The weather is getting worse by the day and with the sun setting earlier and earlier, the roads could not be more treacherous as they are in the winter months. To ensure you are the safest you can be, check out these top tips on driving in the winter:
- Conserving battery life: make sure you turn off all heaters and fans once your windows are clear, to avoid running electrical systems longer than necessary.
- Antifreeze: there is no excuse not to have antifreeze in your car over winter, it costs only a few pounds which is a lot less than the repair or a cracked engine block.
- Windscreen wipers: check your wipers regularly and replace them at the first signs of disrepair. You also have to make sure the wipers are not on your windscreen overnight and are in their fully retracted position. If the blades freeze to your screen you are running the risk of damaging your wipers and/or your windscreen.
- Clean your windscreen: if you are worried about the reduced visibility in a winter storm, don’t make it worse by having a dirty or even chipped windscreen.
- Breakdown cover: ask your insurer if you have breakdown cover. If not, you might consider switching providers, consider car insurance from 123.ie they are a fast growing company, have recently just reached 300,000 customers and have really great rates.
- Tyres: the optimum winter tyres have 3mm of thread. Never go below 2mm of thread and make sure you are checking them very regularly. You could also invest in all season or winter specific tyres; they contain a higher amount of silica which prevents tyres from hardening at low temperatures which is a hindrance to grip.
