Bromsgrove | Redditch | Wyre Forest
North Worcestershire emergency Planning
Preparing your car for winter
You're more likely to break down in a bad winter and more risk of delays, but not necessarily in the way you'd expect. If vehicles ahead lose control, a jack-knifed lorry for example, you won't be able to get through no matter how well equipped your car is with winter tyres. You could face a wait of several hours until the blockage and other traffic ahead has been cleared.
So here's what you need to do this winter to reduce the risk of a breakdown and make sure that you are equipped to deal with the conditions.
Check your car
- Antifreeze - check coolant level regularly and, if required, top-up with a mixture of the correct type of antifreeze. Your garage should check concentration to ensure adequate cold temperature protection.
- Battery - the most common cause of winter breakdowns. A battery more than five years old may struggle in the cold - get it checked and replaced if necessary to avoid the inconvenience of an unplanned failure.
- Fuel - keep at least a quarter of a tank in case of unexpected delay.
- Lights - check and clean all lights regularly to make sure you can see and be seen clearly. Carry spare bulbs.
- Tyres - should have at least 3mm of tread for winter motoring. Consider winter tyres for improved safety. Check pressures at least every fortnight.
- Windscreen - reduce dazzle from the low sun by keeping the screen clean inside and out. Now is a good time to renew worn wiper blades.
- Screen wash - use a 50% mix of a good quality screen wash to reduce the chance of freezing in frosty weather.
- Locks and door seals - stop doors freezing shut with a thin coat of polish or Vaseline on rubber door seals. A squirt of water dispersant (WD-40) in locks will help stop them freezing.
You and your passengers
As well as the things you should be carrying on every journey regardless of the weather, you should make up a winter emergency kit to keep in the boot, hopefully you won’t need it but you will be very glad it's there if you do.
Year-round essentials
- Fully-charged mobile phone and in-car charger
- Sunglasses – to deal with glare from the sun or snow
- Personal medication
- Warning triangle
- Spare bulbs
- First aid kit
- Road atlas – in case of diversions
- Sat-nav or printed route for unfamiliar journeys
- Breakdown membership card
Winter emergency kit
- Blanket, rug or sleeping bag
- Shovel
- Bits of carpet or thick cardboard to place under driven wheels to help regain traction on ice or snow
- Salt, sand or cat litter – to help clear snow and ice
- Reflective jacket(s)
- Ice scraper and de-icer
- Torch and batteries
- Tow rope
- Snow chains (if you live in a remote or rural area)
- Battery jump leads
- Bottled water
- Snacks – chocolate or cereal bars
- Extra screen wash
When bad weather is forecast
- Warm winter coat, scarf, hat, gloves and warm clothes
- Waterproofs
- Sturdy boots
- Flask of hot drink