INTRODUCTION   

Winter brings with it many additional driving hazards. But with planning and preparation these can be made much less of a risk.

There are three main elements to any winter driving scenario which we can influence: driving ability, vehicle preparedness and suitability, and journey planning.

2. VEHICLE PREPAREDNESS

Many older driver’s vehicles are only driven a few thousand miles a year, so extra-care needs to be taken in winter to ensure the vehicle’s preparedness to drive, if it is not driven regularly. If these checks seem a little daunting, then organisations such as Halfords offer a winter check service that might be worth considering.

• Battery health. Get a garage to check the condition of the battery. If the vehicle is only driven short distances, then it needs to be in good condition to hold its charge. Winter driving places higher demands on the battery with the extra-use of lights, heater, and wipers. RAC report battery failure is the number one reason for callouts.
• Lights operation. Check all the lights are working and are properly adjusted, not forgetting the front and rear fog lights. If the car has ‘daylight running lights’ (DLR), and you don’t have automatic headlights, in gloomy conditions make sure to turn on your headlights. The DLR function does not include rear lights.
• Tyre condition. Check tyre pressures are correct, and the tyres have sufficient tread. In the wet at 50mph a tyre with 1.6mm of tread, the legal limit, takes 25% longer to stop than tyres with 3mm of tread. We recommend replacing tyres at 3mm.
• Wiper blades wear. Wipers work extra-hard in winter due to grit from the roads, so check the wipers clear the screen without smears. If they must be replaced then invest in a premium brand, which consistently come out top in comparative tests. When de-icing your car lift the blades off the screen to ensure they are not frozen to the screen.
• Fluids level. Check the windscreen fluid is topped up, and with the correct rating for sub-zero temperatures. RAC recommend a pre-mix, effective down to -15C. Most modern cars use a long-life antifreeze but check if it might need changing.
• Check the car has a can of de-icer and an ice scrapper. Allow an extra ten minutes before a journey to make sure all the car windows and mirrors are de-iced and demisted. Use the air conditioning to dry the air in the car and speed up demisting. Make sure the inside of the windows are clean to help minimise headlight glare. Don’t leave the car idling unattended – thieves are watching for this opportunity!
• In-car equipment. This should include a warm blanket, mobile phone charger, torch, warning triangle, and a high visibility fluorescent bib in case occupants must get out of the car on an unlit rural road. Also, keep a pair of dry shoes in the car so your feet don’t slip on the pedals.
• Smart phone app. If you have a smart-phone download the What3Words app. This identifies any location by three words which can be given to the emergency or recovery services. This is particularly helpful on roads with few obvious landmarks.
• Emergency information. Have a Lions Club ‘message in a bottle’ with personal and medical details in the glove compartment to assist emergency services.
• Refresh knowledge. Take time to re-read your car manual to refresh knowledge of how the car’s comfort and safety systems function. There may be advanced driving assistance systems you are not familiar with.  

Driving Safely, in Winter, requires:

PREPARATION – PREPARATION – PREPARATION

Thanks to Nigel Lloyd-Jones (Co-lead Older Drivers Forum for Gloucestershire) for creating this useful, information.