Driving After Lockdown: A Few Things To Consider
On Sunday, Boris Johnson announced minor alterations to the nation’s lockdown measures. Those who can’t work from home were told to go back to work, providing they can drive or avoid public transport. For drivers, there’s a few things worth considering…
Have Road Layouts Changed?
The nation has been under lockdown for over 50 days. Despite this, roadworks have continued in some places. That means that, once restrictions are lifted, drivers could be facing significantly altered roads; with new signage and speeding restrictions. It’s important, then, to be prepared for these once drivers return to the wheel. Check online for any announcements from your council and drive cautiously when you return to your commute. It’s speculated that there will be an increase in the number of cyclists and pedestrians, so it’s important to watch out for them and to consider their safety. Don’t assume things are going to be as they were before the coroanvirus crisis.
Are You Still Confident?
It’s unusual for most drivers to go for weeks, let alone months, without driving. For many of us, the trips we have been taking have been short and over familiar routes. As a consequence, experts are concerned that many of us will be out of practice when lockdown measures are relaxed. Over 500,000 people have declared their cars SORN; meaning they’re not driving them at all. So, when you do start regularly driving again, you need to start slowly. Re-familiarise yourself with motoring, the characteristics of your vehicle and adopt a steady and cautious pace. Avoid long journeys, or busy areas, if you can to begin with.
Is Your Car Up To It?
Cars aren’t meant to be sat idle for weeks on end. As a consequence, it’s likely that many cars throughout the country will now possess technical and mechanical faults; especially when it comes to batteries and dirty fluids. Indeed, breakdown companies usually receive thousands of call outs after the Christmas holiday due to battery faults; so we can imagine what the situation will be like after lockdown measures are relaxed. Ultimately, it’s important that you check on your vehicle once a week or so. Check that its tyre pressures are at correct levels, ensure the battery is functioning properly and switch on the ignition from time to time; this will get fluids moving around the engine and will clear out debris.
20% Of Motorists Say They Will Drive Less After Lockdown – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/blog/20-of-motorists-say-they-will-drive-less-after-lockdown/
There Are Now 40 Million Registered Cars And Vans In The UK – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/there-are-now-40-million-registered-cars-and-vans-in-the-uk/
