Winter Driving Safety

Emergency kit

Gather together the fol­low­ing items and pack them in your vehi­cle at the start of the win­ter sea­son.  You never know when you might need them!

• Ice scraper and de-icer
• Warm clothes and blan­kets – for you and all passengers
• Torch and spare bat­ter­ies – or a wind-up torch
• Boots
• First aid kit
• Jump leads
• A shovel
• Road atlas
• Sun­glasses (the glare off win­ter sun can be dazzling)

In addi­tion, when set­ting out on jour­neys dur­ing the win­ter sea­son remem­ber to take with you:

• Food and a flask with a hot drink
• Any med­ica­tion you, or other peo­ple trav­el­ling with you, need to take regularly

Is your car well-prepared?

Don’t get snowed in!

Check that your vehi­cle is ready for win­ter using the POWDERY check­list as a good reminder:

• PETROL (or diesel). Have you got enough? Do you know where to fill up?
• OIL – check lev­els once a month
• WATER – check radi­a­tor and screen wash regularly
• DAMAGE – check wipers, lights etc. for signs of wear and tear or dam­age, and make sure wind­screens, win­dows and lights are clear of ice and snow.
• ELECTRICS – check lights, indi­ca­tors and con­trols are work­ing properly
• RUBBER TYRES – are they well inflated, legal, with good tread and free from damage?
• YOU – are you fit to drive? Have you slept well? Are you tak­ing any med­ica­tion that could make it unsafe for you to drive?

If you are plan­ning to travel with pets, ensure that ani­mals are safe and secure, and will not be a dis­trac­tion to the dri­ver or peo­ple trav­el­ling in your vehi­cle – seek appro­pri­ate advice before you travel.