If you ever drive on one of the capital’s arterial roads in the rush hour, then you will know just how slow-moving these supposed trunk routes are. From the A13 in East London to the A4 in West London, these dual-carriageways often clog up with the weight of traffic even if there isn’t a breakdown. Equally, the A10 between the M25 and Central London can be a road that seems to never run as quickly as it should, even when the rush hour is over. In South London, The Old Kent Road, or the A2, and the A3, which runs to the south-west, both result in bumper-to-bumper traffic at the drop of a hat.
Of course, congested roads are nothing new to Londoners but in recent years the number of alternative routes you can take to avoid arterial roads – so-called rat runs – has dropped. They’re often closed off to anything other than local traffic. Then there’s the addition of bus and taxi lanes to contend with which means that rush hour traffic has less of the road to occupy.
All of these slow journeys mean your car’s battery comes under pressure. If you never get over 10 miles per hour on your commute and you have the radio on, the windscreen wipers working and the heating pumping, then your battery will soon get used up and not trickle enough charge. What can you do to maintain it?
First of all, you should test your car battery once in a while, especially if you have not had a decent run on a fast-moving road for a while. A car battery tester is something anyone can use. If your car battery is running low after a good drive out, then it may be time to exchange it. You can get a battery fitting in London easily at DAT Tyres to make sure you continue to drive safely without a potential failure.
Secondly, you should keep you lights turned off when you are not driving. Leaving a parking light on will mean that your battery never fully recovers its charge. The same can be said of your rear-windscreen heater. If you leave this on as a matter of course, then as soon as you turn your key to drive off your battery is put under pressure needlessly. Only use it when needed.
Another important aspect of battery longevity is how car batteries are fitted. Make sure yours is secured properly without rattling around because this will lead to its premature demise over time.
