Winter driving can be perilous, especially if you are not yet familiar with the roads.
If you intend to start doing a lot of driving to and from Manchester this year, it’s important that you brush up on your safe driving tips and adopt new routines. Country roads, in particular, are especially dangerous, with almost two-thirds of all auto fatalities occurring on a country road.
You need your vehicle to be working for you at 100% when driving on what may very well be icy, uneven roads, and to keep your car running at that 100 you will want to follow this guide:
Bring Your Car in for Maintenance at the Start of the Season
It’s smart to bring in your vehicle at the start of the season to be checked over, have its oil changed, and to switch out your tyres all at once. Tyres, in particular, must be at least 1.6mm in depth, or the size of a 20p coin by law. For safety it is smarter to switch them out before this, or to even invest in winter tyres if you are frequently going cross-country, on country roads, or up north where snow is common.
This way, you can be assured your vehicle’s responsiveness is at its prime. You will also want to stock up on a few items, like windshield liquid levels and antifreeze for your car
Check Your Car Before Leaving Every Time
Though you have brought your vehicle in, you will want to run a quick check every time before you leave. Turn it on and while you wait for it to heat up remove any ice build-up, check that your lights all work and that your car doesn’t have any damage from when you last drove it.
Understand the Roads You Are Driving On
You need to understand the roads you will be driving on and how to drive on them. 59% of auto fatalities occur on country roads, and this is due to people driving too quickly on one-lane roads and not being able to stop or handle their vehicles in the event of icy roads, other vehicles, and even animals. If you drive frequently on these types of roads, it is definitely advisable to buy from the Snow Chains UK shop that hassnow chains and AutoSocks available. Best of all they can even fit them for you. You could even opt to keep them in your vehicle when you aren’t using them.
Check for Ice Warnings in Advance
Before you drive anywhere, be sure to check the weather and if there are any ice warnings on the roads you are driving on. If there are you can take the incentive to add the snow chains or snow socks ahead of time.
Have These Items in Your Vehicle at All Time’s
If you are driving cross-country, you need to be prepared in the event of an accident. During winter you may very likely get into an accident without another driver being present, and if your vehicle cannot be driven afterwards, you run the risk of hypothermia. Therefore it is very important that you always have these items in your car at all times:
Driving in winter can be dangerous, but with the right precautions and safe driving, you and your vehicle will make it to spring scratch-free.
