Is Your Car Ready For Winter

WITH icy conditions and snow expected on roads across Weston-super-Mare drivers should ensure their cars are ready for Winter.

 

In the winter, 48% of car accidents in the UK are resultant of skidding and many drivers do not realise stopping distances are 10 times longer in ice and snow.

 

The use of cold weather tyres will reduce braking distances by 20 per cent (when compared to summer weather tyres), so this may be worth investing in if you need new tyres.

 

To stay safe EasyFit in Weston are offering a free safety check for  vehicles, which involves checking tryres, fluids, wipes, battery and lights.

 

The garage, part of Protyre group, is offering a range of advice also to help stay safe on the road including:

 

Preparing your vehicle for winter

 

o    Give yourself plenty of time before making your journey to ensure your vehicle is fit for the road. This includes; using an ice scraper or de-icer to clear all windows of snow / ice; ensuring that you have had your tyre pressures and fluid levels checked recently; planning your route prior to travel; and only driving if it is safe to do so.

o    If you choose to drive in wintery conditions, drive carefully using gentle manoeuvres and apply your brakes gently.

o    Be the safest you can be on the road by fitting your vehicle with cold weather tyres. Cold weather tyres are designed for cold weather, not just snow!

Tips to avoid skidding

 

o    Driving in slippery conditions requires skilful and delicate use of the vehicle controls, steering, brakes and accelerator.

o    In wet and slushy conditions, accelerate and brake very gently.

o    Use the vehicle’s gears to help reduce speed smoothly.

o    Drive in the highest gear possible to avoid wheelspin.

o    If a vehicle is stuck in snow or ice, do not try to spin the wheels, as this can result in damage to the tyres or even cause a tyre to burst.

o    If the car gets into a slide, stay off the brake, clutch and the accelerator until you have got the vehicle back under control.

o    Always keep well clear of other vehicles and try to anticipate what is happening.

o    Regularly check your tyres for pressure, tread depth and general condition.

Kwik Fit in Weston is also offering to keep cars tip toip for winter and is offering free brake and battery checks.

 

New research for Kwik-Fit reveals that over 70 % of drivers were affected by the weather last winter, with one in three drivers skidding on Britain’s roads,15% of drivers were involved in, or witnessed, an accident and 12% only narrowly avoided a collision.

 

Four out of ten also drivers had to put off a trip last winter due to the conditions, and one in six had to abandon their journey.

 

Kwik-Fit, the UK’s biggest tyre retailer, has launched a campaign to educate UK drivers on the benefits of winter tyres.

Winter tyres are not studded and look similar to summer tyres. It is their specially formulated rubber compound and tread pattern which give better grip and improved braking at temperatures below 7°C. 

 

Ian Fraser, chief executive of Kwik-Fit, says:  “Even drivers who know the difference between winter and regular tyres often believe that they aren’t appropriate in our climate. 

 

“However, there doesn’t have to be snow on the ground to experience the benefits and avoid some of the slips and slides that many drivers suffered last winter. 

 

“As the temperature falls we are determined to tell people about winter tyres and make sure that they have the chance to experience the benefits well before the arrival of any frost, ice or snow.

“Winter tyres will also last a number of seasons if they are stored properly over summer, and obviously while the summer tyres are in storage, they won’t be wearing down.”

 

To provide even greater convenience for customers, Kwik-Fit has introduced a ‘Tyre Hotel’, in which it will store customers’ summer tyres over the winter, until they are needed once the temperature has risen in March or April.

Kwik-Fit has a wide range of winter tyres, stocking

Continental, Marangoni and Michelin.  Appointments can be booked online at www.kwik-fit.com.