Winter Tips

ALD Automotive offers useful tips to face the winter safely

3. Technical check-up of your vehicle

It is important to perform the following checks. If you feel you are not the right person to perform the checks yourself, then go along to an official brand dealer and/or authorized tyre centre (list available in the Driver Guide):

  • Check the oil level regularly.
  • Check the brake fluid and coolant.
  • Check the tyre pressure.
  • Check the treads on your winter tyres: if the tread depth is less than 4.0 mm, your winter tyres no longer offer enough traction on snow-covered roads. In this case, you should have your tyres changed, even if the minimum depth under the law is only 1.6 mm.
  • Make sure that your security vest is in your vehicle (in the passenger cell) as well as the security triangle. We also recommend that you keep a torch, a blanket and a bottle of water in the car in case of emergency.

 Winter tyres

Since 1 October 2012, every driver in Luxembourg must have winter tyres installed for winter conditions.

We suggest that you install winter tyres on your vehicles as soon as weather conditions require them, and that you make an appointment as soon as possible with your tyre centre, which should be one of the centres approved by ALD automotive. If you have winter tyres in storage from the previous year, do not forget to go to the tyre centre that is storing them for you.

Please note that winter tyre legislation is not the same across Europe. Make sure that you are in compliance with the laws of the countries where you are likely to drive.

However, keep in mind that the best rule to follow is to install your winter tyres for the winter season, even if they are not required everywhere, if only for your own security and for insurance purposes.

 4. Adjusted driving behaviour

  • You can recognise freezing rain or snow if the rain that falls on your windscreen freezes. If this happens you have to be very careful.
  • You have to be extra careful in areas where porous-tar macadam has been used.
  • Be very careful in places where the wind and draughts blow over the road: bridges, slip roads and exits and wooded zones that the road runs through like a draughty corridor.
  • Sudden steering and braking movements are completely out of the question on a slippery road.
    The message in this case is: keep your distance, adjust your speed to the environment and keep a close eye on everything so that you can react in time.
  • Before you leave, remove all the snow and ice from the windows, headlights, taillights and roof of the car and stamp the snow off your shoes so that your feet do not slip off the pedals.
  • To start moving on ice and snow, accelerate as gently as possible so that the wheels do not skid. If applicable, go into second gear if the wheels skid too much in first gear (you can also deactivate the antiskid system or the ESP if the wheels lock up in the snow). Whilst driving use the accelerator as carefully as possible to keep the wheels from skidding and making your vehicle behave unpredictably.
  • A car with front-wheel drive does better on slippery roads than a rear-wheel drive vehicle, because the engine’s weight is above the driven and steering axle, allowing the car to grip the road better.
  • Never forget that the stopping distance on slippery road surfaces can be two or three times as long as on dry roads. Adjust your minimum safe distance accordingly!

 5. Technical inspection in case of tow bar

  • When your company car disposes of a tow bar please make sure that the technical inspection is performed following regulations.
  • Check the validity of the inspection certificate.

 6. Theft or loss of company fuel card

In case of theft or loss of the fuel card please block immediately your fuel card by calling

your easyDriving contact/ Shell Card Services: +352 31 11 41 730/ Aral Card Services: +352 34 62 62 29 CARD STOP and mentioning your fuel card number and name.

Note that you are personal responsible for blocking your fuel card and that in case of abuse costs will be at your charge, if you have not blocked the fuel card.

7. Contact

 

Before calling your assistance check the correct number/company in your driver guide

 1.     Assistance Lux with ACL : +352 26 31 01 41

 2.     Assistance Lux with VTB/VAB: +352 29 82 29

Contact the easyDriving team with any other queries.