Tips for driving in summer
Wednesday 11th August 2021
Spending a lot of time on the road this summer? From overheating to glare when driving, there are a few problems you’ll want to avoid. We’ve put together our best summer driving tips to help keep you safe and comfortable on the roads. If you’re travelling abroad this summer, take a look at our driving abroad checklist.
Summer driving tips
Keep your air con topped up
If you’re lucky enough to have air conditioning, you’re certain to be the envy of your friends and family that don’t. Although most modern vehicles are usually equipped with air conditioning, there are still a few things you need to consider if you want to keep it working effectively all year round:
- Keep your air conditioning gas topped up - if you haven’t used your air conditioning for a while, and you’ve been greeted with nothing but hot air, it’s likely you need to recharge your car’s air conditioning system. At Formula One Autocentres, we provide an Air Conditioning Re-Gas from £59. If your air conditioning isn’t cooler after our aircon re-gas, the service is free of charge!
- Avoid unpleasant smells – to keep your car smelling fresh in the summer sun, book your vehicle in for an Air Conditioning Clean to remove the harmful bacteria that can build up. The last thing you want is to be undertaking a lengthy summer car journey, with a troublesome smell lingering in the air. To prevent additional maintenance costs, read our handy car air conditioning tips.
If you don’t have air conditioning in your car, we’ve put together some helpful summer driving tips to keep your car cool without air con.
Reduce sunglasses glare
Glare can occur at any time of the year, and can come from many sources including low sunlight, bright car lights or streetlighting. Blinding glare when driving in sunglasses isn’t only an inconvenience, it also obstructs your vision and poses a real threat to yourself and other drivers. But how can you reduce sunglasses glare? We recommend:
• Choosing the right lenses – if you’re going to be wearing your sunglasses frequently whilst driving, ask your optician to advise you on the best lenses. Even if you have 20/20 vision and don’t necessarily require prescription sunglasses because of impaired vision, it’s worthwhile investing in a decent pair of sunglasses with anti-reflection coating to help you see better when driving.
• Ensuring your glasses and windscreen are clean – keep glasses wipes handy to ensure your lenses are clean and streak-free. Similarly, ensure your windshield washer fluid is always topped up to prevent a build-up of grime on your windscreen.
Avoid tyre bursts
Tyres are more likely to burst in the summer due to excess pressure. But the warmer weather doesn’t have to impact the performance of your tyres. We suggest:
- Investing in summer tyres – although it may seem like an unnecessary task, investing in proper summer tyres should be an essential part of your car maintenance.Summer tyres are designed to be used in temperatures above 7 °C and will provide the smoothest and safest ride in warmer weather. Learn more about the difference between summer and winter tyres.
- Checking the air pressure of your tyres regularly – we recommend checking your tyre pressure once every couple of weeks. Incorrect tyre pressure is one of the most common causes of tyre bursts. Both under and overinflated tyres can be dangerous, especially during the summer months because the heat weakens tyres and can lead to blowouts. Use our free tyre pressure calculator to find out what the air pressure of your tyres should be.
- Looking out for tyre damage – if your tyres are aged or in poor condition, they’re even more likely to burst in the summer months. Make sure to give your tyres the once over and keep an eye out for cuts and cracks. Learn more about why tyres burst in the summer. If you find you need to replace your tyres, we stock an extensive range of premium brand and budget car tyres, all available to buy online.
To keep your car in the best condition for summer driving, find your nearest car servicing centre or speak to one of our specialism team for advice.