If like Chris Rea you’re driving home for Christmas - and you can’t wait to see those faces - you’ll want to follow these handy, common sense tips to avoid a festive breakdown:
1. Don’t neglect having your car serviced properly, as it is estimated that this contributes to more than 50% of all breakdowns.
2. Get your battery checked, as cold weather puts an additional strain on it.
3. Before setting off, check the pressure and tread on all of your tyres INCLUDING the spare.
4. Check and top up your screen wash so that it doesn’t run out mid journey.
5. Don’t be a fuel light gambler! Fill up before setting off, and refill when the gauge drops to one quarter, better that than running out of fuel in the middle of a festive tailback.
6. Route planning is essential for long journeys on busy Christmas roads, so check for delays before setting off and have an alternative route in mind if required.
Neil Worth, road safety officer at breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist, explains that it’s often the simple things that catch people out. “Figures suggest that nearly a million motorists break down every year purely because they run out of fuel,” he says. “Other top reasons our members call for breakdown assistance include flat tyres, dead batteries and other electrical malfunctions, most of which could be prevented through routine checks and regular servicing.
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