Check what you know
Did you know?
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Check what you know
Did you know?
- Hot weather can cause fatigue and irritability to drivers.
- Drivers can become easily dehydrated and it can affect their driving abilities.
- Drivers experience increased congestion from high levels of traffic on holiday routes and in road works for road construction and maintenance.
Loose chippings are a common sight on roads in the Summer, they can cause cracked headlamps and windscreens, and damage paintwork. Stick to temporary speed limits as advised by road signage.
People pay less attention driving during Summer as they are more relaxed and get easily distracted.
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Keep windscreens clean as dirt and marks can amplify sun glare. Have access to and wear a clean pair of sunglasses while driving.
Drive extra carefully after rain, as it can turn dry surfaces into a skid area. Roads can be extra slippery when it rains after a long period of dry weather.
Keep the vehicle’s coolant topped up to reduce the chance of it overheating and turn the engine off when stuck in traffic as this too will prevent it from overheating.
Regularly check tyre pressures and condition on a monthly basis as the higher temperatures of Summer increase tyre pressure that could lead to the risk of tyre blowout.
In hot weather, vehicles may sometimes give unnecessary cause for concern. Here are are some examples:
- Pools of water under a vehicle which are caused by condensed water from the air conditioning system.
- Vapour from air vents is just water vapour produced by the air conditioning unit that has not had time to condense.
- Roaring from the engine bay is often the cooling fan turning on and off.
- If a vehicle seems to have less power, this is probably because the air is warmer and less dense, resulting in the engine being less efficient.
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This information sheet is free for employers to download and distribute to their drivers.
It may not be amended in any way | Copyright 2022 National Highways.