Keeping Drivers Safe During The Winter
Winter is a dangerous time to be out on the road for anyone. There’s more ice which increases the chances of skidding, and fog, rain and snow which might obscure your vision.
For those who use motability cars as a driving aid or people who care for low mobility individuals, this time of year can be very limiting in regard to transportation.
In winter, driving safely is essential, so here are some quick tips to help you along and keep you safe.
Ensure Visibility
The weather conditions in winter can make visibility difficult. Fog, rain and snow can cause problems and on a particularly frosty day, your windscreen may steam up too.
If you’re travelling in the winter, it’s important to understand the conditions and only travel when it appears safe to do so. Make sure that your wipers are in full working order and try to avoid travelling at night when visibility is lower.
In winter specifically, the sun could even cause problems for travelling. The sun is much lower in the sky and goes down earlier in the winter. Making sure there’s a handy pair of sunglasses in your car at all times could help you battle the winter sun.
Check the Forecast
Checking the weather forecast is a must for driving safely in winter. Make sure that there aren’t going to be any strong winds where you’re going and that there aren’t any snow or heavy rain showers coming your way.
If you aren’t confident in the weather, then don’t travel!
Plan Your Route
Depending on the types of driving aid you require, whether you use hand controls or a fully adapted wheelchair vehicle, you should plan before your journey.
You may need to make unprecedented stops along the way and it’s essential that you plan out all the potential stopping places in case of an emergency.
If you struggle with mobility and are unable to put fuel into the car regularly, it’s crucial that you understand how much petrol or diesel you have available and that you can get from A to B.
If you have an electric or hybrid Motability car, you should plan your stops to charge along the way so there’s no complications.
Pre-Journey Checks
It’s always good to have a pre-journey checklist. This gears you up to check out your vehicle before you travel to avoid any unnecessary issues with the car itself and to help you make the drive as smooth as possible. Motability Bedford and Motability Northampton cars are equipped for every eventuality and can be adjusted to meet your specific accessibility needs, especially to keep you safe when driving in the winter.
- Always check your battery is in full working order before you set off. The cold weather can cause issues with starting your car and you don’t want to be stranded in the snow.
- Make sure your tyres have enough tread and that they’re the correct type to be travelling in icy weather.
- Pack all of your medication before you leave. This needs to be accessible within the vehicle if you need it in an emergency.
- Take a drink with you. If you get stuck in traffic due to the bad weather, you need to stay awake and hydrated.
- Pack extra warm clothing and a blanket. If your vehicle is stuck somewhere due to the bad weather, it’s essential that you stay warm and dry.
Recently had my fourth vehicle adapted by Paul At Pb Conversions.always does a first class job and with first class service & always easy to deal with. Thanks for the great service Paul from you and your crew over the years.
Kiran was very helpful today explaining some of the issues I had with my hoist, and how to avoid them from happening again.
Dealt with the adaptations for my son's new motability vehicle - very friendly, efficient and helpful. Really pleased.
Very helpful and knowledgeable engineer, fast and efficient service
Thank you so much for all your advice, help and very professional job on adapting our car. Without your advice I would never have known to apply for a grant. You were excellent, thank again.
Due to my husband's condition we need a car with adaptions, we were advised by his paraplegic group to visit and this place is the best. Felt so relaxed talking about what we needed, all the staff were so friendly and so well informed, going above and beyond, especially Paul Berridge. I fully recommend this business. Honest and reliable. Thank you.
Staff are super super friendly, helpful, extremely informative and really nothing Paul & Co can’t do to any vehicle. PERFECTION is their middle name! Thank you so much for your outstanding service to me over the years and I look forward to using your company all my driving life.
Excellent work done on our car and very professional company. Great customer service and prompt response to emails.
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