Winter Driving Tips Start With Clean Number Plates

Reg Plates Article

Winter Driving Tips Start With Clean Number Plates

As the winter months approach, it's crucial for drivers to be aware of the potential hazards and adjust their driving habits accordingly. Winter driving presents unique challenges, and making seemingly minor mistakes can have significant consequences. Here are seven common winter driving mistakes that can cost you dearly:

Leaving your car idling to defrost: Idling your car while defrosting the windows may seem like a convenient way to warm up the vehicle, but it's illegal and can lead to fines of up to £20. Additionally, idling increases exhaust emissions, contributing to air pollution. Instead, use a frost guard, a defogger, or even a homemade de-icer made with lukewarm water and rubbing alcohol to safely melt away ice and frost.

Failing to clean your number plate: As the roads become dirtier during the winter, mud and grime can quickly obscure your number plate, making it difficult for authorities to identify your vehicle. This can result in a £1,000 fine for failing to display your registration number clearly. Regularly clean your number plate with a mild detergent and a soft sponge to ensure it remains visible.

Driving with faulty tyres: Winter tires are essential for providing adequate traction and handling on snow and ice. Driving with worn-out or faulty tires increases the risk of skidding, losing control of the vehicle, and causing accidents. Check your tires regularly for tread depth, ensuring they meet the legal minimum of 1.6mm. Replace tires if they show uneven wear, cuts, or bulges.

Not using winter windscreen washer fluid: Standard windscreen washer fluid may freeze in cold temperatures, making it ineffective in clearing away snow and ice. Opt for a winter-specific washer fluid that remains effective even at low temperatures. These fluids typically contain alcohol or ethylene glycol, which lower the freezing point and keep the washer fluid liquid.

Failing to adjust your driving speed and following distance: Winter roads can be more slippery and unpredictable, requiring drivers to adjust their speed accordingly. Slow down and increase your following distance to maintain control and provide ample time to react to unexpected situations. Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, as these manoevers can cause the vehicle to skid or lose control.

Driving through flooded roads: Even shallow floods can damage your car's electrical system, engine, and interior. If you encounter a flooded road, it's best to turn around and seek an alternative route. If you must cross, proceed cautiously at a low speed and avoid submerging the engine or exhaust.

Soaking pedestrians with your windscreen washers: Engaging your windscreen washer fluid while driving can cause a spray of water and dirt to fly towards pedestrians, especially those walking on the pavement or crossing the road. Be mindful of pedestrians and avoid using your windscreen washers when there are people nearby. If necessary, pull over to a safe location to clear your windscreen.

By avoiding these common winter driving mistakes, you can significantly reduce the risk of accidents, fines, and expensive repairs. Stay informed about weather conditions and road closures, equip your car with winter necessities, and drive defensively to ensure a safe and enjoyable winter driving experience.

How close a series of letters or numbers are to a real name of word: if the match quality is high (and the numbers and letters are very convincing in making a popular word), the value of the registration plate will be higher. This means that a match like 5IMON, for the name Simon, will be worth a lot more than a more obscure set of letters and numbers that are not as convincing a match, such as S17 MMM for the name Sam.

The style of the plate: this means establishing if it is a new-style plate, an older-style format or if it is dateless or Irish, for instance. Other options are that it is a prefix-style plate or a suffix-style plate. New-style number plates, which have been produced since 2001, tend to be the least valuable because they are a bit less appealing to some collectors, plus the rule about not having plates that are newer than your car can also come into play, putting people off from buying a newer-style plate for their older car. Prefix-style number plates, which were in production between 1983 and 2001 can be more popular as more vehicles are entitled to have those licence numbers, and they may have fewer characters in total. Suffix-style plates, issued from 1963 to 1983 are relatively rare, which means they can attract higher prices than prefix-style plates and newer designs. Dateless number plates, also known as cherished number plates, were produced between 1903 and 1963 and are nearly always the most valuable number plate configurations; they have fewer digits and their dateless nature means that people can hide the age of their car. Irish number plates are similar to dateless number plates, especially because they don’t have a year identifier. They also tend to be cheaper than other types of vehicle registration plates.

number plates reg transfers