RAC issues winter car safety check list as vehicle breakdowns reach record high

14.12.2022 - 01:47 / dailyrecord.co.uk

Vehicle breakdowns reached record levels on Monday across the UK due to freezing cold weather - with a staggering eight people a minute requiring roadside assistance.

The RAC reported that it received about 12,000 call-outs from stranded motorists on Monday - the most in a single day since the road safety company began uniformed patrols in 1901 - and even more than the busiest day during the infamous Beast from the East cold snap in 2018.

Luckily, the road safety company has shared a winter safety checklist to help drivers avoid running into breakdowns this winter. Checking simple things like fuel, oil and coolant levels before hitting the road can help you spot any underlying mechanical issues, which can escalate as temperatures drop.

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “Yesterday was officially our busiest day for breakdowns on record, with around 12,000 drivers needing help, the equivalent of eight every minute of the day.

“We believe two key ingredients have combined to create the worst-ever winter breakdown cocktail – a sustained period of cold weather with an absence of widespread snow that would otherwise keep people indoors, and a big rise in the number of drivers who can’t afford to maintain their vehicles as well as they’d like to due to the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis."

The RAC recommends referring to the acronym "F.O.R.C.E.S" when carrying out your regular DIY checks through the winter. Here is what you should examine before every journey as the freezing weather continues.

It may sound obvious, but you should always check that you have plenty of fuel in your tank before any journey.

As the temperatures continue to drop, getting stranded is the last thing you want to happen - as exposure to the