This time of year can be particularly icy, especially if you spend any time in Scotland. It’s much colder up north, which means driving conditions can be more treacherous and it makes sense to prepare your car.
How to Prepare your Car for Cold Weather Driving in Scotland
These simple tips will help ensure your car is prepared for cold weather driving in Scotland.
Check (and maybe change) your tyres
Tyres play a really important part in helping your car grip the road properly. If your tyres aren’t up to scratch then your safety will be compromised.
Make sure your tyres have the right amount of air in them. The pressure in them shouldn’t be too low, but it’s also dangerous if the pressure is too high so read your car’s manual to find out the optimum air pressure.
The tread on the tyre is also very important. It is possible to get tyres that are specifically designed for winter driving in bad conditions, but at the very least, your tyres tread should be well above the minimum legal limit. If you’re local, tyre fitting in Dundee is available at Fife Autocentre.
Ensure a clear view
With all the bad weather, there’s plenty of mud and grime about to splash up on your windscreen and obstruct your view.
Up in the cold climbs of Scotland, it’s not unheard of for your screenwash to freeze. To prevent yourself getting in a sticky situation, run your engine a short while before you set off to thaw out the screenwash, then give it a quick squirt to check before you set off.
The last thing you want is to find out your screenwash has frozen when you’ve already set off on your journey.
Another thing to bear in mind is that you have properly cleared snow from your car. You might have spotted a naughty driver in the news recently who only cleared a small hole in the snow on his windscreen so he could peep through.
While I doubt anyone reading this would do something so dangerous, it’s important to remember to clear the snow off your roof so that it doesn’t slip down due to sudden braking!
The last thing you should considered with regards to view are your wipers. It’s easy to trash your wiper blades in icy weather. Just one accidental swipe over an icy windscreen can make your wipes lose their effectiveness.
The best thing to do is take care with your wipers and replace them if there’s so much as a hint of them not working so well.
Keep everything topped up
Fuel is a biggie (obviously). No one wants to run out of fuel on a deserted snowy road, so checking your gauge before any long/lonely journeys will keep you safe.
Keep a check on your levels of antifreeze in the engine. The last thing you want is for your engine to seize up because important fluids have frozen. Always read the instructions on the bottle for how much to add to your engine.
Oil is also important, my dashboard tells me when my oil is running low, but if yours doesn’t you need to keep on top of checking your dip stick and adding more oil when needed. Don’t overdo it though, your engine won’t like it!
You might also like this post on kids’ carseats.
