Top up before you go
There are levels to this winter driving game, namely oil, water and screenwash – for the latter, colder conditions will demand a more concentrated solution. Make sure that engine coolant, which is necessary all-year round, is topped up with antifreeze too.
Lastly, while it might seem silly mentioning this one, make sure there’s enough fuel in your car for the journey you’ve got planned, and enough to spare for diversions in case of traffic, or the extra demands that air conditioning puts on a vehicle to keep the cabin warm. Better still, keep an empty fuel can with you in case you somehow run out and need to walk from your stopping place to the nearest fuel station.
And in cold weather, with iced-over windscreens, you’ll need fuel to start the engine and heat away overnight ice. By law, a vehicle driver must be able to see out of every panel in the car when they’re on the move.
For fuel cans and much more, visit Autoparts’ Tools section.
Be safe, be seen
Yes, it’s the road safety motto from the children’s programme The Singing Kettle, but in this case it applies to grown-up drivers just as much as youngsters learning how to cross the road.
If visibility is poor, or you think it might become poorer on your journey, then make sure that your dipped or fog lights are running and to make sure they can be seen by other drivers and pedestrians. Wipe them down before you drive, especially if snow has covered them, or if any gritting lorries or snowploughs have accidentally peppered them with slush.
Having obscured headlights could cut their luminosity by 40% so it’s vital you keep them clear and shining brightly for every winter trip.
Other visual aids in case of breakdown include a torch and spare batteries, and a high-visibility vest to wear over your clothes.
Make sure you’re seen at the roadside with the Jubilee Nitro-Beam 500.
Play it smooth, and get a scraper
When you’re about to start your morning commute and you’re confronted by an ice-bound pair of windscreen wipers and snow-covered windscreen, you’re going to want a robust ice scraper at hand, which will take care of the snow and ice in half the time, and with double the efficiency, than you’d get by using the first plastic card you pull out of your wallet.
To help make the job easier, fire up the heaters on the car (staying with the car at all times) and use de-icer along with the scraper to make the whole process quicker. Lift the wipers at the front and back to make sure they aren’t still stuck, because with that they could break on activation.
Fight back against ice with our consumables range.
Keep kit in the boot
An in-car inventory should include the following: two reflective warning triangles, one for each side of the vehicle, to alert other drivers that you have stopped (on all roads except for motorways); a hand shovel and brush, to get your car wheels free of any obstructive snow; a compressor to re-inflate flat tyres in emergencies; and a small first aid kit..
Plus, you should keep a pair of jump leads on board in case your car needs a jump start. A flat battery is more likely to happen in a cold snap – so don’t be caught out.
For our range of driver safety products, click here.
Food, water and shelter
Even if you’ve eaten a hearty meal before driving in winter weather, you could be stopped in traffic for hours, or have mechanical trouble that forces you onto the roadside awaiting help.
Truckers stranded in blizzards on the North American ice roads have turned to stuffing newspaper into their clothes to trap extra heat, but don’t let it get to that if a cold front blows in while you’re on the road. Dress appropriately for the weather conditions outside, bring a warm jacket, carry a thick blanket on board, keep snacks stored and remember to stay hydrated, too.
Even if your car battery isn’t the thing stopping your journey in its tracks, make sure a flat phone battery doesn’t stop you getting roadside assistance. It’s a great idea to keep a power bank in your car for emergencies.
Find the complete multi-charger in Autoparts’ product range.
And for a product range as vast as the Arctic tundra, visit our Products home page.
