A guide to vehicle winter care from Nationwide Vehicle contracts. See the full guide: http://www.nationwidevehiclecontracts.co.uk/guides/vehicle-maintenance/winter-vehicle-care

1. Winter Care
By Nationwidevehiclecontracts.co.uk

2. Key cold weather safety issues
• Winter wear and tear on your vehicle
• Worsening road conditions, including winter potholes
• Worse visibility and more difficult handling
• Slower response times from breakdown vehicles

3. What you should check for:
• Car batteries depleted by intensive use (heater, wipers, lights)
• Extra stress on the battery due to cold starts
• Frozen water pumps
• Frozen cylinder blocks
• Frozen radiators
• Frozen windshield wipers
• Danger from other road users

4. Winter potholes
Cold weather certainly exacerbates the problem of potholes.
Low speed collisions with potholes can cause damage to tyres,
wheels and steering alignment. At higher speeds, damage can be
severe and could result in loss of control, resulting in a crash.
The relevant highway authority may be liable for damage to your
vehicle, but only in the event that they knew about the pothole
and had failed to repair it.

5. How to drive on winter roads
• Check the travel news, de-ice your car and let the engine
warm up.
• A second gear start with gentle clutch movement will help you
avoid wheel spin
• Apply brakes gently. Disengage the clutch and release the
brakes if the car skids
• Take downhill stretches slowly and in low gear, avoiding brake
use.
• If you’re driving an automatic in slippery,
snowy conditions, put your car in ‘2’ to
restrict gear changes or use a ‘winter’
mode if you have one

6. Preparing for winter
Purchasing and preparing your tyres for winter
De-icing your car or van
What to keep in your car

7. Winter tyres
Tyres made of soft rubber compounds with
special tread patterns and depth should be
used to make driving in the snow easier. These
should not be used in consistent temperatures
over 8 degrees.
Alternatively snow chains in the UK is
recommended only in isolated areas on
un-cleared roads. If using them when
they could cause damage to the road is
considered an offence.

8. How to de-ice your vehicle
• DO keep a full-strength de-icer and a proper ice scraper in
your car
• DON’T drive with ice partially or completely obscuring the
windscreen or side windows
• DO start your engine and get a little heat into your car to
assist in the defrost
• DON’T pour boiling water onto an icy windscreen – you risk
shattering the glass
• DON’T leave with snow on your car – the law specifically
prohibits doing so because it can fall and
obscure your vision

9. Winter survival gear
• Thermal blanket
• A warm change of clothes,
including boots
• Emergency change
• A spare flashlight
• A spare ice-scraper
• A spare phone or phone
battery
• A road map
• A small shovel
• Sawdust or cat litter
• Jump cables
• First aid kit
• Bottled water
• Cereal bars

10. Looking for further information?
Check out the full guide here:
http://www.nationwidevehiclecontracts.co.uk/guides/vehicle-
maintenance/winter-vehicle-care
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