Winter Driving And Preparation

Winter Driving And Preparation

Many people adopt the attitude of just jumping into their vehicles in winter and driving to their destinations, irrespective of the weather and the potential lurking dangers that winter driving can bring, in this section we will look at some ideas which people can adopt and prepare for winter. Why should I bother? The simple answer is it could save your life or just make life more bearable if you become stuck overnight as many did in the winter of 2010, and for what, just a little forethought and preparation.

To begin with the vehicle needs to be serviced, diesel additives in the UK market from the major retailers ensure diesel will not freeze down to -15 degrees, tyres need to be in good condition, and you need a little kit to be carried in the vehicle, carefully packed and left there through winter. Before embarking on any journey its important to assess whether your journey is necessary, if it is you need to check the weather forecast which is easy with the television, radio, and internet providing regular regional updates through their traffic information during winter conditions. Ensure someone is aware of you making the journey and your mobile phone is fully charged and has plenty of credit if it is pay as you go. Inform someone of your departure and arrival so they know you’re safe and have arrived at your destination.
Carrying a little kit depends on your journey type, do you make short commuter journeys mainly on major routes, if so you will need less kit and will still need the basics, if you travel widely on business you will need to carry more so this section is split into three sections.
Basic Travel

For short commuting journeys its advisable to carry a basic kit of spare, warm clothes of good winter boots and not fashionable boots, a good coat, insulated hat and underwear of tights, trousers and T shirts for women and thermal underwear for men, and gloves. Never carry one thick layer of clothing as many thin layers offers better insulation as it traps more layers of insulating air and around one third of the heat is lost through your head so wear your hat. Carrying a basic car rug will ensure you can remain warm if you are forced to sleep in your vehicle overnight.
Carrying a few basic tools will ensure you can often free your vehicle, a simple small dustpan will allow you to remove snow and ice from around your wheels and a little salt can melt ice, if you are a cat owner a little kitty litter placed in front of the driving wheels gives tremendous traction. This is very useful to get a vehicle moving and gain enough speed and momentum to keep going.
Longer Journeys

For longer journeys it is advisable to add the additional items, a small plastic box with snacks such as a couple of bars of chocolate and a pack of biscuits, if you are a coffee drinker then put a small plastic pot of coffee in, or a few tea bags in a plastic bag for tea drinkers, and sugar if you take it. These should be well packed and kept in the glove box or door pocket where they are free of damp or rain. When you leave home simply fill a flask with boiling water when you make your morning brew, at least if you become stuck for a long period you can have a hot drink or two and a snack to maintain your metabolism, and make you feel better. When you get to work simply empty your hot flask into the kettle and make your morning brew, just boil the kettle and refill it with hot water before you return home. Carry a couple of bottles of water as this can keep you hydrated and if you become stuck in heavy traffic such as on a motorway and there are lorries around you can ask them to boil the water for your drink as many have kettles in them, and most lorry drivers will oblige. It is advisable to keep a set of spare clothes in your vehicle in addition to a set of winter clothes, and ensure you have a couple of spare sets of socks and gloves as these can get wet and cold very quickly, a change to dry clothes makes you feel better and keeps your body heat in.
For longer journeys its best to carry one of the small folding shovels available from military surplus and similar outlets, these are sturdier than a dustpan, but a small garden spade will suffice if you have room to carry it. Tow ropes are a necessity as its very easy to become stuck and if help arrives in the form of another vehicle you can be towed out to better ground.
Major Journeys

For those travelling longer distances I would add the following, in the plastic food box I would add a few sachets of cup a soup and a few snack meals which need only boiling water added to them, don’t forget a small pack of plastic spoons or forks to eat them with. Carry more water as you are at more risk of becoming stuck for longer and buy a 12 volt kettle which is cheap and very durable so you can have a cup of soup or a snack and a hot drink if you are stuck for a long period. Carrying a small cloth and tea towel may be beneficial if you travel long distances regularly.
In addition to sturdy winter clothes and a spare set of clothes and the travel blanket I would recommend a thermal sleeping bag which are now cheap and compact and will keep you warm for a long period of time or overnight.

Starting Your Vehicle From Cold

We have all seen the Postman Pat syndrome where someone gets into their vehicle and does not defrost it and all they have is a small letterbox slit in their windscreen cleared, or the sailor syndrome where they have a porthole cleared instead. This is dangerous and illegal.
During periods of bad weather its advisable to get up earlier and defrost and warm your vehicle fully, one method I recommend is getting up 15-60 minutes earlier to allow additional time for your journey and to fully clear your vehicle. I carry a scraper and a little brush and begin by starting my vehicle and letting it idle with everything electrical switched OFF, do not switch on the heater as the engine is cold and blowing cold air out of the heater makes it cool a cold engine and ensures the vehicle takes longer to warm up. With the engine started I begin by scraping all the windows, lights, and then sweep off the rest of the vehicle to stop snow falling off the roof and onto the windscreen, this takes a few minutes and allows the engine to begin to warm up. Switch on the heater to a medium setting on the fan to thaw out the windscreen fully and turn on the rear screen heater, never leave the vehicle unattended while its running as if it gets stolen your insurance is invalid.
Packing Your Vehicle

Many people do not carry equipment because it’s inconvenient, or takes up too much room, and packing equipment is relatively simple. Vacuum bags are available in a variety of sizes and are cheap to purchase, simply pack your clothes into one of these bags, seal, and apply a vacuum cleaner to the nozzle on the bag; this will suck out all the air and give you instant vacuum packed clothes which take up much less space. Pack these into a plastic box, many are cheaply available in a variety of sizes to fit your boot, put a plastic box in and leave it, you can put your shovel and any other kit inside your box also, always ensure these are well packed in plastic bags so they don’t wet everything if you have to use them.

Preparing Your Vehicle For Winter

Many people fail to prepare their vehicle for winter, yet it’s a simple process which anyone can do with a few simple items found lying around most people’s homes, and a little kit bought to do various jobs. Begin with door locks, these freeze because water has entered them so eliminating this is vital, all that’s needed is a can of WD40 or similar with the straw attached to the nozzle, insert the end of the nozzle through the keyhole and spray, this will clean out any water, muck, and debris. Allow this to run through the locks and fill with a light machine oil or engine oil in a plastic container with a nozzle which fits through the key hole apertures, this will fully lubricate them and stop them freezing.
Many doors won’t open as they freeze shut, this is because the door rubbers become impregnated with dirt as the doors shut and compress the door rubbers, this allows water to track through and it’s this water which freezes. Resolving this is as simple as using a rubber or interior plastic multi cleaner which is available from any car shop and cleaning all the rubbers around the doors, clean them a couple of times and see just how much dirt is removed. Where the door rubbers meet the metal body of the car needs cleaning also, apply a couple of coats of a good car polish to these areas, and buff to a good shine, with clean rubbers and polished metal you will find the doors will not freeze shut.
While you have the oil can out you can lubricate the door hinges, and don’t forget the stop bar which prevents the doors opening too wide, do the windscreen wiper spindles front and rear and ensure the oil penetrates will. While the doors are open you can lubricate the door latches which are on the end of the doors, apply plenty of oil to these so they don’t stick to the door pins.

Visibility is severely restricted in winter driving conditions, particularly with all the road dirt and spray from other vehicles, yet another cheap and simple solution is available, water repellents, my preferred choice is Rainex but others are available. Rainex is suitable for plastics and glass so you can apply it to light lenses, this pays dividends when driving in winter conditions as water and spray just run off them. Applying Rainex is simple, clean all your exterior glass, including exterior mirrors and light lenses until they are spotless, dry all the cleaned areas and apply a tiny amount of Rainex to a clean rag and rub onto the glass and lenses, you only use a small amount and you can see where you have applied it. Leave until it goes hazy then apply a second coat, again leave until it goes hazy and simply wash off any surplus with a hosepipe or watering can, the first time it rains you will see the difference and be glad you applied it. If you apply a couple of coats every month through the summer it will leave you with a good build up of protection which will last right through the winter.

Assassin