Member Article

10 off the spoke winter driving tips

Car insurance claims rocket by 50% during the winter, with more accidents being reported and more breakdowns inevitable. Longer nights, harsh weather conditions and icy roads affect not only your visibility, traction and manoeuvrability but also general traffic flow.

By now, you should have some of the most basic winter driving tips drilled into your brains… such as conducting regular car maintenance checks, increasing your distance whilst driving and stocking up on the de-icer. So, with this in mind, TyresOnTheDrive.com have conjured up a few unusual tips to keep you safe and avoid any icy situations on the roads this winter!

1. Don’t forget to pack your sunglasses. Leave your pride at the door with this one as you’ll have the last laugh when that harsh winter sun is blinding you.
2. Slip it down a gear. When conditions are difficult, using a higher gear and lowering your revs will help keep your car under control.
3. If you have auto wipers, turn them off. If you switch on the ignition and your wiper blades are frozen to the windscreen you could potentially blow the fuse. Not good.
4. Don’t follow in everyone else’s footsteps. If the road hasn’t been gritted, make a conscious effort not to drive in other motorists tracks as they’re likely to be icy. Tyres grip much better to snow than they do ice.
5. In a hail storm, pull over and angle towards the storm. Windshields are reinforced to help protect against any impact. The same can’t be said for your side windows and the glass at your rear, being much more susceptible to breaking.
6. Make sure you’ve topped up on fuel. Winter slows down drivers, and with a higher rate of accidents, traffic jams are an everyday occurrence. Headlights, heaters and sitting in traffic drinks fuel.
7. Test your brakes after you’ve driven through a flooded road. If water has reached the brake linings, they simply won’t be as effective. To dry them out, drive for a short distance whilst gently pressing your brake.
8. Don’t use your rear fog light. They can easily confuse the vehicle behind, mask break lights and dazzle drivers, so it is best to switch fog lights off.
9. Tune into the traffic news. That way you’ll be up-to-date on not only the traffic but any floods, forecasts and road closures.
10. And last but not least switch over to winter tyres! Unlike popular belief, they’re not just for the extreme cold weather. They actually provide optimum performance in temperatures below 7 degrees – whether it’s dry, windy, wet or icy as their soft rubber compound allows for a better flexibility and grip to the road.

TyresOnTheDrive.com is a mobile tyre fitting business that allows customers to book online and have their tyres fitted at any suitable location of their choice.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by TyresOnTheDrive.com .