Driving home for Christmas – road safety tips this winter

Driving home for Christmas – road safety tips this winter

Last weekend my little family and I loaded the car up with Christmas presents and drove the 4 hour journey north to visit our parents in Mid Wales. Yes, I know it is still only November but we live so far away now, we probably won’t have another chance before Christmas to see them and deliver all our gifts. I miss living in Swansea and only being an hour and half away, a 4 hour drive for me is a big deal. You see, I have not always been the most confident of drivers, it took me a fair few attempts to pass my test and I have, unfortunately, had a few bumps and scrapes along the way. In more recent years I have been steadily getting more comfortable driving on motorways and driving on roads I don’t know. However, this confidence is always significantly knocked when there has been an accident on route, like there was this weekend….

Driving home for Christmas – road safety tips this winter

After a lovely couple days with the family we jumped in the car around 5 on Sunday to start our long journey home. We made it down to the M4 in really good time and stopped at a service station for some coffee and to change Leo into his pyjamas. We were back on the road in no time and the drive was going well until, all of a sudden, a sea of red brake lights lit up the motorway. There is only one reason traffic would be this bad on a Sunday night. A quick browse from Oli on the AA website confirmed our fears, there had been a multi car accident on the M4, queues and delays were to be expected.

Initially Oli and I were frustrated, we just wanted to get home. The journey is long enough without having to be stuck in traffic because of an accident. Once the irrational annoyance subsided I began to think about the accident, hoping everyone was OK and how, if we hadn’t stopped, we could have potentially witnessed it or even been involved ourselves.
I don’t know what caused the accident as when we eventually drove past everything, thankfully, had been cleaned up. However, over 1200 road accidents in the UK every year are caused because of problems with car tyres. I don’t know if defective tyres caused this accident or if someone was driving too fast or whatever but, now knowing this statistic, I know for sure I will be checking my tyres from now on – just to be on the safe side.

Becoming a parent makes us worry about all sorts of things, doesn’t it? Is the house baby proofed? Is my child getting all of their 5 a day? Even when it comes to car travel, us parents up our safety game, We spend ages selecting the best car seat for our child and we always make sure it is fastened securely before we set off on our journey, always.  But, do you always check your tyres? I know I don’t. When I was asked to get involved in a campaign to raise awareness of tyre safety I was very happy to participate. As Christmas is just around the corner and lots of you will be travelling all over in the next month or so to visit family, now is the perfect time to make sure your tyres are safe. All is needed is a quick check before you head off on your journey, it is especially important to do these checks if you are planning on driving a long distance.

car
1. Keep correct tyre pressure – check tyres are not deflated but do not over inflate either (correct pressure can be fond in your cars handbook)
2. Examine tyres regularly – check for stones and any other objects that may have got stuck.
3. Check your tread – the minimum legal tread for tyres in the U.K is 1.6mm

I know most of the time we are always in a rush to get places and we have a million and one other things to remember, but if we can find just 2 extra minutes to give the car tyres a once over, you never know, a car accident waiting to happen could easily be avoided. To make things even easier, the lovely people at Tyre Safe have created a short video, showing you exactly what you need to do…

If you have just watched this video, checked your tyres and realised, oh no, your tyres are not safe for the road then don’t panic, go get them fixed/replaced now while you remember! I have recently moved and am yet to figure out what local garage to take my beloved Fiesta to, I have been stung a few times in the past, been over charged by some money hungry mechanic and ended up with more problems than when I took the car in. If, like me, you are new to an area or fancy trying someone new, Point S are a leading supplier of tyres in the UK with over 40 years experience. They have over 200 centres across the country, all of which can easily be found on their website and by simply typing in your car reg their website tells you exactly what tyres you need. Appointments can easily be booked online and you can see how much everything is going to cost before you have committed to anything.

With all the little jobs we have to do before we head off in the car anyway – change baby’s nappy, wrestle shoes on to toddler, chuck pram into the boot – what’s one more? Tyre safety is so important and wouldn’t you  rather be the family caught up in the queue of cars on the motorway than be the family involved in the crash causing those very queues? Also, if the police catch you driving around with defective tyres that’s a fine of over £2000, no one wants that and especially not a month before Christmas, right? So check your tyres, whether you are driving around in a brand new car, a second hand car or the same car you’ve had for years. Don’t risk the safety of your family.

Do you regularly check your tyres? If not, do you think you will start now? If you are travelling to see friends and family this month I hope you all have a wonderful time.

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27 Comments

  1. November 27, 2015 / 2:45 pm

    Merry Christmas in November! I love the first pic with snow.I'm from Uruguay and we are at spring seasin and we will be at summer next Dec.21…I never get a white christmas.
    About your post…the issue is the same in my country…around the world people must take all carefull when their drive,but…unfortunatelly lots of people didn't take care. In this time all the world are crazy…driving like crazy people.They don't think about.
    See you

  2. November 27, 2015 / 9:05 pm

    Great reminder post, especially at this time of year! I rely on my husband to do this sort of thing but it is something I should get into the habit of doing really. #picknmix

  3. Mrs Tubbs
    November 27, 2015 / 9:06 pm

    Excellent reminder. I must have a closer look at our tyres to make sure they're okay

  4. November 28, 2015 / 12:23 am

    Such great tips. I am a former driving instructor so kind of have this drummed into me but I think it is always good to send out reminders of this sort of thing. Thank you so much for linking to #PoCoLo x

  5. November 28, 2015 / 8:42 am

    You will have to travel somewhere cold one year so you can have a white Christmas. Yes there are some crazy drivers out there, I don't know how some people pass their tests!Thanks for your comment xx

  6. November 28, 2015 / 9:34 am

    Thank you. Yes I get the husband to deal with any car related issues but I'm going to make more of an effort to check things now xx

  7. November 28, 2015 / 9:35 am

    Yes do it, it's better to be safe than sorry..as people say xx

  8. November 28, 2015 / 9:36 am

    Thank you for hosting! Ah well I expect your tyres are in perfect condition then 🙂 xx

  9. Izzie Anderton
    November 28, 2015 / 1:38 pm

    Thanks for the timely reminder about tyre safety. I was involved in an accident last year and when my car was returned from the repair shop I discovered the new tyre pressures were all low… I guess you can only rely on yourself to check that these are accurate. Great post x

  10. November 28, 2015 / 10:51 pm

    It is really scary when you are so close to a major collision like that and it does go through your mind how lucky you are not to have been involved… We are getting our tyres replaced this month – one less thing to worry about!
    ax
    #kcacols

  11. Rebecca Roversi
    November 29, 2015 / 8:42 am

    I've not had my car long so I know my tyres are in good condition but this most is definitely a good reminder. Love the picture of the snow and hoping for some things year! #KCACOLS

  12. November 29, 2015 / 6:40 pm

    This is a really good reminder. Checking your tyres is so important all year round but with road conditions worsening in the winter it's so important to make sure they are road ready #KCACOLS

  13. November 29, 2015 / 6:55 pm

    We don't have a car so we don't (obviously! lol), but I know my parents are really up on getting theirs checked regularly. 🙂 #KCACOLS

  14. November 29, 2015 / 6:55 pm

    Oh yes my hubby checks our tyres regularly especially if we are heading venturing out onto the motorway. This post is such a great way to help raise awareness too!xx #KCACOLS

  15. November 30, 2015 / 9:28 am

    I don't drive so it's not something I think about but I know my dad is very safety conscious (his work is H&S oriented) so I'm sure he checks his and my mum's.

    #SundayStars

  16. A Cornish Mum Blog
    November 30, 2015 / 8:30 pm

    We're careful and keep an eye on the tyres etc as it's scary thinking what could happen. Thanks for linking up to #Picknmix
    Stevie x

  17. A Cornish Mum Blog
    November 30, 2015 / 8:31 pm

    We're careful and keep an eye on the tyres etc as it's scary thinking what could happen. Thanks for linking up to #Picknmix
    Stevie x

  18. Mama, My Kid Doesn't Poop Rainbows
    December 1, 2015 / 1:14 am

    Good point. I never do check our tyres, or anything else with the car really. That stops now, thanks for the heads up and thanks for linking up to #fartglitter x

  19. Sara HandyHerbs
    December 1, 2015 / 10:35 am

    What a great reminder post! Will definitely be out checking (or sending someone more useful!) that all is in order. #abitofeverything

  20. Tracey Abrahams
    December 1, 2015 / 10:52 am

    This is a very important mesaage to spread. Tyre checks should be done weekly (according to my ex who was a mechanic) .
    Thank you for sharing this with us, Tracey xx #abitofeverything

  21. charlotte ratcliffe
    December 2, 2015 / 10:45 am

    it's so great that you posted this it is so important for people to be safe this Christmas, especially those travelling! I have shared xx #KCACOLS

  22. December 2, 2015 / 3:57 pm

    Some good tips for safe driving. Good post! #abitofeverything

  23. Franca Desjardins
    December 4, 2015 / 11:51 am

    Yes we do especially when we are planning a long journey. Nick's family live about 2 hrs from us so when we go there we usually check the tyres before to be saved than sorry!! Thanks for sharing this at #KCACOLS. As always, I'm very happy to have you this week too! 🙂 xx

  24. December 5, 2015 / 1:17 am

    I hate driving in the winter, especially with the terrible rain we have had recently with the amount of surface water and flooding.Its almost been as bad as icy roads. Thanks for linking up with #sundaystars x

  25. December 6, 2015 / 8:57 pm

    I don't drive so luckily this isn't something I have to worry about, but good tips and well done for raising road safety awareness 🙂
    Thanks for linking up to #AnythingGoes
    Debbie

  26. July 20, 2018 / 9:01 am

    Winter is my least favorite season for driving. I would rather have my relatives come over to celebrate the holidays rather than us having to travel to them. But sometimes, it is necessary to travel and inevitable. Thank you for the tire safety tips.