Summer driving safety

Why on earth do we need a blog on summer driving safety when car maintenance in summer is a cinch? Surely it’s the other seasons that are the worst offenders.

No fog lights required in this blog!

Perhaps not, but heat presents a clear and present danger to your car and driving in summer, so you need to know how to manage it and drive safely when temperatures rise.

Hot roads, melting tarmac, sudden summer downpours, insects, and the glare of the sun in your eyes can lead to meltdowns of the motoring kind. The season of fun might look innocent enough but lurking beneath are hidden hazards that we at Dumfries MOT Centre hear about summer after summer.

Here goes…

Tyres safety summer

We repair tyres at Dumfries MOT Centre and the summer months are just as busy for tyre checks, repairs, and safety advice. If you get cranky in the heat, just imagine what it’s like for your poor tyres. They’re your first line of defence when heat rises from the roads and can’t do anything but take the pressure, increasing the risk of a blowout if they’ve seen better days.

Unlike people, they’re best approached early in the morning when cold so that you can check them properly. And don’t whatever you do forget the spare.

Tread depth is essential for manoeuvrability when those summer showers hit. The UK legal limit is 1.6mm but changing them at around the 3mm stage ensures you’re not slipping from the optimum grip point. But if in doubt, get yourself along to Dumfries MOT Centre and we’ll take a look. Summer tyre care is something we’re passionate about.

Car overheating

Those poor unfortunates on the hard shoulder with an overheated engine. You don’t want to join their number. But don’t get too comfy in your smugness as you whizz by with your iced mocha because any car engine can overheat on stinking hot days when you’ve places to be.

Keep your eye on the coolant gauge, and if it’s ever rather on the high side, pull over where it’s safe to do so and allow it to cool down, but please never ever remove the radiator cap when it’s hot if you come over all mechanical.

A cooling system check is probably in order if yours is regularly getting all hot under the bonnet. We can do this as part of our servicing packages.

Air con or windows down?

It wasn’t a quandary in Shakespeare’s day but we’re sure he’d have penned a sonnet if it were. Perhaps your air con service has a funny tang to it, so you prefer the windows down, but what about the aerodynamic drag in that case?

Or is your air con on the blink? Are you blinking like mad because of leaky eyes caused by wind tunnel-like conditions. The dog might love it, their wee ears flapping behind them like handlebars, but is it safe for dogs to travel this way? Read this blog!

Air con is more fuel efficient at motorway speeds, but nothing beats windows down when crawling through slow traffic in town. Just make sure your valuables aren’t within grabbing distance on the seat.

Windscreens at dawn

Scraping ice off the windscreen at dawn is far from a scream, but summer doesn’t let you off scot-free either. Smudges on the windscreen can be potentially hazardous when they cause you to mistake obstacles for grime in your field of vision.

Get washing and buffing so that when the glare of the sun does hit, you can see all the increased summer activity, like cyclists, kids playing, walkers, dogs, caravans, trailers, and seaside revellers, or those who insist on walking on country roads with no path.

And for heaven’s sake, please invest in a decent pair of wiper blades.

When the sun hangs low in the evening, and especially when it hits you out of the blue on a bend, it can glare you out!

Book your MOT

We all get a little bit more relaxed about deadlines in the lazy summertime but if your MOT is looming, then why put it off? You might forget and clock up a hefty fine that could’ve been better spent on summer fun. Give us a call on 01387 440 450 or book online.

Do cars need more fuel in summer?

Yes. Air con and windows down causing drag and lower fuel economy. So, saving fuel is something else you need to think about, in case you get snarled up in the dreaded holiday traffic jams and find yourself running low with your heart pumping high.

Driving smoothly, emptying the boot, keeping tyres properly inflated, using cruise control – all contribute quenching your car’s need to guzzle gas.

Car safety check before trip

Summer driving and summer road trips in the UK are wonderful if your car’s up to the job. Maybe you need a wee top-up or MOT and it’s all at highly competitive prices and done by our trusted local mechanics.

Contact us for a pre-holiday safety check for tyres, brakes, fluid levels, battery health, lights and more.

Happy summer motoring!