How to check if your car is safe for the road this winter
It's another cold and dark morning. You leave your house wiping the sleep from your eyes, quickly turn on your car's heating and scrape last night's ice from your windscreen before you jump into your warm drivers set and set off.
However, when was the last time you actually checked if your vehicle was safe for the road?
Well, according to research by the RAC, only 19% of drivers have said that they always check their cars are ‘road-ready’ for making a trip, while a shocking 30% admitted to never checking.
However, new government advice is urging motorists to thoroughly ensure their car is road safe, especially if they have not been driven for a few weeks.
Checking your vehicle
As the winter season approaches, it’s important to make sure your car is ready to handle the reduced visibility and potentially dangerous weather conditions.
So, before you start your journey, take heed of advice from the goverment road safety campaign THINK! who recommend drivers to regularly check their:
- Tyre tread
- Tyre pressure
- Fuel level
- Oil level
- Water level
- Lights
Or more simply, remember the acronym FORCES, which stands for Fuel, Oil, Rubber, Coolant, Electrics, Screen wash.
Another way to keep your car roadworthy is to ensure it's regularly serviced. MotorEasy offer a flexible range of money saving car service options, including single services up to 40% cheaper than most main dealers, and a multi-yeat service plan that locks-in today's prices, through easy payments over a 2 or 3-year period. You can find out more details in our car servicing section.
Failing to check these parts of your vehicle increases driver’s risks of breaking down on the roadside, a situation many would rather prevent.
What Car? found that over 200,000 British motorists find themselves stranded at the side of motorways due to breakdowns every year.
The UK’s biggest car buying brand have recommended drivers carry round a breakdown emergency kit, including a jacket, weather boots, water, a torch, high visibility vest, warning triangle, blanket, first-aid kit and road atlas.
However, if all else fails, here’s the latest advice on how to keep safe if your car breaks down on the road:
1) Pull into an emergency area or hard shoulder (or into a nearside verge/boundary if this is not possible)
2) Make sure you put on your hazard lights to be seen and alert others nearby.
3) If you can safely do so, consider exiting your vehicle via the left-hand door and move away from the road, keeping clear of both your vehicle and moving traffic at all times.
4) Ensure you turn on your hazard warning lights, in addition to your rear fog lights or side lights to increase your visibility.
5) Finally, 80% of breakdowns are repaired at the roadside, so once you are safe, be sure to contact your breakdown recovery service.
Plus, you can give yourself complete peace of mind with MotorEasy’s breakdown cover, which offers 24/7 rescue to help you get back on the road in no time.
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