Winter Car Care Tips for Locums
With the winter weather drawing in, we all know that warnings of icy roads can dominate the weather, news, AND travel!
Even though roads may be a little quieter, it’s inevitable that wintery weather might still cause hold up! That’s why it’s so important to have your car prepared for winter ahead of travelling to and from your locum placements.
Here are some of our top winter car care tips for locum healthcare professionals.
Keep your car well maintained
There’s nothing worse than a warning light coming on when you’re miles from a garage… except perhaps the car grinding to a halt in freezing cold or pouring rain! Take steps to avoid anything going wrong by carrying out some basic maintenance checks as soon as possible, preferably before the icy weather sets in.
This should include:
- Checking your car’s oil level
- Checking your car’s coolant level
- Check your car’s tyre pressures
- Check all your lights including indicators are working
It’s also a good idea to get a mechanic to give your car a once over and get it serviced – this will check that everything is ok with your break, battery, air filtration, and tire treads. As well as the essentials, you don’t want to find that things like your windscreen wipers or heated windscreen have stopped working.
Put together an emergency kit
When it comes to travelling, especially when you’re driving long distances, there’s no such thing as being too prepared!
Prepare for emergencies and problems by putting together an emergency kit to keep in your car.
This should include everything you’ll need for if you get stranded by the side of the road for a while.
- A portable power bank to charge your phone
- A torch and extra batteries
- De-icer for your windscreen
- A first aid kit
- Jump start cables
- Tire gauge
- A blanket or sleeping bag
- Hat, scarf and gloves
- Non-perishable snacks
- A couple of bottles of water, preferably in BPA free bottles
Plan your routes before setting off.
While it can be easy to rely on sat nav or Google Maps, plan out the route for your destination ahead of time. Print off or write down the roads or junctions you’ll need to take.
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