Winter Motoring In Fareham - Driving In A Winter Wonderland

I’ll be honest, writing about motoring takes me right out of

my comfort zone.  I am one of these women

drivers who gives other women a bad name. When I put a car in for a service or

an MOT I just flutter my eyelashes, don a completely gormless facial expression

and hope for the best.  Read on for tips

to make winter driving safer and a great offer from Segensworth Automobiles as well

as from other local garages.

Segensworth Automobiles, Barratt

Industrial Park, advised

FarehamPeople readers that:

“In the dark, cold

winter months the collision rate soars. There are several causes including driving

too close to the vehicle in front and not realising that on wet roads, poor

concentration, leaves on the road and fog all hamper visibility. Darker

mornings, nights and low sun all bring risks. 

A single layer of wet or frost covered leaves can make braking, steering

and stopping difficult.  Colder weather makes

tyre rubber harder. This change reduces grip, affecting your cornering and

braking ability. Be aware that your tyre grip on the road can change suddenly

in these conditions. To keep your vehicle in good condition for the winter, carry

out the following checks:

1.    The tyres have

more than 3mm of tread and the wear is even across the tyre.

2.    The wiper blades

are in good condition and clearing the screen.

3.    Washer fluid is

topped up regularly.  (carry spare in the

vehicle)

4.    Check your oil

regularly to prevent your engine seizing.

5.    Check your water

and anti-freeze level frequently to prevent your engine over-heating or

freezing.

6.    Check your

lights to ensure high visibility.

7.    Check your

battery or drop by for a free battery check."

Segensworth Autos is pleased to offer FarehamPeople assistance in checking

these things if we’re unsure – we can drop by and they will show us how to

check them free of charge.  For a more

in-depth inspection they are offering a comprehensive winter check for just £20 inc.

VAT.

Fareham's Protyre are offering a free

winter motoring check including tyres, fluids, battery, wipers and lights.

Portchester's AllCars are currently offering a £10 MOT which

includes a FREE service!  Why not kill

two birds with one stone?

Unlike many service garages, Fareham’s

Peter Briscoe offers free home inspections, so if you find yourself in dangerous driving

conditions they may well be the safer option.

Not forgetting of course that some people don’t drive the

whole distance to work.  Fastway Auto Centre

is very close to Fareham train station.  If you park and commute to work Fastway are

happy to take your car in the morning and have it ready for you when you get

home.  They also offer free tyre checks

which they recommend you have done once a month especially in cold weather.

In addition, regular contributor BuiltClever added some

excellent comments on winter motoring tips that you can find here and here.

Drive carefully Fareham!