Don’t end up counting costs of winter motoring

THE Road Safety Authority (RSA) issued advice to motorists on getting ready for bad weather as far back as September but an unusually mild autumn made it easy to put the suggestions on the long finger, writes Grainne McGuinness. 

Winter has arrived with a vengeance around Ireland in recent days however, and any drivers who haven’t checked over their vehicles should make it a priority.

The safety of the driver, their passengers, and other road users is reason enough but there can also be a heavy financial cost to being unprepared for poor weather. The AA calculate the annual cost of tyres, repairs, and servicing of a family car at more than €1,000 per year but a breakdown can push this up dramatically and the number of winter breakdowns occurring on Irish roads has increased by 17% over the past two years.

“Some of us may be tempted to dodge a repair bill until we are literally stopped in our tracks, the cost may be even greater in the long-term,” says Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs with AA.

Two of the main causes of breakdowns are batteries and tyres, with the latter particularly dangerous.

“A quarter of all breakdowns are electrical and batteries cause more AA call outs than anything else. But tyres are even more important and unfortunately in Ireland we tend to neglect them. Take a few minutes to check the tyres have a good amount of tread left on them, with no cuts or damage, and are properly inflated.”

The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm but for safety, it is recommended that you should have at least 3mm tread on each tyre. If you do need fresh ones you may be tempted by inexpensive part-worn tyres, but an RSA example explains why this may be a false economy.

“A part worn tyre costing €30 has tread thickness of 3.6mm. Therefore, it has 2mm of useable tread before it reaches the minimum legal tread depth of 1.6mm. This works outs at €15 per mm of usable tread.

“On the other hand, a new tyre costing €80 has 8mm of tread. Therefore, it has 6.4mm of useable tread before it reaches the minimum legal tread depth of 1.6mm. This works out at €12.50 per mm of useable tread, and therefore offers better value.”

Advance Pitstop have a current offer aimed at motorists getting read for the winter. Until December 31, customers who buy two or more Continental branded tyres will get a voucher for a free basic car service with the company.

To protect against the other major cause of breakdowns, the AA recommend you ensure your battery is working correctly. If your car is struggling to start it’s a sign that the battery is weak and when the temperature drops batteries will have to work even harder. Some motorists carry jump leads in case of emergency but it is important to know how to use them correctly and safely.

Aldi have a Lithium Car Jump Starter for a very competitive €69.99 among a range of motoring special offers that went on sale on Sunday, November 20. It comes with a user manual and the AA have a step-by-step guide for jump starting at www.aa.ie. The site also includes a full list of recommended checks.

Even with the best of planning things can still go wrong and it is reassuring to know you can call on help if something does happen. Check your policy to see if you have breakdown cover and take note of the emergency numbers if you do.

If you don’t and are interested in purchasing cover there are options available at almost every price point, depending on the level of cover you want. AXA have a local recovery option available from €45, while cover with breakdowncover.ie and roadrescue.ie start at €30 and €29 respectively. AA cover is available from €8.25 per month and covers you in any car, including as a passenger. When comparing plans it is important to look at the level of cover and benefits as well as the price.

You should also consider investing in a portable phone charger, widely available and priced from approximately €15, to ensure you can call on help when you need it.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

We are reaching peak pre-Christmas offers, with Black Friday on November 25, followed by Cyber Monday.

With shoppers hanging on for bargains on these dates, some retailers are releasing offers early. One is Sky Ireland, which has special deals for new and existing customers. It is tempting new viewers with an offer of a free 32in Samsung TV for joining Sky TV on a 12-month contract, from €29.50 per month. The offer ends on December 8, and those interested can call 0818 719 871.

There is no TV on offer for existing customers, but Sky is offering extra value for those who want to add a film and/or sports package to help keep everyone occupied over the festive viewing period. The sports bundle is available at half price for six months, €20 per month instead of €40, as is the cinema bundle, €14.50 per month instead of €29. If binge-watching is your thing, you can avail of half-price box sets for 12 months, for €8.50 per month, usually €17.