Winter is coming. It will be here before we even know it. And with it comes treacherous driving conditions, and the inconvenience of defrosting the car each morning.
The winter months might bring the joys of christmas, but if you are a driver, they are not something to look forward to. At best they are an inconvenience that can add hours to your journey, and worst, they can cause some very nasty accidents.
Being prepared is half the battle when it comes to winter driving. And getting ready for winter is certainly something that you can do as early as possible.
Service Your Vehicle
There is no substitute for a well maintained vehicle. Having your oil filters changed, and your sump completely drained and oil replaced, will help breathe new life into your engine. Having a smooth running motor is important all year around, but it is never more so than in the colder parts of the year.
Take this opportunity to examine the whole of the vehicle and check on any additional safety features that you might have such as 4×4 bull bars.
Check Your Tyres
Your tyres need to keep you safe and on the road. They cannot do this if they are not fit for use. Check the levels of tread that you have on each of your wheels and be sure and replace anything that is close to the legal limit. Do not wait until the tyre is passed the point when it should get changed as you will be putting your life, and other motorists lives in danger by doing so.
You should also examine your tyre pressure too as this can greatly impact upon your stopping distance.
Check Your Wiper Blades
You need to be able to see where you are going, and during the winter you will get water, ice, and snow hurled at your windscreen. Your blades need to be able to clean them to one side without leaving smears across your window.
Get your wiper blades changed now ahead of the peak of winter and you can be sure you won’t have any problems with not being able to see where you are going.
Create An Emergency Kit Bag
You should have a bag in your car in case of an emergency. In this bag, you will need a blanket and a change of clothes in case you get stuck anywhere in the cold.
Have a couple of bottles of water too because you never know how long you may need to wait to be rescued if you break down.
Keep a list of important phone numbers. Include your break down cover details, as well as your insurance policy number and their phone number.
Pack Your De-Icer
Make sure your car has got a scraper and de-icer ahead of the frosty starts. You may want to keep a spare pair of gloves in the car too, because nobody likes scraping the ice from the car with nothing on their hands.