If you want to arrive safely in winter, you should treat your car to a winter check. For AvD members this check is free of charge, in many workshops it is offered at prices ranging from ten to 30 euros.
Winter check: 11 test criteria
A good winter check should include at least eleven inspection criteria, three of which have to do with good vision:
- Windshield wipers: condition and wiping performance.
- Headlights: adjustment and condition (moisture)
- Windshield washer system: level and antifreeze
- Radiator fluid: level and antifreeze (Glysantin).
- Engine oil: level and condition (age, viscosity).
- Brake fluid: level and condition (condensation).
- Battery: acid level and power output
- Door locks: treat with graphite preventive
- Door seals: treat with talcum powder or grease (tallow) preventively
- Brakes: check discs and pads for condition, braking effect.
- Winter tires: check tread (at least four millimeters) and age (no more than six years).
In addition, all drivers should regularly clean the windows of the car, the rearview mirrors and the headlight lenses – and wearers of glasses clean their lenses.
Tip
Drivers can tell for themselves whether their vision has changed, for example, while driving on the highway: those with healthy eyes or properly adjusted glasses can read the writing on exit signs from a distance of 100 meters. If the visual performance deteriorates by only one diopter, the writing only becomes legible from a distance of 25 meters.
The most important facts in brief
- Especially in autumn, drivers need to ensure clear visibility on the road.
- Every two years, motorists should have their eyes examined at an eye test.
- So the eye test is not forgotten: Best to combine the date of the general inspection with an appointment for the eye test.
- Large, anti-reflective and polarizing – so looks the ideal glasses for road traffic.
