It is already mid December and people in Britain are busy preparing for a cosy, leak proof home in order to survive the winter season. Along with a heated house, we need to prepare our vehicles to combat the challenges of the cold season.
The freezing temperatures and ice shielded roads make it difficult for the normal movement of cars and they tend to skid. This leads to fatal accidents in extreme conditions or leaves one stranded on roads without much help. To prevent such situations, it is essential to make arrangements for creating a winter ready car.
Find here, top tips to make your car winter ready:
Switch to snow tyres: The first step is to get the car serviced so that it gets checked for any loose bolts, breaks or other common issues with the machine. Once that is done, the next best thing is to change the tyres to winter tyres. Regular tyres become hard in the extreme cold and lose their grip which often leads to skidding.
Therefore, the car experts recommend snow tyres or winter tyres to drive on the ice clad roads. The best time to replace the existing tyres with winter tyres is when the temperatures are equal to or less than 7 degrees. Remember to replace all four tyres as a combination of standard and snow tyres is highly dangerous.
Stuff the car for emergencies: There are chances that your car may get stuck in a snowbank or survives an accident or face hours of traffic jam or breaks down on the snowy streets. You need certain items to get through such challenging times so you should keep a roadside emergency kit with items that are necessary when you are on the road for a long time.
The winter roadside emergency kit for your car must contain the following:
- You must have a first aid kit with the necessary medical items like bandages, cotton, gauge pads, medical tape etc.
- You must have some food items that remain fresh for at least a couple of hours or maybe even a few days.
- A power bank or battery charger is essential to keep your smartphone charged in case you get stuck outside the home for long hours.
- Winter clothes, gloves, footwear and thermals to sustain the cold when you need to stay outside for long hours.
- Waterproof match sticks, candles, battery operated flashlights for staying outside the home in the dark winter nights.
- Emergency contact numbers of friends and family to get immediate help when you are stuck in a crisis situation like a roadside accident.
- Heat packs to keep your hands and feet warm during your long stay in the car.
- Antifreeze and windshield wash.
- Ice scraper, a tow chain, screw driver, duct tape, spare tyre, brush, wheel wrench and other essentials needed to combat a car breakdown.
- Road flares and a ‘call police’ sign.
Keep an eye on the weather: You must have an idea about the outside weather before you step out of the house. This means you should be aware about the latest news for accurate predictions of the next 24 to 48 hours. This will help you plan your commute so you don’t get stuck on the roads.
Brush off the snow: If you are supposed to drive after a snowfall, you must brush off all the snow from your car. This does not mean just washing off the windshield but taking off the ice from the roof, mirrors, hood and trunk of the car.
Drive safe: Winter driving needs more alertness even on sunny days as past records suggest that there are far more accidents on normal days than during storms. Experts attribute this to the carefree attitude of drivers during the normal winter days.
To be on the safer side, you should keep a safe distance between vehicles that are in the front and behind you. Keeping a safe gap will help avoid collisions and prevent violation of traffic rules.
Car insurance is essential: Winter times are always unpredictable and you never know when you may face an accident even if you are an avid driver. To avoid big losses, in the event of an accident or vehicle damage due to the bad weather, one should have a valid car insurance policy that comes to the rescue.
If you have not renewed your motor insurance this year, then select a car insurance provider to get an immediate cover. This step is an important part of preparing your car for the winter season and one must follow it diligently as driving without car insurance is against the law.
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Finally… fuel it up: You must keep a check on the fuel and make sure that the fuel tank never falls below the half-full mark. Extra fuel would be helpful to sustain a traffic jam or if you get stranded on the icy roads. Moreover, an adequate amount of fuel is necessary to prevent condensation and diminish any chances of freezing of the gas line. Therefore, it is advisable to fill up the fuel tank during the winter season.
The above tips would help you deal with winter driving and help you survive any unexpected situations on the roads. The tips would work well for the novice as well as the ‘seasoned’ driver as winter time can be tricky for everyone. Hope these tips help you to have a safe and accident free winter season. All the best!
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