Fuzz Townshend’s Winter Driving Checklist

As we embrace the chill of winter, it’s important to be prepared for the colder temperatures ahead. To help make sure your vehicle is winter-ready, we’ve asked our resident Tyre Teacher, Fuzz Townshend, to share his expert winter tyre checklist.

• Tyres pressures & tread depth – Proper tyre maintenance is critical during winter, as your tyres play a crucial role in keeping your vehicle safe on icy or wet surfaces. It’s essential to regularly check both your tread depth and tyre pressure.
• An easy way to check your tyre’s tread depth is with a 20p coin. Simply insert the coin into the tread grooves – If the band of the coin is hidden, your tyres are above the legal limit. If the band is visible, it’s time for some new tyres ASAP – if stopped by police with illegal tyres, you risk a £2,500 fine and 3 penalty points per tyre. It’s best to regularly check your tyre to ensure you remain aware of when your treads are getting low.
• For tyre pressures, use a home air pump and consult your vehicle’s manual for the correct pressures. If you don’t have a tyre inflator at home, most petrol stations offer one for a small fee. Maintaining proper tyre pressure is particularly important in winter, as cold weather can cause tyre pressures to drop, and underinflated tyres can lose their ability to grip the road properly, especially on icy surfaces.
• Check your washer fluid – Maybe not something you might consider useful in the cold, but winter spec washer fluids contain anti-freeze chemicals that can defrost the ice on your windscreen and prevent your windscreen fogging up, something you only realise is important when the temperatures drop and visibility becomes more challenging.
• Bring winter essentials – An ice scraper, hi-vis and de-icer can come in handy, but one other consideration Fuzz suggests is time! Leaving the house earlier for work or road trips can ensure that the unexpected time spent clearing any snow and ice from your vehicle doesn’t impact your plans.

Fuzz goes into more detail in our video below, but if you’re looking to learn some more tips and tricks, check out our blog, and to see more of our Tyre Teacher Fuzz Townshend, check out our handy playlist on the Landsail Tyres YouTube Channel.