Make sure your car is ‘road ready’ this summer – RAC

08.05 | 22 July 2021 |

Image: RAC

The RAC has warned of an ‘unprecedented summer’ on the UK’s roads, and is urging drivers to make sure their cars – and anything they might be towing – are ‘road ready’.

A survey conducted by RAC Breakdown suggests drivers are planning in excess of 29 million ‘staycations’ this summer, 16 million of which will take place in the school holidays alone.

According to the survey, the West Country – Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset – will receive the largest numbers of holidaymakers (30%), followed by Scotland (14%), Yorkshire (8%), the Lake District (6%) and East Anglia (6%).

As a result, the RAC says the prospect of lengthy bumper-to-bumper queues on major routes – and a spike in breakdowns – has ‘shot up’.

It says quickly checking a car’s tyres, oil, coolant and even fuel levels before setting off makes the difference between a smooth journey and one blighted by a breakdown. 

The breakdown organisation is also calling on drivers to check traffic conditions before setting out and avoid travelling on the busiest roads during the busiest periods.

Rod Dennis, RAC Breakdown spokesperson, said: “This summer, perhaps more than ever, the last thing anyone wants while they’re away on a well-earned break is a breakdown. 

“Busier roads, especially in the heat, can mean a sudden sharp increase in breakdowns, so we’re calling on every driver to check their car is ‘road ready’ and isn’t about to let them down. 

“It takes moments to check that tyres are properly inflated, have plenty of tread and aren’t damaged, and just a few minutes more to ensure that oil, coolant and screenwash are all at the right levels.

“Checking a car’s ready for a trip is especially important for anyone holidaying a long distance from home, as no-one wants to end – or even start – their holiday with their vehicle on the back of a recovery truck. 

“Yet our research suggests that longer trips will be much more popular this year, with a third of those drivers who had a holiday in the UK last year planning on covering a greater distance in 2021.”


 

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