As adverse weather approaches, take MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry’s tips to drive safely – and save money at the same time
Winter driving puts a lot of stress on your vehicle, which in turn costs extra cash.
But there are things you can do to make owning a car in winter cheaper while staying safe. Try these tips to save some cash without compromising safety!
Use a cashback site to switch your insurance
OK, switching insurance might not seem like a safety tip. But if you switch to a black box insurer, which monitors your driving, you could save a LOT on your annual insurance. This is particularly true for younger and newer drivers. You agree to a telematic monitor being placed in your car, which sends information back to the insurer about your driving, such as how quickly you brake, how you take corners, and your maximum speed.
Use a cashback site like Topcashback or Quidco to visit a comparison site, too – it’ll give you a nice chunk of change back in your pocket from paying your insurance.
Use a windscreen cover
If ice or snow is on the horizon, tuck your car in at night with a windscreen cover. They’re inexpensive and save you a bunch of hassle in the morning, as they provide insulation to prevent ice forming on your windscreen. This improves your safety when driving in winter, too – many drivers are impatient when it comes to clearing ice and snow from their car before setting off.
That can lead to accidents, as their view may be distorted. A windscreen cover also saves you money because you no longer need to run your car engine for many minutes each morning to clear the windscreen, either!
Pop to Halfords for a winter car check
Every winter, Halfords offers customers a free five-point check of their car. They’ll look at your wipers, windscreen condition, lights, and car battery, as well as send you an MOT reminder. This will help you keep the car in reasonable safe condition for winter.
You could also opt for the £15 ten-point check (free for Halfords members), which includes all of the above as well as a screenwash top-up, tyre checks, oil check, and an AdBlue and coolant check.
The idea behind getting one of these free or cheap checks is to spot any issues before they become a bigger problem. It’s easy to not realise your fog light is out, for example, until you’re driving along in dense fog. Spotting errors before they cause an accident is always going to save you money!
Plan ahead
If you’re taking a longer trip, plan ahead and ideally take a paper map with you in case your signal drops out in bad weather. Make sure you know an alternative route to take to get to your destination, in case of road closures. Planning also lets you pick which roads to take – some lesser-used country roads might be in worse condition with more potholes, for example, which can damage your car.
Don’t drive through flooded areas
You might think that’s a small puddle ahead of you. It could harbour a dangerous pothole, or be far deeper than you expect! Flooding is increasingly common on our roads. Avoid driving close to large puddles as you can’t know whether there is road damage or debris under the water which could damage your car or cause an accident.
Flooded roads can also be deeper than you expect, particularly in rural areas which are more likely to have hidden dips in the road. Driving fast through a flood could risk taking water into your engine – and that’s a VERY expensive fix and recovery mission. In heavy rain, drive slower and make sure you leave plenty of extra stopping distance between you and the car in front.
Wear layers and avoid idling
If you have a modern car, it’s designed to be able to drive as soon as you start it. There’s no need to leave it to warm up first thing in the morning for several minutes – saving you a lot of money on fuel. When in traffic, there’s no need to keep your engine running either!
Just as when you’re at home, wearing an extra layer in your car will also reduce the amount you need to use your heating, which can reduce fuel (or battery, in electric cars) use, too.
Be prepared
Finally, make sure you’re prepared for serious adverse weather. We never seem to know when the next blizzard might hit in the winter months, so make sure you have an emergency kit in your car.
A blanket, snacks like energy bars, bottled water, extra layers, and even a shovel are all important to keep to hand. This isn’t a money-saving tip per se, although if you can prevent yourself getting hypothermia you won’t need to Statutory Sick Pay from being off ill from work!
And of course, the main rule is: if the weather is bad, don’t drive unless you absolutely have to. Use public transport if you can, or reschedule your plans where possible. This will reduce your risk of expensive accidents and save money on fuel and maintenance.
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