Defrosting Thefts

With the arrival of the current inclement weather and temperatures set to fall below zero again this evening, please don't be tempted to leave your vehicle running unattended to warm up or defrost.

Opportunistic thieves often look for vehicles left running whilst defrosting, and it only takes a few seconds for someone to jump in and drive off. We often see an increase in vehicle theft in weather conditions such as these - thieves will take advantage, don't make it easy for them! If your car is stolen in these circumstances, many insurers will refuse to pay out should your car be stolen.

Furthermore, there is a likelihood of ice forming overnight, please ensure you are prepared if you need to drive anywhere in the coming days -

+ Wear comfortable and dry footwear for driving.

+ Take extra care if driving in icy or adverse conditions, such as ensuring you clear all your vehicle’s windows before driving (and roof if covered in snow as this can suddenly slide down your windscreen obscuring your view). Make sure your car is equipped in the event that you get stuck, such as having a blanket and refreshments.

+ Accelerate gently, use low revs and change up to a higher gear as soon as possible.

+ Move off in second gear as this will help reduce wheel slip – some cars have a winter mode, which does the same job – so to check whether your car has this function, look in the vehicle’s handbook.

+ Get your speed right and maintain safe stopping distances between you and the car in front, leaving as much as 10 times the normal recommended gap.

+ Use a low gear for going downhill and try to avoid braking unless necessary, make sure you leave plenty of space between you and the car in front.

+ When approaching a bend, brake before you actually start to turn the steering wheel. If your car does lose grip try not to panic; the key thing is to take your foot off the accelerator and make sure that your wheels are pointing in the direction you want to go in.

+ If you do encounter a skid, steer gently into it – for example, if the rear of the car is sliding to the right, steer to the right. Do not take your hands off the steering wheel or stamp your foot on the brakes.