Our Top Festive Driving Tips

For many of us, the festive season means heading out to see family and friends, even if it’s just to dutifully hand-deliver those gifts and cards. With potentially unfamiliar roads to tackle and some less-than-ideal weather conditions, you’ll need to prepare properly to ensure a fuss-free journey. When heading out on the road, make sure you plan the trip thoroughly and if it is a long one, factor in some regular pit stops. To help, our guide on the top festive driving tips for when you hit the road over Christmas will do just the job.  

Plan your trips

Whether you’re heading somewhere new or you’re just popping to somewhere you usually visit, plan the route you’ll take, and load up the sat nav in advance - remember it’s an offence to be adjusting it while you’re on the move. Work out where you’ll need to stop, if at all, and ensure you’ve got enough fuel for the journey to avoid a mad dash! 

Keep your car secure 

Chances are you’ll be carrying some precious cargo over the festive season, so ensure you’re keeping it out of the sight and reach of anyone who may feel tempted to take it. Plan where you’ll park, and take care not to leave anything valuable in view - better still, avoid leaving it unattended in your car at all. 

Check your car’s vitals

Just as with any journeys you take, ensure your car is up to the job first. Check that all the bulbs in your lights work, fluids (such as washer fluid and oil) are topped up, and your tyres are within the minimum legal tyre tread depth, which is 1.6mm. Make sure there’s enough air in them too! 

Don’t overload your car

An overloaded car isn’t just an aerodynamics issue, or even a matter of economy (a heavier car uses more fuel to get going), it’s actually illegal to exceed your car’s weight limit. If the whole family is heading out for Christmas, ensure the associated luggage is a weight your car can handle. Check your vehicle’s manual if you need clarification on its weight limit. 

Prep for entertainment  

We all know the cry of ‘are we nearly there yet?’, and we’re betting you’d like to avoid it this Christmas! Keep the Christmas tunes jolly, and the iPads and books handy for anyone who might get bored on the move. 

Drive with care 

Whilst sometimes the unpredictable can happen on the roads, you’ll maximise the chances of a faultless trip by not only preparing for your festive driving, but also doing it carefully too. Adhere to speed limits, take your time, and keep to the rules of the road, even when the Christmas excitement is at its peak. 

Find a new car for 2023 at West Motors

If your festive journeys get you craving a new set of wheels, we might just be able to help here at West Motors. We’ve got a large selection here at our West London dealership, and there’s bound to be something in stock that will make you look forward to the trips next Christmas - and the ones in between then and now! Get browsing on our website today.