Ultimate Guide to Winter Car Care and Safety

As winter approaches, it’s crucial to ensure your vehicle is prepared for the challenges of colder temperatures, icy roads, and longer journeys. This ultimate guide to winter car care and safety covers everything you need to know to keep your car in top condition and stay safe on the road during the colder months.

Essential Winter Driving Safety Tips

As with every British winter, the weather can be very unpredictable, so it’s important to plan for harsh conditions and stay sensible throughout the season. Here are our top tips for driving safely in winter. 

1. Check Your Tyres: Ensure your tyres are winter-ready. Look for sufficient tread depth and consider using winter tyres for enhanced grip on icy roads. Regularly check tyre pressure as it can drop with the temperature.
2. Inspect Your Battery: Cold weather can affect your car’s battery performance. Test the battery to ensure it is holding a charge and replace it if necessary.
3. Maintain Proper Fluid Levels: Keep an eye on your engine oil, coolant, and windscreen washer fluid. Ensure you’re using winter-grade fluids to prevent freezing.
4. Ensure Your Lights are Functional: With shorter daylight hours, it’s important that all your car’s lights (headlights, taillights, brake lights) are working properly. Clean them regularly to maximise visibility.
5. Keep Your Car Clean: Regular washing helps remove salt and grime that can cause rust and damage to your car’s paintwork.

Should I Wash My Car in Winter?

You can (and should) wash your car during the winter, as the road salt can have a negative impact on your paintwork, if left unremoved. However, you should not wash your car if it is below 4°C outside. Lower temperatures can cause the water to freeze as it sits on your car and, could be dangerous to you. Water on the floor around your car can become icy and dangerous. If you are not planning on drying your car manually, ensure that your car has enough time to dry naturally before temperatures drop again.

As always, we recommend that you take care of your paintwork in the winter months as the damp weather can aggravate scuffs and scrapes, which can develop into rust patches. Give us a call on 0800 145 5118 or complete our online form to find your local specialist for a free, no-obligation quote.

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Preparing Your Car for Winter Journeys

Winter journeys can be unpredictable, with icy roads and rapidly changing weather conditions. To ensure a safe trip, it’s important to take proactive steps before you set off. Here are some ways you can prepare your car for a journey in winter:

1. Plan Your Route: Check weather conditions and road closures before setting out on long journeys. Allow extra travel time for potential delays.
2. Pack an Emergency Kit: Include items like a blanket, food, water, a torch, and a first-aid kit. Also, consider carrying a shovel and some sand or cat litter for traction in case you get stuck.
3. Check Your Brakes: Make sure your braking system is in good condition. Winter driving can put extra strain on brakes, so ensure they are functioning correctly.
4. Test Your Heaters: Ensure your heating and defrosting systems are working properly to keep windows clear and your car warm.
5. Top Up Antifreeze: Make sure your antifreeze levels are adequate to prevent the engine from freezing.

Winter Driving Hazards and How to Avoid Them

As the colder weather begins to set in, so does more dangerous driving conditions. It is important to prepare for the colder weather and know what to do to keep yourself safe.

1. Black Ice: Black ice is where a transparent coating of ice sits on the surface of a road, and this is considered one of the most dangerous winter driving hazards, both for pedestrians and drivers. The unpredictability of black ice is what makes it so hazardous, but it is most prevalent on bridges, below overpasses and in areas surrounded by trees. Black ice also makes winter a particularly notorious season for curb-related damage to alloy wheels – which thankfully is often fairly easy to repair.
2. Road Salt: Notably, winter road salt, which plays a central role in combating icy roads and increasing overall winter driving safety, isn’t always the kindest on your car. Constant exposure to winter road salt increases the risk of corrosive damage to plastic bumpers, exterior trim and rubber seals (and in extreme cases can lead to people having to repair their windscreen!). To avoid road salt, as well as sleet and snow wreaking havoc on your paintwork, read on.
3. Snow and Ice Accumulation: Snow can be one of the hardest conditions to drive in. It is always recommended to avoid driving where possible when there is heavy snow. But, if you do need to drive in the snow, clear your windows, roof, lights and number plate of any snow before setting off. You will also need to drive at a reduced speed and be careful not to make sudden changes to speed. Slowing down and being gentle on your brakes should help you to drive safer.
4. Reduced Visibility: Winter weather can impair visibility, this could be due to fog, glare and ice. Use your windscreen wipers and heaters to keep your view clear and reduce speed in poor visibility conditions. During the winter months, the sun is low and can cause glare from the road. In this situation, you should slow to a speed where you can control the car quickly, should you need to. Make use of your sun visor and slow down.
5. Increased Stopping Distances: Snow and ice can extend stopping distances. Maintain a greater distance between your car and the vehicle in front.
6. Education: Finally, you should make sure you’re educated on driving in snow and ice. Our top 3 pointers to avoid this driving hazard is to clear the snow off your driving shoes so they are not wet, release the brakes slowly to avoid skidding and pull away in second gear when possible. If you do skid at any point, release the brakes and clutch.
7. Standing Water: Stopping distances are affected significantly in wet weather and the risk of bumps and shunts is much higher, as is the potential for panel dents, or scuffs and scratches to your car’s bumpers or paintwork.

Therefore, standing water is a common winter driving hazard, particularly in prolonged periods of rain. Be sure to keep an eye out for unexpectedly deep bodies of water to avoid hydroplaning, which happens when a layer of water sits between the wheels of your car and the road. This can lead to loss of traction, and potentially temporary loss of control of your vehicle.

Particularly when the weather is icy and wet, you need to remind yourself of how much time to allow when bringing your vehicle to a standstill.

Furthermore, aquaplaning can be very unnerving when it happens, and it’s important you do the right things to avoid losing control of your car. For more detailed advice on how to drive your car when it’s aquaplaning, check out our blog from earlier in the year by clicking here.

Caring for Car Paintwork in Winter

Road salt, sleet and snow that comes with winter can inflict a lot of damage to your car’s paint finish and can even damage it permanently. Winter weather can dull the shine on your car’s paint finish and make it more susceptible to rust and corrosion.

So how do you protect your car’s paintwork in the winter, when the road is coated with grit and the weather conditions are terrible? Here are 5 ways you can care for your paintwork in the winter.

1. Protect Your Paintwork: The winter elements can be harsh on your car’s paint. Regularly wash your car and apply a protective wax to shield against road salt and grime.
2. Frequent Washing: Despite the cold, washing your car removes corrosive salt and grime that can lead to rust. Use a car wash with undercarriage cleaning to reach areas prone to salt accumulation.
3. Rust Prevention: Inspect for any signs of rust or damage regularly and address them promptly to prevent further deterioration.
4. Repair Before Temperatures Drop: If water gets trapped under previously cracked paintwork in the Winter, it is likely that this will turn to ice and expand, further popping out the paint and causing bubbles to form under the paint. To avoid a bigger and more expensive repair further down the line, get your car body damage fixed sooner rather than later. If you would like to request your free estimate with us today, then just click hereto go through to our form.
5. Brush, Don’t Scrape Paintwork: When clearing snow and ice from your car, make sure you use a soft brush rather than a harsh scraper – harsh scrapers are much more likely to scratch paint surfaces.

The Best Way to De-Ice Your Car

Clearing ice and snow from your windscreen is important to ensure safe winter driving. When your car is covered in frost or ice, it’s essential to use the right techniques to ensure visibility and avoid damaging your car. Here’s a straightforward guide to the most effective methods for de-icing your vehicle.

1. Start Your Car: Turn on the engine and set the heater to the defrost setting. This helps the ice to start melting from the inside out.
2. Use a De-Icer Spray: Apply a commercial de-icer spray to your windscreen. It works quickly to break down the ice.
3. Brush the Snow/Ice: Use a plastic scraper or brush to gently remove the ice. Avoid metal scrapers to prevent scratching the glass.
4. Use Warm Water Cautiously: You can pour lukewarm (not hot) water over the windscreen. Be careful not to use boiling water, as it can crack the glass.
5. Invest in a Windscreen Cover: Place a cover on your windscreen overnight to prevent ice from forming in the first place.

By following these tips, you’ll make de-icing your car quicker and easier. Stay safe and drive with clear visibility this winter. Whatever your chosen method, never leave your engine running and leave your car unattended.

Essential Winter Car Gadgets

As winter sets in, preparing your car for the challenges of cold weather is crucial. The right gadgets can make a significant difference in ensuring your vehicle remains reliable and your driving experience remains comfortable and safe. From dealing with icy windscreens to managing unexpected breakdowns, these essential winter car gadgets are designed to help you navigate the season with ease. Here’s a look at five must-have tools to keep in your vehicle during the colder months.

1. Portable Jump Starter: A must-have for cold weather emergencies, ensuring you can start your car if the battery fails. Auto Express have put together a guide on the best car jump starter packs here.
2. Windscreen Cover: Protects your windscreen from frost and ice, reducing the need for scraping. co.uk have named the 7 best windscreen covers to buy here.
3. Ice Scraper and Snow Brush: An ice scraper and soft snow brush are essential tools for clearing ice and snow from your vehicle before driving.
4. Car Dehumidifier: It’s not just the outside of your car that can be affected by the cold, wet winter weather. Many vehicles – even brand-new ones – can suffer from internal damp and condensation. In extreme cases, particularly in older cars with poor insulation, this can even lead to frost on the inside of your windscreen. A car dehumidifier bag can minimise the level of condensation in your car.
5. Emergency Roadside Kit: Includes essentials like flares, a first-aid kit, and a multi-tool for unexpected situations. These kits can be purchased in retail stores or online through sites like Amazon.

Driving (Safely) Home for Christmas

As this is a winter driving blog, we must mention the C-word – Christmas. Many motorists take to the roads over the festive period and the last working day before Christmas is often branded ‘Frantic Friday’ due to the number of drivers on the roads. Most motorists hit the road to see friends and family over Christmas and New Year, so here are our top tips on how to stay safe on the roads this Christmas.

Before you set off, it is recommended that you complete a couple of car safety checks.

1. Top up on winter screen wash or antifreeze
2. Check the oil level
3. Check tyres for any cracks or splits, plus ensure they have a good tread
4. Ensure windscreen wipers are working efficiently

Proper winter car care and safety are crucial for a safe and pleasant driving experience during the colder months. By following these guidelines, you can ensure your vehicle is well-prepared for winter’s challenges, reduce the risk of accidents, and maintain your car’s condition. Stay safe on the road and enjoy a worry-free winter driving season.