With this period of cold weather in the South West of England, many of us will be waking to snow on our cars in Bath. If you’re in a rush, or just want to get the snow clearing job done fast, don’t think it’s enough to just simply brush off the snow from your car’s windows. It’s actually advised to remove all of the heavy snow from your car, otherwise you could be fined. Here’s the reasons why…
Don’t ignore the snow on your roof
According to the law, there is actually no definition covering snow on vehicles. However, that doesn’t mean that you can ignore that sheet of snow on your car’s roof. When we look at the highway code it states that by law you must ensure you can see out of every glass panel in your vehicle, especially when driving in poor weather conditions.
Therefore, there’s a high risk if you have snow on your roof that this could slide off and cover your vehicle’s windows, hampering your visibility. Get caught by the police and you could be issued with a £60 fine and 3 penalty points on your licence. Worse still, you could end up in an accident, injuring yourself and others.
It makes sense to spend that extra effort to clear all the snow off your vehicle before setting off. Even snow on your car’s bonnet could fall off and cover your lights, meaning in the dark no one can see you, or know which way you’re indicating.
‘Snow’ insurance
To give you an even bigger incentive to clear the snow off your car, if you get into an accident caused by the snow left on your car, even your insurance may not pay out. They could blame your lack of maintenance to clear your car of snow which caused the accident and therefore citing that the accident could’ve been avoided, leaving you to foot the bill when it comes to repairs and legal action.
Number plate covered with snow?
Your number plate must be visible at all times according to the law. This means before you set off you must clear the snow off the licence plate and away from the light which projects onto the number plate. Of course, depending on the weather conditions this could yet again build up but the next time you set off, make sure you check both plates are clear.
Mirrors and lights covered in snow
By now you should have got the idea that your mirrors and lights also need to be clear and free of snow before driving. This would hamper not only your vision but other road users may not be able to see your lights. If you have antifreeze or a suitable car scraper, removing snow from your vehicle shouldn’t take too long and give you the peace of mind that at least your vision and visibility is clear. You only then have to worry about the state of the road conditions.
Need a car service for winter?
Here at MCM Garage we’re always on hand to keep your car well maintained with our comprehensive car services. If you’re local to Bath or Radstock, then why not book your appointment with us and see just how dedicated we are to car care. Call us today on 01761 415 501 or send us an email.