Winter driving checklist

Every year snow and ice causes thousands of cars to break down on our roads, leading to journey times trebling and accident rates soaring. Though snow and ice occur every winter many of us are still caught off guard and are ill prepared for driving in wintery conditions, especially travelling to the airport, as we’re more normally preoccupied by flying than driving.

Let us provide you with some simple tips to help make your winter journeys safer and make sure you arrive for your airport parking in one piece.

Check your fuel

If the weather is particularly severe you might find that you get a few hours into your journey and come across closed roads or accidents and then have to return home. Ensure that you will have enough fuel to make it back should this happen. In the worst case scenario that you have to sit and wait in your car overnight then fuel will allow you to run the engine to keep the car warm.

Go to a mechanic

If you think your car was struggling in the summer, just wait until winter hits it! If you have concerns about your vehicles condition then take it to get and MOT or a full car service. This way you can rest peacefully at night knowing that your car won’t break down in the cold weather.

Anti-freeze

Make sure to keep your anti-freeze topped up; the harsh winters will make it impossible to see out of your windscreen in the mornings. Be sure to keep a can of anti-freeze with you to quickly remove ice when needed.

Doors

Regularly apply WD40 to you cars hinges and locks to prevent them from freezing shut or clogging with ice.

Check your exhaust

It’s a little known fact that snow and ice can often block your exhaust pipe. This leads to extremely toxic fumes being circulated around your vehicle as you drive. So make sure you check that your exhaust pipe is free from ice.

Wheels

Make sure your tyres are in a suitable condition for driving on the ice. Check that they’re inflated to the correct pressure and ensure that the tread isn’t worn down. It’s generally accepted that 3mm of tread is the minimum needed to grip the ice.

Battery

Cold temperatures will make your car battery drain more quickly. So make sure that you regularly drive your vehicle to keep the battery charged. If you don’t have any big journeys planned then drive your car to the shops or around the town a few times a week.

Keep these tips in mind and you will have improved the chances of your car surviving the winter without a hiccup.

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