Holiday Breakdown Blues

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance, etc!

It sounds like a stuck record, but keeping your car in tip-top condition is essential all-year round; even more so if, like many other people in the current climate, you’re keeping your current car for longer.

Don’t let the end of the icy season lull you into a false sense of security. Properly inflated tyres and regular checks on oil and screen wash levels are as important now as ever. Wiper blades need checking for wear and tear, too but do this when they are off and it's not raining. Make it easy for yourself.

Summer windscreens are magnets for dust, bird crap and squashed insects and dirty windscreens can make summer glare even worse.

Also, you may be using the air conditioning more, so check that it’s set correctly. Ask th epenquins sitting in th eback.

With long, hot summer drives to come, topping up the engine coolant could save you from an unscheduled holiday stop-off: an uncomfortable spell on the hard shoulder.

Breaking down can be a major headache, especially with excited or tired kids in the car, hopefully they are yours.

Holiday driving
One of the main differences between driving in summer and at any other time of year is the length of the journeys we make. Holiday trips can be long and tiring. Not to mention slow, noisy and boring.

To ensure a road trip with the family goes smoothly, advance preparation is key. For example, plan your route in advance and always carry; ear plugs, an MP3 player or anything at all you can stick in your ears to induce silence.

Give us a break!
Don’t forget to take regular breaks and make sure the kids have plenty to keep them occupied. Nothing is as distracting on a long drive as a cacophony of screaming from the back seat! Try playing the running from service station to service station game.

Take toys and games, but leave the kitchen sink at home. But, don’t overload the car, leave that up to your partner and the kids.

Remember to keep plenty of road between you and the car in front, that's if you can see it in the bright sun. Your stopping distance will be longer when the car is full of suitcases, picnic hampers and used (undisposable) nappies.

It’s a sad truth that the longer the journey, the more chance you have of getting caught in congestion, once or ten times. Careful planning can reduce the risk, but take something to eat and drink, just in case but always keep the empty bottles for emergency 'fill-ups' later when the loos can't be found.

Wear and glare
There’s been precious little evidence of it in the last couple of years, but British summers can apparently be hot(-ish!). A warm sun shining through the windscreen can make you feel tired and sleepy, so again, the best advice is to take regular breaks, and to avoid eating large and heavy meals (cause you can;t afford them anyway) just before a long journey or during a driving break.

Remember, too, that low afternoon and evening sun can glare through the windscreen. If it does, slow down, stay well behind the car in front and take extra care.

It’s also best to avoid filling your fuel tank to the brim in hot weather (as if you could afford too). Like all liquids, petrol expands when it heats up, and may seep out of the tank if it’s too full. Not sure if this applies to childrens' bladders but I think it does.

Driving abroad
Finally, you may be planning to drive on the continent this summer. If you plan to tour Europe it’s well worth getting up to speed before you go with the driving rules and requirements of the country you’re visiting.

Breaking down in a country where few people speak your language and being left stranded is most people’s idea of a nightmare!

English-speaking incident managers are available 24 hours a day and your local breakdown and recovery service will arrange to either; have your car fixed by the side of the road (fat chance!) or tow you to the nearest garage. It will even repatriate you and up to seven passengers to the UK if necessary (the cost of fixing the car in Europe is more than it's worth!).