Not recommended, unless you’re road testing a Range Rover as we were at the time!
From 80 mph winds to unexpected floods, the recent winter weather has been making it particularly challenging for drivers.
Inevitably the winter weather can also lead to more accidents on the road which is a worrying thought. Just to give you an idea of the scale of things – in 2012 there were 4,584 road accidents, with 544 of these resulting in serious injuries and 34 deaths.
We all want to stay as safe as possible so I thought I’d compile a few pointers for your peace of mind when driving on winter roads.
Preparing your vehicle
As we know, England has unpredictable weather all through the year. Therefore, it is vital you carry out full checks on your car regularly. Most garages (especially FOXY Lady Approved ones) will offer you a free car safety check. Here are some of the main things you should be doing and considering.
+ Are your lights clean and working?
+ Is your battery fully charged?
+ Make sure your Windscreen/wiper blades/other windows are clean/doing their job
+ Check your tyre condition, depth and pressure
+ Stocking up on de-icer
+ Testing your brakes
+ Topping up your emergency kit
+ Winter tyres??
Getting a grip
The grip on your tyres is particularly important when it comes to driving on wet, slippery and snowy roads. This is because summer tyres ie normal tyres harden up when temperatures drop, which can lead to the tyre losing grip. As you can imagine something that is hard doesn’t have as much spread or grip, especially on a slippery surface.
I’d suggest that it’s the right choice of tyres and their condition, coupled with inappropriate speed, could be why many people are involved in accidents during the winter months. I certainly wish more women knew about the benefits of winter tyres which is why I’m writing this blog!
I didn’t until I came to work in the tyre industry but once I knew how important they are, I was really surprised that so few of us use them. In many places across Europe, it’s against the law to not switch to the correct tyres.
Driving during floods
When the weather is very severe, the best advice I can give is to stay indoors! But as we all know, sometimes we have to drive and floods can happen unexpectedly and not just in winter months. Sometimes you mightn’t get advance knowledge… so you need to know how to tackle them and whether to drive through them, to keep you safe and stop you getting overly stressed if this happens.
First of all, always look ahead when you’re driving so you can be prepared. If you can see that an area is flooded, it may be wise to avoid it. How can you tell if the area is flooded? Check for signs to see how high the water has risen; if it’s halfway up your tyre then it might be too late ie best not to drive through it. For example, when the water is more than 15cm it could float the car.
If you’re in your car and you can see the road is flooded ahead, slow down to assess the situation. Look around for a gate or a wall and judge where the water is. If you decide to drive through it, drive slowly, carefully and remember, don’t let other motorists force you to do anything you think is unwise. Where in doubt, pull over and let someone else go first! And don’t panic…
Whatever else, when you’re at the wheel you have your safety (and that of your passengers, other car passengers and even pedestrians) in YOUR hands. Always safety first ladies!
This is a guest blog written by Hannah Moore on behalf of Click On Tyres in Shipley. The business is a FOXY Lady Approved garage meaning it has signed a commitment to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell women anything they don’t need’ which is a considerable reassurance in a sector of the motor industry with a reputation for doing precisely this.
Click On Tyres is also offering local ladies in Shipley a special gift membership of FOXY Lady Drivers Club, worth £23. Speak to Hannah to organise yours, whilst the offer still stands. Terms apply etc.