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Prepare your car and yourself for cold-snap this week
publication date: Nov 24, 2010
With snow expected across a large part of Britain
over the next few days, the IAM has told drivers to prepare for conditions,
particularly if they are travelling longer distances.
| Peter Rodger, IAM Chief Examiner said, "Bad
weather can strike quickly, and more severely than you expect, so now is the
time to give your car a health-check before winter conditions take their toll.
"A recent
survey found that ten out of 11 rural councils still have not managed to
complete all the necessary road repairs after last winter's severe weather, and
it is likely that budget cuts will make things worse.
"If this problem is
reflected across the country, having a well-maintained car, with particular attention
to your tyres, is going to be even more important."
| Mr Rodger suggests some
easy tips to prepare your car:
1. Make sure your windscreen wipers are in good
condition and you regularly clean the inside of the windscreen
2. Top up your windscreen washer fluid with
suitable anti-freeze screenwash and make sure your ice scraper and old cans of
de-icer are up to the job. Ensure windscreen wipers are switched off when you
start the ignition, as if they freeze in the ‘on' position you risk blowing the
fuse
3. Check your tyres thoroughly. The legal
minimum for tyre tread in the UK is 1.6mm, but, for optimum safety, look for
replacements if the depth is below 3mm. Tyres with less than 1mm of tread depth
have one third the braking friction of one at the bare legal min of 1.6mm, and
below 3mm the tyres skid resistance begins to decline rapidly
4. Check all lights. While someone observes the
lights around the car, switch on each light one-by-one: headlights, sidelights,
fog lights, indicators, brake lights, reversing lights, hazard warning lights
and number plate lights. If alone, park by a reflective surface such as a
garage door, illuminate all lights in sequence and look for the reflections
5. Pack an emergency kit in the boot. The IAM
recommends a warm coat and a high visibility jacket, some food and water, a
good pair of boots, de-icer and scraper, a torch, a spade and a mobile phone
with a well-charged battery. It's also a good idea to programme your breakdown
provider's emergency number, and your own customer reference number into your
phone
6. If you take any regular, essential
medications, make sure you carry enough with you, should you get delayed |
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