Bears are famous for hibernating through the winter months. Humans, however, like to carry on as normal. So humans can still be found behind the wheels of their vehicles in almost any weather. And some are better prepared than others.
Because you need to keep driving through the coldest months, here’s the Trusted Bear guide to help you stay safe on winter roads.
Check Your Vehicle
It’s always a good idea to give your vehicle a quick once-over before setting off on a journey - particularly your tyres and lights. In winter this really matters. A flat tyre or avoidable breakdown in temperatures close to freezing is no joke.
Check your engine coolant and oil levels. Make sure you have plenty of winter screen wash (it’s amazing how quickly you go through it when driving on gritted roads).
In winter you’ll need a decent amount of tread on your tyres to drive safely. Anything approaching the legal minimum of 1.6mm won’t give you much grip on compacted snow or ice.
If it’s more than about five years since you fitted a new battery to your vehicle it might be a good idea to think about getting a replacement (particularly if your vehicle doesn’t always start first time). Cold weather puts more of a strain on a flagging battery and might just finish it off.
Give Yourself Time
Here’s one of the simplest and most effective things you can do. If your windows are iced over it will take several minutes to completely clear them. If this makes you late you might be tempted to drive just a little too fast for the conditions. Speed and an icy road surface are a dangerous combination.
Allow for the fact that journey times will take longer and save yourself the stress of worrying about being late. Oh, and treat yourself to a proper scraper and some de-icer. Credit cards really aren’t up to the job of scraping ice from a windscreen and it’s illegal to drive with partially cleared windows.
Check the Weather Forecast
If it looks like there’s a chance of snow or ice make sure you’re dressed in warm clothing and have blankets, water and food on board. Keep your phone battery fully charged.
Stick to Main Roads
Main roads are more likely to be gritted than quiet country lanes. You might encounter more traffic but you’re more likely to stay on the road. If you’ve allowed enough time for your journey any extra traffic shouldn’t cause you a problem.
Have Breakdown Cover You Can Trust
Breakdowns happen, even to the most cautious among us. In the winter months it’s nice to have the reassurance that you can call a reliable service like Trusted Bear to come to your rescue should the worst happen.
To find out more about how Trusted Bear can support you on your journeys, use our Contact Form or go to our Products pages to find out more.