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Hayfever sufferer? … Minimise the effect of hayfever when driving. If you're driving at 70mph and sneeze you lose your vision for as much as 100 metres. Have a “fit” of several sneezes in a row, it’ll be much more. Sufferers should:
- Only take medication which doesn't cause drowsiness
- Get someone else to drive if you are having a particularly bad hayfever day
- Enquire about pollen filters, if available for your make of car
- Keep a box of tissues on or near the dashboard for easy access
- Slow down and drop back if you're about to sneeze
- Wear sunglasses to block out bright sunlight
- Close windows and air vents to reduce pollen grains in the car
- Vacuum car mats and carpets regularly during summer, to get rid of dust
Engine Overheating … Extreme summer temperatures, mean that it is important to keep coolant levels topped up. Keep a close check on the engine temperature gauge. Leaking coolant hoses and broken electric cooling fans can all result in overheating and temperatures fierce enough to cause severe and expensive damage.
Before travelling a long distance … Check that brake, clutch and power steering fluids, oil, and coolant levels are up to the mark
Fill the windscreen-washer bottle using a screen-wash additive to help clear traffic film and dead insects
Check and adjust tyre pressures - increasing them for heavy loads if necessary. The correct pressures will be given in the car's handbook
Clean the windscreen, windows and mirrors.
If a service is due, get it done before you go on holiday - repairs can be more expensive away from home.
Punctures … High summer temperatures heat up tyres and aggravate any existing damage to the rubber. Under-inflation compounds this, causing friction and added heat which can prove too much for weak spots, causing punctures and blow-outs.
Make sure that you have the correct tyre inflation pressures, especially when towing. Caravans laid up for the winter should have their tyres checked for cracks and any damaged tyres renewed before use.
Loose chippings … Summer is the time for surface dressing as highways authorities improve local roads by laying tar covered with loose chippings. But while the work is necessary and effective, preserving roads and improving skid resistance, it is the curse of motorists, with bills for cracked headlamp glasses and windscreens, and damaged paintwork.
Reduce the risk of damage to bodywork by being aware of road re-surfacing work, driving within posted speed limits and nor driving too close to other vehicles.
Fire risks … After several days without rain, highway verges and embankments across the country can become bone dry, and a smouldering cigarette butt could be all that it takes for roadside grass to ignite - in previous hot summers we have seen mile after mile of blackened motorway verges.
Roadside fires endanger the countryside, wildlife, and put motorists at risk because of the obvious danger from smoke reducing visibility. They can also cause traffic snarl-ups as emergency services tackle the blaze.
Glare … Being blinded by sun glare causes many accidents, particularly under clear skies at dawn or dusk.
Keep a clean and unscratched pair of sunglasses handy but avoid photochromic lenses, which darken in strong sunlight - the ultraviolet rays which trigger the change are filtered by the windscreen so that the glasses will change only slowly. This is dangerous when driving in and out of tunnels for example.
Clean the windscreen regularly, inside and out, to remove smears, which will catch sunlight and impair vision. Renewing worn or damaged wiper blades will also help to improve vision.
Tractors … don't have to be fitted with brake or indicator lights unless used at night - in daylight be prepared for them to stop or turn without warning. Also, tractor drivers often have sound-proofed cabs or wear ear protectors, so they may not hear approaching cars.
It's easy to get restless when slow-moving vehicles are holding you up, but impatience can lead to accidents. For safe rural driving:
- Remember the two second rule - keep plenty of distance behind the tractor, in case it brakes suddenly
- A tractor may be longer than it appears, particularly if it has a loader on the front. If you overtake it make sure you have plenty of room to get past it.
- Slow down if you come across a spillage - for example a bale of straw hit at speed can cause considerable damage to a car
- Don't park in a gateway or passing place - they are farmers' field access points
- Drive carefully after rain - dry mud can turn roads into a skidpan after a downpour
Drowned or lost key fobs … The recovery services report that it's not unusual for motorists to either lose their keys in sand or take their remote control keys for a swim and then find that car doors won't open. Salt in sea water can ruin electric circuits and render transponder keys useless.
Keep keys safe and dry but also make sure that you know the alternative method for getting into the car if the key fob fails.
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