User: Winter tires: alternative to chains
Direct: Last hour on the storm Filomena
The storm Filomena has forced thousands of cars to be 'stranded', either blocked on the roads or surrounded and covered by snow under the house.
In addition, and although the Government has asked that vehicles not be used, the drop in temperatures that has already begun poses a new threat to cars.
This is what you need to know, whether your car has been damaged, or you have not yet recovered and started it;
or to use it in the safest way if you are going to have to pick it up.
TO WHOM CAN DAMAGE TO THE CAR BE CLAIMED?
The first thing to claim is something obvious: there must be insurance on the property, something that does not always happen.
And you will
have to follow what that policy says, because the Compensation Consortium intervenes in the face of extraordinary risks such as floods or winds of more than 120 km / h, but not due to snow, ice or hail.
So, for us to be compensated, these cases must be specifically included in the policy,
as an addition to third-party insurance and included in most of the all-risk insurance, they
remember in Línea Directa Insurance.
An all risk will also be liable for the damages suffered by our car if, due to snow or ice, we have had a mishap.
It could also be that, while the car was parked,
a tree or an ice sheet fell from a roof;
or that it has been buried when the cover of a parking lot collapsed.
Here, it is usual for the insurer to bear the costs and pass on
to the owner of the road or real estate.
In any case, you have to open the part as soon as possible and accompany it with photos or video.
In Madrid,
the declaration of a catastrophic zone could open a second way to claim,
although it would be difficult for the aid to reach the vehicles.
If anything, those linked to a professional activity.
Abandoned cars at the connection of the A3 and M30 in Madrid
HOURS STUCK WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO EXIT
Many drivers have spent hours stuck inside their cars. You might think of a claim for that time or the inconvenience suffered.
But it would have to be shown that it was due to a negligent act of the owner of the road.
And collectively appeal.
To recover abandoned cars, in Madrid the City Council is doing them for free on the M30.
For the rest of the roads, we will have to resort to roadside assistance if we have it.
This assistance, essential if the vehicle has suffered any damage or has run out of gas, usually has limitations, but you would have to be far from home to have to pay.
Another option is to go on our own, if authorized.
CARE AGAINST THE COLD GLACIER
If the car has been idle for days, perhaps surrounded by snow, and will sleep on the street in the next, there is one element that suffers a lot: the battery.
So you should start the car, if you can once a day, they recommend from the Race.
Or disconnect it.
In addition, humidity can create problems in electronics, which are increasingly common.
In principle, if the car is well maintained, there is no need to fear fluid or fuel freezing, with one exception:
the Adblue used by the most modern diesels to pollute less, can freeze from 10 or 15 degrees. below zero, which would lead to an engine failure warning.
A little heat and everything resolved.
The first time we go to use the car, it is advisable to drive it gently, especially when braking, since this system also suffers from the cold.
And make sure that everything is fine and, for example, no cuffs have come off.
Finally,
when defrosting glass, never hot water:
it can fracture.
Better a solution of alcohol with 33% water (also works for locks) or with air conditioning.
ALWAYS WEAR SOME CHAINS ...
They are used very occasionally, since the Spanish climate is not as extreme as in other countries.
There are different types.
The most common are metallic and textile and cost a few tens of euros.
They are always placed on the driving wheels, usually the front ones.
If this was not the case, from now on carry a game in the trunk, without waiting for the urgency of the last moment.
Nor does it hurt to learn how to put them, checking that they do not rub anywhere.
With ease, it takes no more than two minutes.
... OR HAVE WINTER WHEELS.
They are, legally, an alternative to chains.
In addition, they will never cause damage to the car and we can continue using them the rest of the trip, once the critical zone is exceeded.
In fact, they do their best when temperatures drop below seven degrees Celsius: they improve grip and traction;
and they reduce braking distance and the risk of hydroplaning.
They are more expensive, but many workshops have free nurseries, for when they are not used.
Identified by the acronym M + S, they barely reach 5% of sales in Spain, by 30% in Europe.
IF GETTING IN THE WHEEL IS OBLIGED ...
It is best to limit travel as much as possible since, in itself, 30% of deaths and injuries occur in winter, according to the DGT.
The slippery asphalt, poor visibility, the poor condition of the vehicle, recklessness and lack of experience in adverse conditions are a very dangerous cocktail.
In addition, the snow is more visible, but the ice sheets - which form at night, especially in shady areas - are treacherous.
A bright road can be a sign of ice.
That's why you have to drive in the central hours of the day, slow down and use high gears;
increase the safety distance and avoid sudden maneuvers and braking.
For example, if we step on an ice sheet, we must neither brake nor accelerate: just keep our hands firmly on the wheel until the car regains grip.
Likewise, it is advisable to avoid overtaking and increase the number of stops
to rest and hydrate, drive with the lights on and regulate the temperature of the passenger compartment to 21 degrees, since a higher temperature will cloud the windows and can cause drowsiness.
Finally, you have to wear a comfortable, no coats, that do not prevent the belt from working.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
Motor
Traffic accidents
DGT
Traffic
Motor Almost 2,200 km of the State's road network have a high or very high risk of accident
Motor road fatalities drop less than mobility did in 2020
Engine Slower overtaking, is it safer?
DGT believes that yes
See links of interest
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Snow
Ponferradina - Girona
Spezia - Sampdoria
Huesca - Real Betis
Sabadell - Lugo