Spring is in the air, evenings are getting lighter and days are getting warmer.
While many of you are jumping for joy that winter has finally passed and dark and dreary mornings spent defrosting your car and avoiding black ice are a thing of the past, the new season brings with it fresh dangers.
Here are some top spring driving tips to keep you and your loved ones safe on the roads this spring.
Spring time is a season of warmth and growth, but it’s not without the occasional rainstorm.
Did you know that roads are the most slippery when it first begins to rain? This is caused by the rainwater mixing with contaminants on the road, such as oil and grease.
Driving in the rain can be scary, so if you want to find out more, just head over to the RAC website and have a read of their top tips for driving in rain and floods.
After the harsh conditions of winter, potholes are a big problem come spring, making our roads look like a road adaption of Fifty Shades of Grey.
What’s more, heavy rain can fill them with water, making them difficult to see.
These monsters can damage your car, leading to expensive repairs.
For more on potholes, check out our guide on all you need to know about potholes.
Animal activity is likely to increase during the spring. For some, this is mating season; and for others, they’re waking up from their long winter slumber.
It’s estimated that over 40,000 deer are killed every year in the UK from being hit by vehicles on the road. Whilst deer are more active between dusk and dawn, other animals are just as active throughout the day.
For more tips on how to deal with animals on the road, head to the British Deer Society’s website where they have plenty of helpful tips to help you stay safe on the roads.
Winter is in our rear-view mirror and bright, sunny days are ahead.
Most of us welcome the sun, but we might not always be the biggest fan of its glare when we’re behind the wheel.
Did you know that the sun’s glare can temporarily blind drivers and can be a huge risk on the road? And in case you needed reminding, temporary blindness never mixes well when operating a motor vehicle.
Want to find out more about driving in the sun? Head on over to MoneySuperMarket.com and have a read of their blog, How to drive in sun glare.
Hay fever. For the non-sufferers among you, may seem like the odd sneeze here, the occasional scratchy throat there, and not much more.
But, for hay fever sufferers out there, you know just how bad it can be. The pressure in your head, the sore eyes… we won’t go into more detail.
When that pesky pollen count gets high, it can make everyday tasks much more difficult; driving included.
Want to find out more about driving with hay fever? IAM RoadSmart has pulled together some top tips to help you out during the worst of the hay fever season.
Ensuring your tyres are legal and roadworthy isn’t just a requirement to get the best grip and ride comfort from your car; it’s also a car safety check that should be completed regularly, especially coming into spring.
The winter months can play havoc on your tyres; losing air due to the cold temperatures leading to your tyres being under-inflated, whereas when warmer temperatures hit, your tyres can then become over-inflated. Each situation can lead to increased wear and poor handling.
Want to find out more about tyres? Check out our little guide filled to the brim with some of the latest tyre advice.
You might’ve seen the odd cyclist hit the roads through winter, but those number are about to multiply once the good weather arrives.
It might take a bit of effort to re-adjust to sharing the road with so many cyclists and motorcyclists after a long winter without many, but it’s important to stay alert.
Remember, they have just as much right to be on the road as any other vehicle.
Want to find out more? Have a read of Smart Motorists’ Top tips for sharing the road with cyclists.
And there you have it folks…our top tips on spring driving. Want to check out some of our other driving tips? Head on over to our Driving Tips hub and get in the know.