Getting your car through the…

BIG FREEZE

This guide is put together by a member of the driving community and not by a professional safety

professional. This is intended to serve as a simple guide and not as an official set of protocols.

A guide to getting your car through the winter weather

Winter weather in the news How to keep up your car from getting cold Tips on driving in snowy weather Emergency kit Car checks Source list

Contents

Winter weather in the news…

Image by: smo Mashup_

“The freezing weather conditions sweeping across Britain are predicted to bring snow to some parts this weekend. Daytime temperatures have fallen four or five degrees below the average for February, hovering between 1C and 4C on Wednesday…Parts of eastern Europe have seen their coldest winter for 30 years, with at least 30 people dying in the Ukraine alone… In Bosnia, villagers have been left stranded by the heavy snow and helicopters have been airlifting supplies and evacuating dozens of people. In Romania, temperatures have dropped as low as -32.5 C in some regions, causing power failures, traffic chaos and the closure of schools and nurseries. The weather is predicted to spread to North Africa in the coming days.”

Sky News 02.02.2012

UK & Europe

February 2012 has brought a late winter to those enjoying the drawn out mild summer in the UK and Europe:

How to keep your car from getting cold…

Image by: rhettigan

Park your car in a parking lot: do this during the period of the year that’s predicted to have the most snow fall. You can rent a space month to month to keep your car away from falling snow and being blocked in by compacted snow which could chill your car considerably if wetness seeps in

Don’t park your car under trees or partially under ‘umbrella’ shaped shelters: this risks your car being piled with snow during the night if trees or shelters drop their snow loads when they get to heavy, making the temperature inside the car even colder that it would be

Idling your car: only idle your car for several seconds to a minute and then drive on to warm your car faster. Idling your car for to long wastes gas but doesn’t actually warm your car as much as it does actually driving it

How to keep your car from getting cold…

Here are some tips to keeping your car thawed during the winter…

Tips on Driving in snowy and icy weather…

Image by: abhijittembhekar

If you find yourself driving in snow or on icy or snow covered roads, adapt your driving to these conditions: Reduce your speed. The chances of skidding are much greater and your stopping distance will increase

massively. Only travel at a speed at which you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear. Speed limits are the

maximum in ideal conditions; in difficult conditions, they can often be too fast. Avoid harsh braking and acceleration, or sharp steering. Always reduce your speed smoothly and in plenty of time on slippery surfaces. Slow down in plenty of time before bends and corners. Braking on an icy or snow covered bend is extremely dangerous. The centrifugal force will continue to pull

you outwards and the wheels will not grip very well. This could cause your vehicle to spin. To brake on ice and snow without locking your wheels, get into a low gear earlier than normal, allow your

speed to fall and use your brakes gently. Increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front. You may need up to TEN TIMES the normal distance

for braking. Keep your vehicle well-ventilated. The car heater turned up full can quickly make you drowsy. In snow, stop frequently to clean the windows, wheel arches, lights and number plates. Visibility will probably be reduced, so use dipped headlights. During wintry weather, road surfaces are often wet and/or covered in frost and ice or snow. But this does

not occur uniformly. A road will often have isolated patches of frost or ice after most of the road has thawed – this commonly occurs under bridges.

Tips on Driving in snowy and icy weather

Here are some tips on driving during the winter…

Info: rospa.com

Emergency kit…

Image by: italiamal

When extreme weather is possible, keep an emergency kit in your car, especially if you're going on a long journey. If this seems unnecessary, take a moment to imagine yourself stranded in your car overnight, due to a snow storm or floods. How would you stay warm? What would you eat and drink? If you must drive in these conditions, we recommend that you carry:

Tow rope

A shovel

Wellington boots

A hazard warning triangle

De-icing equipment

First aid kit (in good order)

A working torch

A car blanket

Warm clothes

Emergency Rations (including hot drink in a flask – non-alcoholic, of course)

Mobile Phone (fully charged)

Emergency Kit

Always keep an emergency kit in your car in case you get stranded on a journey in cold weather…

Info: rospa.com

Winter car checks…

Image by: jjjj56cp

Get your car checked - a professional check is worth it, for added peace of mind

Check your tyres - rain, snow and ice can make roads lethal. Check the tread is over 1.6mm or more in the winter and check tyre pressures too

Light the way - keep lights clean and make sure they are working

Get charged up - a dead battery is the main cause of breakdowns, so get it checked and replaced if necessary

Cooling System - ensure this is checked and that the anti-freeze content meets the manufacturer requirements

Wipers - check windscreen wipers and replace if they fail to clear the screen correctly

Fuel - ensure you have more than enough for your journey

Windscreen: to avoid a costly windscreen replacement cost, make sure that you get yours checked if any cracks appear.

Winter car checks…

Info: carpages.co.uk

Always get these checks complete before Snowy weather sets in or before you set off on a trip in winter weather…

Please click hyperlinks for quote sources for more information for both text and images

Source List