5 simple ways to prepare your vehicle for winter
3-minute read
As it gets closer to the holidays, it’s natural to have a mental checklist of the things you need to sort before taking a break from your business. Scheduling automated emails, locking up your workspace, finishing off last bits of admin – these tasks all make sure you’re ready to hit the ground running in the new year.
But if your van or car won’t start on your first day back after some time off, your plans for your business will stall before they even get going. That’s why taking some steps to prepare your vehicle for winter should be a high priority when you drive for work.
Read on for our five simple tips that could help keep your vehicle running smoothly throughout the winter months.
5 tips to prepare your vehicle for winter
Winter presents lots of different challenges for your vehicle. As the temperature drops, your vehicle’s windows, tyres, doors, and electronics are all affected in different ways. And when you drive for work, an issue with your car or van could lead to your business being interrupted.
Here are tips to preparing your vehicle for cold weather:
1. Get your battery serviced
According to the RAC, 28 per cent of breakdowns in the UK are battery-related. And while maintaining your battery is always a good idea, it becomes particularly important in the winter.
Car battery capacity is 20 per cent lower in freezing temperatures, so they’re prone to malfunctioning in the colder months. Servicing your vehicle regularly will make sure your car battery is functioning well.
2. Check your tyres
Snow, ice, and increased rainfall all make the roads more hazardous in the winter. Your tyres give you traction and control on an icy road, so making sure they’re in the right condition should help keep you safe in difficult conditions.
Checking the tread depth on your tyres is above the legal limit is a good place to start. The minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, but it’s a good idea not to wait until the last minute to change your tyres as worn tyres mean less traction on the road.
Underinflated tyres can lead to instability too, so try to maintain the recommended tyre pressure in your vehicle’s manual.
It’s also worth considering a set of winter tyres for your vehicle. They’re designed to give you better traction in icy conditions while also having a deeper tread depth, which allows excess slush and mud to fall off more easily.
3. Look at your coolant levels
Coolant plays an important role in your engine’s health, and despite how the name sounds, it stops your engine from freezing in cold temperatures. It’s simple to check your levels, just look under your car bonnet and make sure you’re above the minimum level.
If you don’t have enough coolant, your engine struggles to regulate its temperature and can freeze when it’s stationary and overheat when it’s running. When you take your car or van in for a service, the mechanic will usually check the level for you and top it up if necessary.
4. Use the right screen wash
Nothing disrupts the start of your day like a frozen windscreen. But when you’re on your way to a job, being late could be costly – and you might not have 15 minutes to defrost the glass. While it might be tempting to pour hot water over it and be on your way, this can cause the glass to crack because of the sudden change in temperature.
Using a screen wash that’s effective to at least -15C helps prevent surface level freezing on the glass. It’s also worth having a de-icer spray in your vehicle for when you're in a hurry.
5. Invest in some winter wipers
Visibility becomes an issue in the winter with snow, ice, and rain much more likely. But standard windscreen wipers aren’t designed to shift ice and snow off your windshield.
Getting a set of winter windscreen wipers can make getting dirt and ice off your window much easier. And they’re designed to not get clumps of ice and snow attached to them like regular wipers do.
Make sure you’re insured
Having at least third-party insurance for your vehicle is a legal requirement. But when you need to drive for work, having a policy that covers you for different types of emergencies could be worthwhile.
Including a courtesy car, breakdown cover, and personal accident cover in your policy could put your mind at ease during the winter.
Do you have any tips for preparing your vehicle for winter? Let us know in the comments below.
More useful guides if you drive for work
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Written by
Zach Hayward-Jones
Zach Hayward-Jones is a Copywriter at Simply Business, with six years of writing experience across entertainment, insurance, and financial services. Zach specialises in covering small business and landlord insurance. He has a particular interest in issues impacting the hospitality industry after spending a number of years working as a pastry chef.
We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always take professional advice. Read our full disclaimer
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