Drivers are being urged to put five items in their car before Friday as another crippling heatwave threatens to make conditions difficult on the roads again.
While many drivers have been made aware that they should remove some items from their cars during hot weather, like batteries and reusable water bottles, breakdown experts at the RAC are also urging motorists to put certain items in their cars, in order to help deal with the hot weather.
The breakdown firm says hot weather can have a crippling impact on drivers, with “20% more failures than usual” at this time of year. The combination of extreme heat taking a toll on reliability, and the warm weather putting more cars on the road as people look to enjoy the sunshine, makes breakdowns ‘more likely’, the RAC says.
They urged drivers to put five items in their cars to deal with the heat while driving in a heatwave.
Some of these may seem at odds with the items to remove from your car but importantly these are items to have with you while driving, not items to leave in a parked hot car during a heatwave.
First, they said drivers should have an emergency breakdown kit. This includes a first aid kit, hi-vis vests (one each for the driver and all passengers), and a warning triangle.
Second, cold drinks. While reusable plastic water bottles can melt, driving in hot weather can lead to dehydration so taking cold drinks is advised. Plastic water bottles kept in a cool and shaded part of the car, or a coolbox, should not be a risk.
Third, a phone charger and power bank. Again taking care not to have this in direct sunlight, a phone charger or power bank will be needed if you do break down. The RAC says: ‘If your car breaks down, you’ll need your phone to call for help. Keep a spare phone charger in your vehicle. Many modern cars have USB sockets, which allows you to charge your phone while on the move.’
Fourth is sun cream. The RAC says: “Protect yourself from sunburn by packing sunscreen. If you are driving with the windows open or own an open-top car then you can easily become burnt in the summer sun.”
Finally, the fifth item is a coolbag or coolbox. This will protect drinks from exploding or melting in the heat, or otherwise going off.
The RAC says: “Staying safe in the heat, especially if a breakdown is unavoidable, should be in the mind of every driver.
“Carrying plenty of water for all passengers is a must, as is keeping sunscreen and a sun hat or even umbrella to hand to reduce the ferocity of the sun. When waiting for assistance, look for a safe location in the shade and well away from moving traffic."
After highs of over 33C yesterday (Tuesday), the Met Office is predicting 31C conditions in London on Friday, in what is set to be the hottest day out of the next six days, though temperatures will remain fairly high, between 26C and 28C, for the rest of the week.