Preparing for a winter road trip requires careful planning to ensure your vehicle’s reliability and safety. As well as learning how to drive in colder, more hazardous weather, you’ll need to perform some preventative maintenance on your vehicle. Here is a handy checklist of maintenance checks you should carry out before setting out on your journey.
Tyres
Tyres in good condition will help keep you safe on slippery winter roads. Ensure your tyres are showing the legal tread depth of 1.6mm (minimum) for optimum traction on snow, ice and wet roads. Check that the tyres are at the correct pressures. You can find this information in your car’s handbook.
Battery
Driving through the darker, colder winter months means that your car’s battery has to work harder to power the lights, heating radio etc and this reduces the battery’s efficiency over time. Get the battery tested if you’ve had it for more than a year to ensure it has sufficient charge. Your local car garage or Halfords will do this for you. Replace it if necessary.
Fluids
- For oil – If your car has a dipstick, use this to check the vehicle has the correct amount of oil in the engine. If a ‘low oil’ message appears on the dashboard top up with the correct oil immediately.
- For coolant/antifreeze – ensure your coolant is at the correct level and has the proper mixture to prevent freezing of the engine.
- Windscreen washer fluid – top this up to keep the windscreen clear at all times. Check that the wipers (front and rear) are in good condition with no cracks or damage. Replace them if this is the case.
Brakes
If your car hasn’t had a recent brake service, get them checked at your local garage. Worn brakes means you won’t be able to stop in an emergency. If you can hear a scraping sound when you brake, this could mean that the brake pads are past their wear limits. If your car has an antilock braking system, have your local garage check that it is functioning correctly.
Lights
Switch all your car lights on and walk around the vehicle to check that the headlights and tail lights are working properly. Test the fog lights, numberplate lights, and indicators, too. Before setting off on any journey, always ensure your lights are clean and free from snow. Carry a microfibre cloth in the car in case the headlights need cleaning on a long journey.
Remember, it is illegal for your car windows and lights to be obscured by dirt, snow and ice.
Heater and defrost systems
Making a winter road trip can be pretty miserable in a car without a functioning heater. A broken system may also mean that the windows will not defrost or defog correctly and being unable to see properly through the windscreen is both dangerous and illegal.
Fuel
Make sure you have enough fuel in the car before setting off, especially if you plan to drive in rural areas where petrol stations are few and far between. You’ll want to do all you can to avoid becoming stranded. If you drive an EV, make sure it’s fully charged and that you know where there are charging points along your route. Be aware that colder weather will reduce the range.
Emergency kit
Winter weather can sometimes throw up unexpected delays so pack an emergency kit for the car with essentials like:
• Jump cables
• Torch
• Blanket, gloves and warm clothing
• Snacks and drinks
• Snow shovel and ice scraper
Finally, if you have breakdown assistance make sure you have contact information to hand. Ensure your mobile phone is fully charged. Pack a map in case your satnav or the GPS signal fails and ensure someone knows your route and estimated travel time.
By taking precautions before you travel, you’ll have a more comfortable and likely more successful journey.
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