It feels like only last week that I was writing last year’s winter posts, giving advice about how to drive in the snow, and other such seasonal tit-bits of information. Now, however, the dark cold season is rolling around again, and most of the UK woke up to the job of scraping the ice off the car windows with a credit card, and attempting to warm the car up before they lose a finger to frostbite. So, with regret in my heart, I can only conclude that this means the time has come to make sure our cars (and ourselves) are all prepared for yet another bitterly cold winter.

1. Stock Up Your Car

You never know what will happen at winter. Your car could break down whilst it is -10 degrees out, or you could be trapped ina  very slow moving queue of traffic. You could even get lost. If this happens, it is a very good idea to have a small supply of essentials in the car to keep you going. What do you need? A torch, some food, blankets, an ice scraper, deicer, water, and perhaps even something like a shovel in case you somehow end up in a snow drift.



A Typical Emergency Supply Pack

2. Beat the ice

Getting up hours early to fight with a thick layer of ice on your car is never fun. If you fill the windscreen washers with a deicer and washer mix then the tubes won’t freeze, and it should make the job a lot easier. Prevention is a good idea too – wipe the screen with vinegar (three parts vinegar to one water) to prevent the ice forming in the first place, or use alcohol (two parts rubbing alcohol to one water).



A De-Icing Kit

3. Drive sensibly

Nothing causes more accidents in winter than bad and unsafe driving. Make sure that you prepare your car to let you drive as well as possible, by changing the tires to more winter appropriate ones, as is the law in some EU countries. You can also make sure to apply snow chains if the weather gets awful, and always make sure to defrost thoroughly and clear your mirrors. Once this is done, it is up to you to drive as the weather demands.



Typical Winter Wheels

There are, of course, plenty of other things to do for winter. Buy a car cover, or keep your beloved automobile in a garage – do all you can to keep the elements out. Don’t drive when it is icy out. However, for a start, the three main points will get you prepared for winter – and that in turn will make this season a hell of a lot easier to manage!