Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership offers tips to help drivers get winter ready

As winter approaches Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is reminding drivers that now is a great time to book your vehicle in to a garage for a free winter safety check to help avoid unnecessary breakdowns and to keep you and your passengers as safe as possible on the road.

Most local garages offer this free check but you can also search online for a garage near you that offers this service.  You need to book in advance.

Checks include tyres, wiper blades and screen wash, anti-freeze levels, lights and battery levels.

Sharon Hilton of Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership said “Vehicle safety checks are even more important during the winter as the adverse weather conditions can affect the reliability and performance of your vehicle. Good tyres are essential in wet, icy and snowy conditions to maintain grip on the road so need to be checked regularly.  

“Headlights, brake lights and rear markers need to be checked by the driver constantly to ensure they work so that other road users can see you.”

The reminder follows on from the free garage open evenings during October when Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership teamed up with Whitmoore’s Auto Centre, Atherstone, Just Nice Clean Cars, Warwick, and Pro Tyre in Rugby and Southam with the aim of breaking down the barriers that prevent some drivers from using garages when services and repairs are required on their vehicles.   During the evenings drivers received FREE maintenance check sheets, screen wash and tyre checkers.

Sharon Hilton said “We were really pleased to see drivers turn up to learn more about vehicle maintenance including a mum who brought her 16-year-old son who was getting ready to learn to drive and found it really informative. 

“The evenings offered the opportunity for drivers to meet the mechanics, have a look around the garage, ask questions and be given tips and advice on how to carry out simple maintenance checks on their vehicles. “

“Having safer vehicles on the road is good news for all road users and helps us towards our target of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured in road collisions in Warwickshire by 50% by 2030.”

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service offers winter car checks across the county and gives advice around maintaining your car. The events will be advertised through the partnership and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue social media accounts.   Please follow us on Facebook on @WarwickshireRoadSafety and X formerly known as Twitter on @WarksRoadSafety for details.

More info on vehicle checks can be found here Vehicle checks | Vehicle safety checks

Photo above: Mechanic checking vehicle engine

Photo above: Mechanic with group at Garage open evening