Is your car winter ready?
We are well into the winter season, which as you know means colder temperatures as well as the shorter days and longer nights. As such, motorists need to exercise extra caution on the roads, as well as ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy given the changing weather conditions.
We are well into the winter season, which as you know means colder temperatures as well as the shorter days and longer nights. As such, motorists need to exercise extra caution on the roads, as well as ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy given the changing weather conditions. Not sure how? IMPERIAL Road Safety shares some tips on how to get your car winter ready this season.
- Get those tyres checked out!
Ensure that your tyres are in good condition as these are a very important component of your vehicle. If these are worn or aren’t at the correct tyre pressure (this information is available on a sticker in your car door or in your owner’s manual), this may affect your braking distance. Not being able to break optimally – and particularly in darker or poor visibility conditions, as often experienced during the winter months – could place you and other road users around you at great risk of a possible collision. So, make sure that your tyres are in good shape before hitting the road.
- Test your brakes
The condition of your brakes is critical as these form part of your vehicle’s overall safety. To make sure that they work properly and are not faulty, test them yourself and listen out for any ‘screeching’ or ‘grinding’ sounds when stopping your car – which is a good indicator of worn brake pads. Should anything be out of the norm, make sure you visit a professional mechanic or service centre to get an expert opinion and if needed, some new brakes fitted for your vehicle.
- Maintain two-way visibility on the road
Given that the sun sets much quicker in winter, maintaining visibility on the road, as well as being able to see other vehicles around you is critical. Therefore, you need to ensure that all of your vehicle lights are working efficiently – from headlights to brake lights and indicators, etc. – so that other road users have sight of your vehicle while on the road. If these aren’t working, often all you need to do is replace the bulb or a fuse. However, if the problem persists, have your vehicle inspected by a mechanic or service centre, as the problem may be with the electrical wiring in your car.
Equally important to ensuring other road users can see you is ensuring that you can see them as well. Make sure you can clearly and safely see out of the windows of your car – crucially, though not limited to the windscreen, front side window and back window. Check for any dirt, cracks or other damage that could affect your line of site while driving.
Check that your windshield wipers are still in good condition – have them replaced if they are wrapped and no longer glide firmly across your windshield. This is particularly important if you live in a region or area of the country that is prone to more rainfall during the winter months, such as the Western Cape for example. Also check that your windshield vents and aircon are working well, as these are essential to effectively clearing the mist or condensation that can build up on the inside of your windscreen while driving, particularly the mornings and evenings when the outside temperature drops.
- Have your battery testedÂ
In cold winter months, the engine usually takes some time to warm up to the optimum temperature to then run effectively. It’s good advice to let your vehicle idle for a few before driving off – as this is an effective and simple measure to prevent possible damage that could be caused to your engine if driving when the engine is still cold. This can however take a toll on the battery. As such, if you start to feel a loss in power from your engine when driving, it’s best to have your battery assessed at a professional fitment centre, as you don’t want to breakdown and be stranded out in the cold.
While the above is great to keep in mind for the winter season, road safety is an all year-round issue, and as such, it is important that you are not only doing regular vehicle checks, but that you are continuously practicing responsible road behaviour. In doing so, you are doing your bit to create safer roads for all users.
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