Driving Home For Christmas? Stay Safe When Driving In Winter
Driving at Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year when it comes to traffic. In this article, we’ll give you some top tips on how to stay safe on the road during your festive travels.
Plan Your Trip
If you're making a long journey this festive season, make sure you have planned your trip in advance. Major roads are more likely to be clear so stick to those where possible. If you can, drive in the daylight so you have more visibility when on the road.
Make sure you have a de-icer in your vehicle in case you need to clear your windscreen before leaving. An ice scraper would also be useful for this alongside new wiper blades to ensure a clear view when driving.
To order new wiper blades, please follow the link below.
Wiper Blades
Make sure to check the weather before setting off, as you don't want to get caught in the snow. This could result in halting your journey if it becomes too dangerous to drive.
Make Sure Your Tyres Have Grip
As temperatures begin to fall, having a high amount of grip on your tyres is very important for safety on the road. In the winter months, there is a higher risk of skidding due to worse weather conditions, so having high levels of grip can help prevent this.
It is recommended to have at least 3mm of tread depth when driving in temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius or on an icy road. To order new tyres for your vehicle, please follow the link below.
Order Now
Winter tyres can be extremely useful over the winter, providing more grip than a normal tyre in ice and snow. If you would like to find out more about winter tyres, please click the button below.
Winter Tyres
Ensure The Car Is Safe To Run
Before setting off on any journey, it is worth checking over a few key areas to ensure road safety. Tyres, engine coolants and batteries can all lead to a breakdown if not maintained. Therefore, we recommend booking into one of our branches for service if you plan on driving in winter. To find out more about winter servicing, click on the button below.
Winter Car Service
If you are not wanting a winter car service, at National, we also offer a free car safety check. To find out more details about the FREE car safety check, please click on the link below.
Free Safety Check
Check All Of The Lights On Your Vehicle
Before setting off on any journey, make sure that you check all of your vehicle's lights are working correctly. This includes your headlights, beam, fog lights, side lights, running lights, hazards/indicators, rear lights, brake lights and reversing light(s). Ensuring that all your lights work is not only a legal requirement but will also help you see the road, along with other drivers being able to see you.
Always Have De-Icer And An Ice Scraper
Having a de-icer and ice scraper is crucial for driving at Christmas time. If your car windscreen and windows freeze over, these tools will help you clear the ice in no time. You must legally clear your car windows from snow or ice before driving, as it can limit your visibility.
Spraying de-icer on the ice on your car windows will help to melt the ice away quickly, whilst a scraper can clear any remaining pieces of ice. Both of these tools will allow you to quickly clear your car from snow and ice, allowing you to get driving quicker without waiting for it to melt!
Battery Health Check
Car batteries can often struggle to start up in cold weather conditions. National offers a FREE battery health check, which we would highly recommend to ensure road safety this winter. To find out more, follow the link below.
Free Battery Check
Don't Drive In A Distracting Costume
Driving in costumes that impact your driving ability could cause an accident. Any costume that impairs your vision or prevents you from using the car's controls could lead to a fine and potentially points are your license. We recommend making sure your costume doesn’t impact your driving ability, and if it does, take the costume to the venue to get changed after arriving. If you're driving home for Christmas, bring your costume with you instead of wearing it whilst driving.
Drive In Suitable Footwear
Driving with suitable footwear will ensure that you have full control of your vehicle whilst driving. It is illegal to drive in high heels or any other footwear that prevent you from driving safely. Suitable footwear is also crucial in case you need to get out of the car for any reason. Shoes with good grip will prevent you from slipping on the snow or ice, during cold Christmas weather.
Driving In The Dark
Driving in the dark can be tricky, especially around Christmas time in cold conditions. Make sure all of your car lights are working before setting off on your journey to ensure other drivers can see you. Make sure to leave plenty of space for the car in front, especially in icy conditions.
To find out more tips for driving in the dark, click on the button below.
Driving In The Dark
Did you enjoy this blog post? |
11 people found this review helpful
Sign up for SPECIAL OFFERS
