Regit's Top Winter Driving Tips
Winter driving tips: vehicle preparation to minimise risk of breakdown, techniques behind the wheel and the emergency kit
8. Check Your Battery
The battery helps start the engine and works harder in low temperatures for a number of reasons - so check its condition. One of the early warning signs that it is struggling include a sluggish, churning, sound as the ignition key turns. It's preferable to replace a battery early, rather than wait for it to fail and cause a breakdown. Life expectancy varies, but a reasonable benchmark is 5 to 7 years.
Short trips in winter traffic sometimes don’t produce enough spare power to keep the battery charged. Take your car out for a longer trip on faster roads when you can to keep it in peak condition.
7. Check Windscreen Wipers & Washer Fluid
Windscreen wiper blades improve visibility but perish faster than some people recognise – so check for their condition. Windscreen wipers are NOT snow or ice scrapers!
Signs of excessive wear include a hard texture, splits, and permanent smears on the windscreen. Clean the edge of your wiper blade with a clean cloth to remove dirt and grit which will reduce smearing.
Ensure that the vehicle has washer fluid and that the blend of washer/water is correct for the season to prevent it freezing. Consult the bottle for details or buy ready-mixed fluid.
6. Check Your Tyres
Good tyres enable a vehicle to steer, brake and handle properly – so check their condition. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the central 75% of the width, and around the circumference. The RAC, however, recommends “at least 3mm” as the tread clears water so the vehicle makes contact with the road. Insufficient tread might cause your car to float, known as aquaplaning.
Check the tyre pressure too. The correct setting is typically found on a sticker on the b-pillar in your car, or in the owners manual. Also, don't forget to check for bulges, cracking, tearing and punctures. Finally, consider purchasing winter tyres which provide superior traction at lower temperatures. Winter tyres aren't just for snow. Just like in Formula 1, different tyres suit different conditions. Winter tyres are best for temperatures under 7 degrees centigrade, which is most mornings in Winter!
5. Check Antifreeze
Antifreeze is not windscreen washer fluid. It prevents the water that cools the engine freezing, so check its level against the minimum and maximum markers on the reservoir. If you're not sure where to find your antifreeze, your owners manual will confirm where to look under the bonnet. Lack of antifreeze can, in the most extreme case, cause enough damage to write-off a vehicle. It doesn't just stop your car freezing over, antifreeze minimises corrosion too.
4. Check Your Visibility
Winter ice, snow and condensation minimise visibility so clear every window. It’s illegal to drive around with just a peephole to look through. You are more likely to have an accident and you can be fined and receive penalty points for not clearing your car of snow or ice.
Use your vehicle's ventilation system to get rid of condensation. If it incorporates an air-conditioning element (which is a dehumidifier), switch that on. If not open your window slightly as well as turning your heating up.
If you are lucky enough to have heated seats, windscreen or even steering wheel, well we’re just plain jealous!
Ice can be removed with a spray and scrapper. Never pour hot water onto the glass as any sudden temperature change could make it crack. Finally, remove snow from the roof to prevent it sliding forward. You don’t have to prove to the world that your car is the snowiest! Finally, don’t brush the snow into the middle of the road where it can refreeze.
3. Modify Your Driving Style
Winter rain, ice and snow minimise traction so your driving style has to be modified. Brake early/smoothly, steer progressively rather than sharply and accelerate without stamping on the throttle.
Looking far ahead and anticipating what is required make such tasks easier. Furthermore, switch off cruise control when there is very little grip to ensure optimum control of the throttle.
If your car has grip control or traction control, make sure it is switched on.
Front wheel drive cars with smaller tyres can perform pretty well in the snow and ice as their thin tyres cut through the snow. If you drive a rear-wheel drive car like a BMW 3 series or a Mercedes E Class, take additional care. You can drive in most conditions in these cars, but winter tyres make a big difference. At the very least make sure you have good tread depth on your existing tyres.
2. Pack Your Emergency Kit
Breaking down or getting stuck in traffic is more hazardous in the winter thanks to the cold and reduced visibility – so pack an emergency kit. Popular items include: a collapsible shovel, high visibility jacket, warning triangle, torch, phone charger, food, drink, warm clothing, foil blanket, de-icer/scraper, snow grips for shoes, first aid kid, snow chains and an emergency battery starter. You’ll find most German cars have first aid kit and warning triangles as standard features.
In very basic terms your minimum kit has to be food, water, blankets to keep warm and a working phone.
1. Winter Checks & Servicing
Your local dealer will often perform a Winter check free of charge.
You may find that you need to replace a tyre or add some antifreeze, but that’s far better than breaking down on a cold and wet night on your commute home with two kids in tow!
Cars need looking after, so check your own or get a dealer to do it for you if you’re not one for getting your hands dirty.
Check it. Sort it. Stay Safe.
