As we go into January back to work kids back to school and along comes the SNOW and the BIG FREEZE!!
January 2021 was the coldest Jan since 2010 which was when many saw deep snow. The UK Met Office said, “it was the coldest calendar month since March 2013 with a UK average temp of 2.2C… Are you prepared? Here are some helpful hints and tips to help you while preparing for your journey to work or the dreaded school run……..
Morning checklist:
Be prepared
Make sure your car starts in the morning, check your battery, scrape the ice from your windows and shovel the snow from your driveway before you set off to check if you have the following items.
Ice scraper and de-icer
These are basic items but winter must-haves nonetheless.
It is a legal requirement to keep your front and rear windscreen clear of snow and ice before driving and not all cars have heated windscreens to speed up this process.
An ice scraper still needs manual effort but is effective, while a can or spray bottle of de-icer speeds up the process.
In wintry conditions, you will need to do this before setting off but both items need to be kept in the car ahead of the return journey - or in the event of being stranded somewhere, with the windscreen frosting over.
Torch and spare batteries
Stuck by the side of a country road in the dark of a winter's evening with a flat battery? It's a very real possibility, and without any light, it can be a frightening and dangerous situation.
A large torch with spare batteries or a wind-up torch that doesn't require battery power should definitely be among your breakdown kit essentials.
Empty fuel can
Some breakdowns aren't due to a flat battery, engine failure, or a mechanical fault.
Sometimes, your car will grind to a halt simply - and annoyingly - because it has run out of fuel.
This is obviously easily fixed providing you can find your way to a petrol station, and once there you'll need a can to fill with fuel.
Food and drink
The prospect of being abandoned at the roadside for hours in poor weather conditions is a gloomy one - if you're hungry it can feel far worse.
If you have children in the car, it's doubly worse!
Food and drink should surely be considered breakdown kit essentials, with a big flask of hot tea, coffee, hot chocolate or soup high up on the list.
Jump leads & Battery charger
There is nothing worse than finding your car has a flat battery when you really need it. This can happen more in cold weather. It is a good idea to have a spare set of leads in your car, just in case. Also, why not keep your battery topped up with a charger when you are at home.
Shovel
In deep snow - for example, if you're driving on smaller roads that may be relatively untreated - it can be too easy for a vehicle's wheels to get stuck.
A shovel can help you to literally dig yourself out of such a problem; if boot space is limited why not buy a foldable model?
Ice scrapers
De-icer
Torch & Batteries
Empty fuel can
Food & Drink
Jump leads
Battery charger
Shovel
