Getting your car ready for winter
As the colder and darker months draw in, it’s especially important to take care on the roads.
Our team have gathered their best tips to keep you safe this winter, including advice on caring for your car battery if you drive an electric vehicle (EV) and how to reduce the chance of breakdowns.
Winter maintenance checklist
Tyres
- Check your tyres have at least 1.6mm of tread depth (the legal minimum).
- Check the tread in a few different places around the tyre to spot uneven wear.
- Make sure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure.
- Consider switching to All Season if you regularly drive in temperatures below 7°C, as they can offer better grip, traction and braking performance.
Lights, wipers and visibility
- Check that your headlights, brake lights, indicators and fog lights are working properly. Asking someone to help you by walking around the car will make this easier.
- Clean any dirt, ice or snow from lights before setting off.
- Check your wiper blades and replace them if they’re leaving streaks or smears.
- Make sure your windscreen, windows and mirrors are fully clear and not damaged before driving.
Fluids
- Check your engine oil level and top up with the correct specification oil if needed.
- Check coolant levels and ensure the correct antifreeze mix is in place for winter conditions.
- Top up your windscreen washer fluid using a winter-grade washer fluid to help prevent freezing.
Battery
If you drive a petrol or diesel car, the cold weather and extra demands from lights and heaters can put extra strain on your battery.
- If your car is slow to start or your battery is several years old, consider having it tested.
- If you’ve been making lots of short trips, take some drives of 30 minutes or more to give your battery more time to recharge.
If you drive an EV, you may find that the lower temperatures lead to a decrease in range and longer charging times.
- Give yourself a bit more charge than you usually would before setting off on journeys
- If you have the option of heated seats and a heated steering wheel, you may find they use less energy than the main heaters – keep an eye on your estimated remaining range to see what works best for your car
Create a winter emergency kit
Prepare for the unexpected by assembling a winter emergency kit. Include items like blankets, a torch, non-perishable food, and first aid supplies.
Winter driving essentials
Winter driving kit
It’s always worth keeping a few winter essentials in your car, just in case of a breakdown, traffic delays or severe weather.
Keep the items you’re most likely to need, like an ice scraper, gloves and food/drink, somewhere easy to reach inside the car rather than buried in the boot, so you can grab them quickly.
What to include in your winter driving kit:
- Warm clothes, including gloves
- Ice scraper
- Blankets
- A torch
- Battery packs to recharge devices
- Non-perishable food and water
- First aid supplies
- High-vis jackets
- A shovel or spade (for snow)
- Warning triangle
Driving an EV in winter
- Plan ahead – colder temperatures can reduce an EV’s range, so if you’re traveling long distances, make sure to plan charging breaks along the way.
- Precondition your car – most modern EVs allow you to precondition the cabin while the vehicle is still charging. This helps maintain a comfortable temperature and ensures windows are defrosted without draining the battery. Heating your seats or steering wheel is more efficient than using the standard climate controls.
Planning for winter journeys
- Before heading out in your car, check the weather forecast along your route. If severe weather is expected and your journey isn’t necessary, you may want to think about postponing or looking at alternative routes
- Forecasts can change quickly, so check back along the way and adjust your route if needed
Safe driving in winter
Speed, spacing and stopping distances
- On icy roads, stopping distance can be 10 times longer than on dry pavement.
- When driving in icy conditions, go slow and increase your distance to around 8-10 seconds from the vehicle in front of you.
De-icing your car
- Safe visibility before moving off, not just preconditioning an EV.
- First, remove any loose snow or ice from the windscreen, windows, roof, and lights.
- Start the engine and turn on the defrost setting and wait for few minutes so the car can start to warm up.
- Then, take an ice scraper and scrape away any stubborn patches of ice. Using a de-icer spray can help shift the ice quicker.
- Do not use boiling water as this can crack the glass or freeze again on the car.
If your car starts to skid on ice
- Stay calm and avoid slamming the brakes.
- Steer gently in the direction you want to go.
- Ease off the accelerator until you regain control.
- If you have ABS brakes, apply steady pressure; if not, pump the brakes lightly.
A note on responsible driving
As the holiday season approaches, remember to enjoy the festivities responsibly. If you think you’ll be drinking alcohol, you may want to opt for a taxi or public transport or book accommodation and drive home in the next day.
Dealing with winter emergencies
Breakdowns and being stranded
- Keeping on top of your car’s maintenance, reduces the chances of a breakdown. A professional check can prevent issues later down the line and keep you safe.
- For year-round safety advice, see our safe driving tips.
What to do after an incident
If you have an accident or incident, here’s what to do.
Winter parking & looking after your car
Preventing your car from freezing overnight
- Parking your car in a garage or sheltered area can help stop ice from building up overnight. If you don’t have access to a sheltered area, using car covers, or windscreen and door mirror covers, can also reduce the amount of ice on your car in the morning.
- If you’re driving an EV, parking in a garage will also help to keep your car warm overnight, which means there’s less drain on the battery before setting off.
For year-round safety advice, see our safe driving tips.
