority of us could rearrange our day to stay off the roads if we wanted to.

www.nickheathdrivertraining.org.uk

Nick Heath Driver Training provides a range of driver training services to people of all levels of experience in the town of Alsager and its surrounding area. We offer learner driving lessons, pass plus, driver improvement / refresher courses, advanced driver training, advanced driver testing and driving instructor training / franchising.

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