Ahhh, British summertime. Three months of blissful heat, never-ending sun and big smiles all round…well, not quite. That being said, it only takes one day of blazing sunshine to change the conditions on the road and alter how your car responds to them. Yep—driving in hot weather can be a totally different ballgame.

So, whether the British summer still has a treat in store for us, or you’re heading off to a place with warmer climates, we have some important advice to share. Heat exhaustion can affect both you and your beloved automobile.

So make sure you follow these dos and don’ts to ensure a stress-free summer road trip. Enjoy!

Dos

For your car

DO keep an eye on engine coolant levels
Engine coolant (as you can probably guess from its name!) plays a vital role during adverse weather conditions. Containing a mix of water and antifreeze/coolant, it prevents the liquid in your car’s radiator system from freezing in the winter and overheating in the summer.

Before setting off on a long journey, ensure that the engine coolant levels are sufficient. You can check this by locating the min and max markers on the coolant tank itself. If your car does require a top-up, be sure to only do this when the engine has been off for a long enough time that everything has cooled down. Uncapping the coolant tank when the engine is still quite warm can result in hot liquid spraying everywhere. Not as funny as it sounds and actually quite dangerous!

DO check your tyres

Make sure you know what the optimum tyre pressure is for your particular vehicle and don’t overdo it. Heat leads to a rise in pressure, which in turn causes the air inside your tyres to expand. If you don’t stay on top of it, those babies could actually blow! Look out for and repair any existing damage to the outer parts of your tyres, too, as this will only exacerbate the potential for disaster.

DO top up your oil
The oil in your car also helps to regulate the engine temperature. If it gets too hot, the levels will drop and its consistency starts to change. That’s not good news for anyone, so make sure you check the levels frequently. Been a while since your theory test and not sure how to do this? Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, dip it back in and out again and compare the current level against the max and min markers. For safety reasons, you should only perform this check when the engine has been turned off for at least 10 minutes.

DO make sure your car’s battery is up to the job
Your car’s battery might not be something you need to think about on the daily, but when it comes to driving in hot weather, you should spare it a thought. If you know your car is going to be exposed to prolonged periods of warm temperatures (we should be so lucky!) it’s a good idea to get the battery checked over (and maybe even replaced) first.

These kind of conditions can put an extra toll on battery life, so you want to make sure it’s up to the job! Travelling away from home? Bring jump leads, just in case.

For you

DO decide between air con and open windows
When driving in hot weather it’s inevitable that the car will get a little (or a LOT) stuffy. Your first instinct might be to roll down the windows, or maybe you reach for the air con instead. Whichever you choose, don’t use both at once. Rather than producing double the icy cool goodness, what will actually happen is you just waste a bunch of fuel. Instead, it is recommended that when driving 30 mph or less, you should go the open window route.

Once your speed picks up, switch over to the air con. Not only will this approach give you the best of both worlds, it also saves on fuel. You see, when you have your windows open it reduces the wind resistance of the car, meaning it has to use up more fuel to maintain the same pace. If your car is moving quickly as it is, fuel consumption can really start to soar.

DO invest in a windscreen shield
There’s nothing worse than coming back to your vehicle after a long day in the sun, only to find that it’s even hotter inside your car. It’s enough to make you want to walk home! Even if you immediately crack a window or get the air con going, it takes a long time to shift that heat.

So, why not prevent it building up altogether by purchasing a windscreen shield? Guard, cover, screen—whatever you call it, sticking one up as you leave your car can make a huge difference. Yes, when covered parking isn’t available, some kind of windscreen shade is the next best thing.

DO stay hydrated

As a general rule of thumb, it’s important to stay hydrated. When driving in hot weather, however, it’s even more essential. Being dehydrated makes you uncomfortable, irritable and reduces your ability to concentrate. Not ideal when you need to focus on everything happening on the road!

Keep a good supply of water in the car, so you can pull over and have a few glugs as soon as the thirst kicks in.

Pro tip
Purchase a reusable water bottle. Not only is a plastic one bad for the environment, in hot weather the bottle can start to melt slightly, causing chemicals from the plastic to leak into the water. Yuk! You’ll be doing something eco-friendly and benefiting from tastier water—a double win!

DO slap on the sun cream
You might not be aware if it, but the sun’s rays can penetrate the windows of your car. This means you’re susceptible to sunburn and, in extreme cases, sunstroke while driving. The worst part is it can be very hard to notice the sun’s impact until you get out of the car. You might show up at your destination positively glowing—and not in a good way!

Before setting off, slap on some sun cream and keep a stash in the car so you can top up along the way (when the car is parked up, of course). Be sure to share the lotion with any fellow passengers, too!