An early winter car check is easier to organise in daylight than just before a wet evening drive. The Road Safety Authority recommends servicing the vehicle, making regular walkaround checks and checking tyres, lights, wipers and fluids as part of winter preparation. [1]

Start with the car parked safely, its handbook available and a short list divided into three parts: something you can check, something you need explained and something a professional must repair. The aim is to find unresolved problems before a necessary journey, rather than treat a checklist as a certificate of roadworthiness.

Record the tyre measurements properly

The RSA's winter advice recommends at least 3mm of tyre tread and the manufacturer's specified pressure. Its general tyre-safety page states a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm. The winter recommendation is therefore a different threshold from the general minimum; do not confuse the two. [1][2]

Use the pressure information for the actual vehicle and load, rather than a number remembered from a previous car. Ask a tyre professional to assess wear, damage or a measurement you cannot interpret. A single acceptable reading does not explain the condition of the whole tyre.

Write down which tyre was checked and when. If a professional recommends work, record the appointment rather than leaving the issue as a vague reminder. The useful outcome is a resolved fault or a clear assessment, not simply a tick beside the word tyres.

Check whether the equipment gives you a clear view

The RSA advises replacing wiper blades when they smear instead of clearing the glass, checking that lights work and are clean, and using appropriate screen wash and antifreeze. [1]

Look for a problem you can describe: a particular lamp not working, a blade leaving a streak or a washer not operating normally. Follow the handbook for permitted routine checks and products. Leave unfamiliar fluid systems, electrical work and repairs to a qualified mechanic; do not open a hot cooling system to investigate it.

When booking work, send the garage the symptoms together. This is easier to act on than asking for an unspecified winter check while keeping an intermittent fault to yourself. Ask what was inspected and which issues remain, especially if the car will soon make a longer trip.

Find out what is actually in the boot

The RSA notes that some vehicles have a repair kit instead of a spare wheel and says drivers should know how to use whichever equipment is provided. It also advises checking a spare's condition and inflation. [1]

Identify your car's equipment in the handbook and make sure it is present. Read any limitations and instructions before relying on it. If you cannot safely deal with a roadside problem, use roadside assistance rather than learning beside passing traffic.

Keep the vehicle check separate from the travel decision

A prepared car cannot make severe weather safe. The RSA advises considering postponement during severe conditions. [1] Check current official weather and travel information for the actual journey, and make a separate decision about whether it needs to happen.

Keep your check-and-repair list with the service record and set the next routine check. That makes it clear which problems were resolved and prevents an old autumn checklist from becoming assumed reassurance later in winter.

RSA guidance was checked on 11 October 2026. This is a preparation guide, not a forecast or an inspection of a particular vehicle.