Winter driving workshops

Last winter 13,000 motorists on Buckinghamshire’s roads wished they had attended a winter driving workshop.

That’s roughly the number of motorists who called the AA for breakdown assistance between November to March.

The AA estimates that half of all breakdowns could be prevented if motorists serviced their vehicles at recommended intervals and carried out some basic checks. The most common calls were for a flat or faulty battery, flat or damaged tyres and losing your keys.

Waiting for roadside assistance in freezing temperatures is not the best use of your time but attending one of our FREE evening winter driving workshops is.

Our evening workshops have finished but if you would like to attend a workshop or have sufficient numbers to host your own, then please email roadsafety@buckscc.gov.uk with the numbers interested and what time of day/evening and your preferred location ie Aylesbury/South Bucks/Chiltern or Wycombe and if sufficient interest is shown we may be able to arrange some more.

Each workshop starts with a winter driving presentation by a driver training specialist on how to drive on winter roads, preparing your car for the winter and what to do if you break down.

Participants then split into small groups with a garage technician, where they will be shown what to check and how to top up essential fluids, replace wiper blades and how to change a tyre.

All participants will be given a free information pack with winter driving accessories.

All the workshops are FREE but we request a refundable deposit of £10.  To book a place(s) on the evening workshop please provide the following:

A) email roadsafety@buckscc.gov.uk with the name(s) of those wishing to attend which event, together with a contact number for them.
B) Send a £10  cheque made payable to Buckinghamshire County Council to Road Safety (Winter Maintenance), 10th floor, Tower Block, County Hall, Aylesbury. Bucks.  HP20 1UY.  Your cheque will be held until the evening you attend and handed back to you in person on the evening.

If you have any further queries, please contact Road Safety at 01296 382450.

For those who cannot attend the event, here are a few tips on how to stay safe this winter:

• Travel when absolutely necessary
• Allow more time for your journey
• Listen to local and national radio for travel and weather information
• Slow down and leave increased the space between you and the vehicle in front.

Be prepared when travelling. Keep the following in the car:

• Ice scraper
• De-icer
• Torch
• Warm clothes
• Blanket
• Spade
• Food & drink
• High visibility jacket
• First Aid Kit

Check:

• Your tyres are at the correct pressures.
• Your vehicle lights are clean and working.
• Your wiper blades are effective.
• Your battery is in good condition and fully charged.
• Your vehicle anti-freeze is the right concentration (your garage can do this for you).
• Your windows and mirrors are clear of ice or condensation.

For more information call 0845 2302882 or email tfb@buckscc.gov.uk