January 18th, 2023 by Sarah Miles

Winter weather throws up some unique challenges when it comes to driving conditions and as we continue to experience increasingly extreme weather, it’s more important than ever to take some evasive action and make sure our cars are ready for the job. It’s not just a question of safety either as there are things we can do now that will offer cars some protection from the cold, snow, and rain, keeping them in better condition and increasing their lifespan.

Here are the areas of your car that demand some attention now to keep you safe through the next few months.

Under the Bonnet

You don’t have to be a mechanic, or even just handy when it comes to cars to be able to look after the inner workings of your vehicle ready for winter:

• Battery: you obviously need your battery to be in good working order to get your car started, among other things. It is under more pressure in the winter as cold weather reduces its output but also makes us rely more on lights and heaters. You don’t necessarily have to test it but just make sure you recognise the signs that yours may not be in good working order, such as taking longer to start the car or the dashboard light coming on (even if just for a moment when starting up). Batteries have an estimated working life of around 5 years so if yours is older, or showing the signs mentioned, go get it checked out.
• Engine coolant: coolant is used to prevent the engine from overheating, and it should be a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze. However, the antifreeze level can become diluted if topped up with water over the summer and that is vitally important in the winter so add some now.

Windscreen and Windows

Visibility can be impaired with harsh conditions, so you need every measure that helps keep your windscreen and windows clear to be in full working order:

• Screen wash: make sure you have plenty of fluid in your screen wash bottle and in winter, that needs to include some antifreeze, otherwise you’ll just end up turning any water you spray into ice.
• Wipers: there is no point keeping the screen wash topped up if your wipers are damaged and not doing the job properly. They do degrade over time so check them now and replace them if needed. If they are still in good condition, make sure you clean them to prevent smearing dirt over the windscreen.
• Keeping glass clean: your vision will be clearest if you take some time to ensure that the glass is as clean as it can be. Winter throws more environmental contaminants at your car than at any other time of the year, including dirt from the roads and traffic pollution. Keeping them clean with a traffic film remover over the winter will really help your wipers and screen wash to maintain visibility.

Tyres and Lights

These are the parts of your car that will really keep you safe in winter, so you don’t want to discover an issue while you are driving:

• Tyres: you need your tyres to be in good condition to grip the road and prevent you from skidding in icy weather. Tyre tread must meet a legal minimum depth of 1.6mm but 3mm is considered safest for winter. Also, check that the pressure is as it should be.
• Lights: given that we spend so much time driving in the dark in winter, having a full set of working lights is vital. Check that all bulbs are working and also keep the lights clean so that they can be seen clearly by other motorists.

Paintwork

This isn’t so much a safety issue as a way of protecting your paintwork, but it will help prevent things like rust that will damage your car over time. Applying wax to your car’s paintwork (which could be a standalone wax treatment or just by using a shampoo and wax product) will create a barrier against harsh winter weather conditions and offer added protection