Winter Driving Safety Tips (& How You Can Prepare Your Alloys for the Cold…)
With freezing temperatures, poor road conditions and unpredictable weather conditions, the winter season poses serious challenges for UK drivers. When winter takes hold, it’s vital to make sure that your vehicle is suitably prepared for the plummeting temperatures it faces. As the saying goes: “If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail”. Without adequate preparation, you could cause damage to your vehicle and find yourself in perilous situations that could have been avoided. So what can you do to prepare your vehicle, and your alloy wheels, for the winter season?
We at Alloy Logic have almost a decade of experience within the motoring industry. With this expertise, we are perfectly placed to advise on the top Winter Driving Safety Tips to keep you safe on the road. In this blog post, we’ll explore problems vehicles face during the winter, the importance of maintaining your alloy wheels during winter and top tips to keep you safe on the road. Read on to find out more…
Get in touch with us today for more information about alloy wheel repairs and get prepared for winter!
What problems do vehicles face during the winter?
Whether you live in a city or in the heart of the countryside, winter poses unique challenges for UK motorists. Decreased visibility, potholes, slippery roads and more all contribute to treacherous road conditions. Conditions which if unprepared for, could lead to hazardous situations. Here are some of the problems at UK vehicles face during the winter season…
- Icy Roads
We’ve all faced the moment that our steering becomes light, and our vehicle seems to glide across the road. Whether in a car park or on approach to a roundabout, the moment your vehicle’s traction fails on icy roads is a scary one. Snow and ice can quickly transform your commute into a hazardous journey. With less traction on the road, you are more likely to lose control of your vehicle and face longer braking distances.
- Visibility
During the winter season, we face unpredictable weather conditions such as rain, fog, snow, hail and more. All of these conditions contribute to reduced visibility which makes it harder to spot potential hazards on the road. In this instance, it’s essential to make sure that your vehicle is maintained and prepared – working wipers and functioning lights are of paramount importance.
- Battery Issues
We’ve all struggled to get out of bed on those cold winter mornings, and your vehicle is no different. Your vehicle’s battery performance may be reduced during the winter due to powering things like heaters and lights at the same time. Ensure that your battery is in peak condition by maintaining it throughout the year. We recommend keeping jump leads in your vehicle to avoid being stranded in the cold!
- Tyre Pressure
As the cold sets in, you’ll likely find that your tyre pressure will drop. This isn’t due to air escaping, but rather the air inside the tyre condensing. Once the air inside your tyre has condensed, it takes up less space inside the tyre. We recommend checking your tyres at least every fortnight during the winter season. We also recommend checking your tyre’s tread depth to ensure complete tyre health.
Alloy Wheel Winter Problems
It goes without saying that the wheels are one of the most important parts of your car and are responsible for transferring the engine’s power to the road as well as improving steering ability. Alloy wheels, as well as looking good, go a long way in significantly enhancing the car’s performance including better handling, more resilience against high-impact shocks and contribute towards a lower fuel economy for your car. However, the winter season can be harsh on alloy wheels.
Here are some of the problems that alloy wheels face during the winter…
- Pothole Damage
Poor weather conditions during the winter months can cause potholes to manifest. Hitting a pothole at speed is enough to make us grit our teeth but imagine what impact it has on your alloy wheels. Cracks and bends caused by impact with a pothole can cause punctures, create vibrations and shaking from your steering wheel and can excessively wear tyres.
- Corrosion and Salt Damage
During the winter, roads are often treated with salt or grit. This salt can scratch alloy wheels and damage the protective finish which is designed to prevent corrosion. If scratches and damage are left to worsen over time, they can cause irreversible corrosion. Not only this, but corrosion can spread and cause further damage to other areas of your vehicle.
Alloy Logic’s Winter Driving Safety Tips
Whether you want to protect your alloy wheels or ensure that your windscreen wipers are functioning properly, preparing for winter is key to getting your vehicle through the season. Here are our Winter Driving Safety Tips to keep you safe on the roads during winter…
- Winter Maintenance Check
To avoid breakdowns and ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy for the winter, we recommend undertaking a winter maintenance check. By visiting a professional garage, you can rest assured that your brakes, lights, heating and more are in full working order ahead of winter. This safeguards your vehicle throughout the season and ensures your safety.
- Alloy Wheel Safety Checks
There are several things that you can do throughout the winter to ensure that your alloys are safe. We recommend frequently washing your alloys to remove salt and applying a protective sealant to prevent corrosion. You should also maintain the correct tyre pressure. You should also consider winter wheel covers for total protection.
- Maintain Fluids
Maintaining the correct levels of antifreeze, oil and other fluids is key to your vehicle’s road safety. Without the correct fluid levels, you could face causing other further damage to your vehicle. Avoid engine problems, windscreen issues and more by ensuring that you maintain your vehicle’s fluids throughout the winter.
- Windscreen Wipers
During the winter your windscreen can get extremely dirty from rain, snow, ice and road salt. Maintaining your windscreen and windscreen wipers is crucial to ensuring visibility as you drive. We recommend checking your wipers before every journey and changing your wiper blades once a year.
- Fuel
Though it might seem obvious, ensuring that you have enough fuel for your journey is key to winter vehicle preparation. With plummeting temperatures and poor road conditions, the last thing you want to happen is to break down far from a petrol station. Make sure you have enough fuel before beginning your journeys.
- Clear All Snow and Ice
Before beginning your journey, you must clear all snow and ice from your vehicle. You must ensure that your vehicle is completely free of snow and ice including windows, mirrors, and lights. Failure to do so can impact your visibility, the performance of your vehicle and your overall road safety.
For more winter driving safety tips, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Alloy Logic today!
Benefits of Preparing Your Vehicle for Winter
There are so many benefits to preparing your vehicle for the winter season. Here are our top three benefits of ensuring that your vehicle is ready for the winter…
- Safety First
Safety is the number one reason for ensuring that your vehicle is roadworthy for the winter. Preparing your vehicle for winter means that you are protecting your safety and that of your passengers. Appropriate tyres, functioning brakes, topped-up fluids and clear visibility all contribute to vehicle safety during the winter, avoid accidents, and protect your vehicle against treacherous road conditions.
- Avoid Repairs & Breakdowns
The last thing any driver wants is to break down in the middle of the winter. By taking the time to prepare your vehicle for this chilly season, you can prevent breakdowns from occurring. In addition to avoiding frustrating breakdowns, you won’t need to pay for expensive repairs at the roadside. Ensuring that your vehicle is safe ahead of winter is an investment in your vehicle and bank account.
- Peace of Mind
Above all, having the peace of mind that your vehicle is prepared for the winter season is indispensable. By preparing your vehicle for winter, you can embark on journeys with the reassurance that your vehicle is ready to face everything that comes with this perilous season. As we mentioned before: “If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail” – so invest in vehicle maintenance now before it’s too late.
In Conclusion…
When winter takes hold, you could face several unique challenges. From icy roads and adverse weather conditions to more potholes and issues with your vehicle’s battery, winter driving is not for the faint of heart. We recommend preparing for winter driving today to ensure that your vehicle is safe and roadworthy for you, your passengers and other road users.
What’s more, if your vehicle has alloy wheels, don’t underestimate the importance of maintaining them ahead of the winter season. Failure to take care of your alloy wheels could lead to damage and corrosion. Follow our alloy wheel safety tips to keep them in impeccable condition to ensure the safety and aesthetics of your vehicle.
For more information about winter driving safety tips or for anything alloy wheel-related, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Alloy Logic today. We’re here and we’re happy to help whatever you require!
Stay Safe on the Road All Year Round…
With almost a decade of experience, we at Alloy Logic are knowledgeable and skilled in all areas of alloy wheel repair, installation, maintenance, replacement and refurbishment. Here are some of our top tips for avoiding alloy wheel damage to keep you safe on the road as well as ensuring that your alloy wheels don’t need replacing or refurbishing for a long time to come.
- Take care to avoid hitting kerbs and potholes on the road when driving.
- Consider installing an alloy wheel protector kit on your vehicle.
- Keep your alloys clean to avoid a build-up of grit, dust, and any other debris.
- Use proprietary wheel cleaners sparingly.
- Ensure your tyres are properly inflated.
- If damage occurs, make sure you inspect your alloys or have a professional assess them.
Alloy Wheel Repair with Alloy Logic
Alloy wheels improve the look and feel of your car. In addition, they are responsible for how your vehicle drives and reduce the risk of accidents when properly functioning. So, if you’ve spotted red flags that your alloy wheels need repairing, it’s essential that you come to experts to get them repaired. If left to worsen, damaged alloys can cause avoidable and costly further damage to your vehicle and will result in them needing to be replaced in their entirety. By properly repairing your alloys, you are making sure that your vehicle is safe to be on the road meaning that you are protecting yourself, your vehicle and the general public against potentially dangerous situations.
Why work with Alloy Logic?
Make us your trusted partner for alloy wheel repair and ensure your alloys are winter-ready. Here’s why you should work with us…
Experience
With close to ten years of specialised experience., the specialist technicians here at Alloy Logic are experienced and skilled in all areas of alloy wheel refurbishment. We use expert techniques and boast attention to detail to produce the best results.
Quality Methods
We use quality methods for our alloy wheel repair. This means that you can enjoy quality results that keep you safe and roadworthy during the winter and throughout the rest of the year.
Customer Satisfaction
We are dedicated to ensuring your satisfaction and safety. When you come to us, you can enjoy an unrivalled experience that prioritises your satisfaction every single time you use our services.
