• Have your car regularly serviced which will keep it at peak efficiency. Missing a service is a false economy.

• Planning your route ahead of a journey can reduce the chances of getting lost and clocking up wasted miles. Avoid congested routes and peak periods, combine trips wherever possible, and consider car sharing.

• When starting the engine from cold, drive off as soon as possible to allow the engine to reach peak operating efficiency more quickly.

• Use higher gears, as soon as traffic conditions allow. As a rule of thumb, the most economical point to change up in petrol cars is around 2,500 rpm, and in diesel cars, 2,000 rpm.

• Don’t drive more quickly than you need to. Drive smoothly without harsh application of either the accelerator or brake pedals. Anticipate the movements of other vehicles, and leave adequate space between you and the vehicle in front to avoid sharp braking. Use the natural momentum of the car to make progress wherever possible.

• Apart from compromised safety, under-inflated tyres will increase fuel consumption. Check them regularly, preferably before travelling when they are still cold.

• Many of us travel around with items in the car that don’t need to be there and which only contribute to poor economy. An empty roof box, for example, can increase consumption by as much as 10 per cent. Have a periodic clear out.

• Turn off your engine if you have to wait longer than 30 seconds at a standstill, in heavy traffic or when parked.

• The use of optional equipment such as the rear window demister can increase the demand on the battery and therefore increase your fuel consumption. Such items should therefore be used sparingly. Use of cruise control however can help boost economy.

• Air conditioning should be used only when it is needed, since it significantly increases fuel consumption.

• Try to avoid using your car for short journeys – consider using public transport, cycling or walking.

• Monitoring your car’s fuel consumption will encourage you to get the most from it as well as highlighting changes that may indicate a fault.

DRIVING IN WINTER

Looking after the car

Your car needs to be in the best condition possible to cope with the extra strain of starting and working smoothly in extra cold conditions. So book your car in for a service and keep it well maintained throughout the winter

1. To prevent the windscreen washer fluid, hoses and nozzles from freezing, and to avoid damage to the washer pump, add washer solvents with plenty of anti-freeze. Don’t drive with a small hole cleared on the windscreen – the Highway Code states that it is illegal to drive with poor visibility. Ensure all windows and mirrors are completely demisted and totally cleared of ice.
2. Avoid using de-icing sprays on door locks as they can impair the locking mechanism.  Use a Teflon lock spray instead.
3. Make sure the engine has quality coolant that can cope with up to -35 degrees without freezing.
4. Fill the fuel tank regularly to prevent condensation in the tank and provide the maximum range and running time for the engine if stuck in snow.
5. Engine oil with lower viscosity (i.e. thinner) makes cold starting easier and reduces fuel consumption.  For winter use, 5W/30 oil is recommended, particularly synthetic types.
6. Check the state of the battery more frequently as the heater fan and all the electrical items being used put a greater strain on the battery – and a poorly charged battery can freeze and become useless. Check the battery electrolyte level, topping this up with distilled water if necessary, and the battery terminals, ensuring they are tight and free from any corrosion.
7. Keep the windscreen and mirrors clean – they quickly get dirty in winter and it can be difficult to see when the glare of the low winter sun hits a dirty windscreen.
8. Keep lights clean and check the bulbs regularly.
9. Check tyres for wear and replace if necessary. Tyres should be inflated to the correct pressure and have plenty of tread depth.
10. Change wiper blades if they are worn.

Looking after the driver

The driver needs to be alert and prepared to drive with extra care, especially when braking.

1. Warm clothes and a shovel should be kept in the car in case the car gets stuck in snow. Other essential items include an ice scraper, de-icer, a working torch, a mobile phone, a pair of Wellington boots, a first aid kit, battery jump leads, and food and a warm drink in a flask if you know conditions are going to be particularly bad. If you take any medication, ensure you have extra supplies if necessary. Ensure any towing hooks that some vehicles now use are in the car and that you also know how to remove the plastic cover where the hook screws in. Do take a mobile phone if you have one.
2. Don’t always follow previous tracks in the snow as this compacted snow is likely to be more slippery.  The fresh snow between the tracks will offer more resistance and stopping power.
3. Air conditioning is not just for summer but equally important in winter as a dehumidifier to keep windows clear of condensation and give the driver better visibility.  Electronic Climate Control is more advanced and works more effectively than air conditioning, and maintains a chosen temperature more quickly.
4. The air quality inside the car is another important safety factor.  Cold temperatures have a negative effect on combustion, so the surrounding air is likely to contain more impurities in winter, so keep the air conditioning on to help purify the air.
5. Avoid turning the car’s heating up too high when driving in winter. Too high an interior temperature jeopardises the driver’s reaction times and increases the amount of errors.  A constant, comfortable temperature inside the car is an important safety factor.  It is unhealthy and disorientating to have an extreme difference in inside and outside temperature.

Setting off

Always check your route and the weather forecast before you leave. Listen to travel bulletins and in bad weather, don’t drive unless your journey is essential. Before setting off, clear all ice and snow from your windows, remove snow from the roof, boot, bonnet, lights and number plates.

When moving off on a slippery surface, use the highest gear that you can (for example, second gear rather than first). Don’t forget automatic transmissions usually have a winter setting to aid traction by starting in a higher gear than normal when pulling away in slippery conditions.

Always brake gently and allow extra stopping distance (as much as 10 times greater) on icy roads. The best way to slow without skidding is to get into a lower gear earlier, let your speed drop, and brake gently. If the car skids, take your foot off the accelerator, put your foot on the clutch, but do not brake, and steer into the skid, not the other way.  Snow by the side of the road may provide extra stopping power – and is always preferable to hitting oncoming traffic.

Winter gritting

The Highways Agency is responsible for motorways and major A roads, and the local highways authority for other roads.

• If you see a salt spreader ahead, slow down. It will be driving at less than 40 mph while it is spreading salt, even on the motorway. If the amber beacons are flashing, it usually means the vehicle is spreading salt.
• Stay well back because salt is thrown across the width of the road.
• If you are riding a motorbike, take more care because your wheels could lose grip on freshly laid salt.
• Don’t overtake a salt spreader unless it is safe to do so. Any driving close to winter service vehicles is at your own risk.
• Don’t overtake a snow plough unless the lane you intend to use has been cleared.
• If you are following a snow plough, keep well back. The plough blade can throw up large amounts of snow on either side. If the amber beacons are flashing, it means the vehicle is likely to be clearing snow.

Black ice

Rain falling on to a cold surface can freeze instantly, causing black ice. Black ice and freezing rain are serious hazards because the road ahead may just look wet, but in fact be covered in sheet ice. Listen for road noise, tyres make virtually no noise when travelling on ice. If the steering feels unresponsive, this may indicate ice.

Driving in fog

• Slow down and use dipped headlights.
• Use fog lights if visibility is seriously reduced, but don’t forget to switch them off again when the fog clears. Fog lamps are unpleasant to drive behind when visibility improves and may reduce the visual impact of brake lights.
• Don’t follow the rear lights of a vehicle in front. It gives you a false sense of security.
• Fog is patchy, so don’t think it’s ‘all clear’ and speed up as visibility improves.

More information:

Traffic information:

08700 660115
www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo

Weather information:

www.metoffice.gov.uk

DRIVING AND SLEEPINESS

The facts

• Driver sleepiness is thought to cause at least 10 per cent of all accidents and one in five accidents on motorways and trunk roads.
• It is considered to claim more lives on our roads than alcohol.
• At least 40,000 serious injuries and nearly 3500 deaths occur on UK roads with drowsiness considered to be a major cause.
• Road accidents relating to sleep are also likely to result in death and serious injury as the accidents occur at high speeds when the driver fails to brake beforehand.
• Each death on the road costs about £1 million.
• Most accidents happen between 2 and 6am and mid-afternoon between 2 and 4 pm, when the body’s natural clock is at its low points
• Many of these accidents are work-related (eg trucks, goods vehicles, company car drivers).
• Falling asleep at the wheel is preceded by feelings of extreme sleepiness that drivers are aware of but often ignore.
• Young men aged 18-30 are most at risk, and account for around 50 per cent of sleep-related accidents.

Good advice

The UK ’s leading sleep research centre at Loughborough University has investigated many aspects of sleepy driving and shown that such accidents are avoidable. The Loughborough Sleep Research Centre recommends:

• Drivers plan their journeys with the potential problems of sleepiness in mind.
• If they feel tired, drivers should:

• • Get off the road
  • Find a safe parking place
  • Drink one or two cans of a functional energy or a caffeine drink (in the research Red Bull was used)
  • If possible, also take a short nap for no more than 15 minutes – this also gives the drink time to take effect
• Drivers should not resume driving if they still feel sleepy – winding down windows, turning up the radio and exercising have little effect in overcoming sleepiness.

The Loughborough Sleep Research Centre has also found that:

• One can of functional energy drink is effective in reducing moderate levels of sleepiness (eg the ‘afternoon dip’)
• Two cans will almost eliminate this level of sleepiness and sleep-related driving impairments for about 90 minutes after the drink takes effect

HOWEVER: Drivers should get adequate sleep and not see functional energy drinks as a substitute for sleep.

Contact: Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University SleepResearch@lboro.ac.uk +44 (0) 1509 228480

TOWING SAFELY (courtesy of the RAC)

The law

• When towing a trailer you are restricted to a maximum speed of 50mph on single carriageway roads, and 60mph on dual carriageways and motorways, provided no lower limit is in force. You are not allowed to use the outside lane of a three or more, lane motorway when towing, except where there are lane closures which restrict the lanes to two or less, or when instructed to do so by the Police.
• If you tow a small trailer without brakes, the weight of the trailer is limited to 50% of the kerb weight of the car or 750kg, whichever is less.
• When towing larger trailers that have brakes fitted, the weight of the vehicle should not (as a rule of thumb) exceed 85% of the kerb weight of the towing vehicle.
• Most vehicle manufacturers state the maximum towing limit in their hand books, but you must bear in mind the total weight including passengers and luggage, also any items put in the caravan or trailer. The weight can soon add up.

Before towing

• Make sure your trailer is regularly serviced and maintained. It is not wise to leave your caravan, horse box or trailer unused for the majority of the year before taking it out on the road without checking it for serviceability, brakes and tyres in particular.
• If your trailer has brakes, a common problem that may occur is that brake cables and linkages could seize. This may cause the brakes to bind, over heating the wheel bearings. This may result in the wheel, complete with the hub assembly, parting company with the trailer.
• Check the condition of tyres and tyre pressures regularly.
• If you are towing a large, high sided trailer or caravan you may require extended door mirrors. These will help visibility along both sides of your vehicle and trailer.
• You will need to be aware that the vehicle and trailer will take longer to stop, accelerate and turn than a vehicle on its own.

Loading your trailer

• Many problems associated with towing a trailer are caused by incorrect loading.
• Try to put all heavy items over the axle and make sure they are secured to prevent movement when cornering or braking.
• If possible, put heavier items in the car and larger lighter items in the trailer.
• Consult your trailer and car handbooks to establish the correct “nose weight” for your trailer. Most cars state 50kg-75kg.
• To check your nose weight place a flat piece of wood on your bathroom scales (to spread the load and prevent damage to the scales).
• Lower the jockey wheel of the trailer onto the centre of the wood and adjust the angle of the trailer so that it is level.
• To be more accurate, put a length of wood between the coupling head and the flat piece of wood on your scales ensuring the trailer is level.
• Check the weight shown on the scales and compare with your car / trailer requirements.
• If incorrect adjust the trailer load to compensate.
• Finally, check the load is secure and can’t move. It is always good policy to recheck your load after a few miles to confirm everything is secured properly.

Hitching up

• If the trailer is heavy to handle it is far easier to reverse the car up to the trailer.
• If you are in a tight position and wish to manually manoeuvre a double axle trailer, it will be easier, if you raise the front axle off the ground by using the jockey wheel.
• This would result in the trailer only having three wheels on the ground making it far easier to turn.
• Adjust the jockey wheel so that the coupling head is approximately 2″ to 3″ above the ball hitch on the back of the car.
• It is helpful to have a companion to guide you when reversing your vehicle, so that the ball is underneath the coupling head of the trailer.
• Lower the jockey wheel and lock the coupling head onto the ball, making sure it is properly locked on. Continue winding the jockey wheel to fully retract it into its outer case. Release the clamp lever and raise the whole unit and firmly reclamp, attach break away cable/securing chain to the hook on the tow bar, not ball, and connect electrical plugs to car.
• Finally, check all lights are working, cables do not drag on the road and the trailer hand brake is off.
• Stand back from the vehicle and trailer and check that both are level.
• If the back of the car is too low and the nose weight is correct and the car tow ball is the correct height, then you have either have got too much weight in the back of the car or the car springs need strengthening with spring assistors.

Manoeuvring

• Remember to allow for the extra length and width of your vehicle and trailer when taking corners or manoeuvring in a confined space.
• Take a wide line to ensure the trailer does not clip the kerb, keeping a watchful eye on both door mirrors. Reversing a small trailer is far more awkward than a large one as it is a lot more sensitive to steering, and can be difficult to see.
• When reversing into a space, turn the steering wheel the opposite way to normal to start the trailer turning, then slacken off and turn the normal way to enable the car to follow the trailer.
• If you oversteer your trailer it could jack-knife and cause damage. Therefore, stop, pull forward in a straight line, and retry.
• Don’t give up, keep practising.
• It would be useful to practise in a large open space before you are competent enough to go out on the road.

Snaking and stabilisers

• As long as the trailer is evenly loaded, nose weight is correct and the whole outfit sits level on the road you are unlikely to experience a problem with snaking, except for high sided trailers/caravans where side winds or passing HGVs can unrest the trailer.
• You may need a stabiliser. These reduce snaking by increasing the turning friction between towing vehicle and trailer. However a stabiliser will not compensate for bad loading, weight distribution.