Shropshire valeting company on a mission to save lives this winter
With temperatures dropping and the roads turning more perilous, a Shropshire mobile valeting company is stepping to the fore with advice on how to keep vehicles as safe as possible on the roads.
Mango Valeting, based just outside Shrewsbury, know that keeping your vehicle clean is essential during the winter months, and not just something to do for the sake of vanity. It could actually save you from an accident and save you money.
The Department for Transport says that the main cause of road accidents in the winter is down to poor driving as opposed to poor conditions and in order to stay safe, drivers must adapt their driving to the weather conditions and take into account actions such as increased stopping distances in icy weather.
Keeping your vehicle clean will increase its safety and enable you to be more prepared for wintry weather including ice, snow, fog and rain.
Director of Mango, Jason Heath said: “It may sound obvious, but ensuring your windows and lights are clean will help you see the road and your surrounds more clearly so you can judge things like stopping distances more accurately. Condensation inside and frozen windscreens outside leave watermarks which cause poor visibility.
“People also underestimate the damage that grit can do to their vehicles. It is necessary to grit the roads of course, but if you don’t clean your car the salt in the grit can cause the metal to rust, which weakens it.“
Britons underestimate the threat of corrosion damage to their vehicles as a result of road salt. A survey by cleaning specialists Karcher earlier this year found that although the threat of potentially pricey corrosion damage increases during the winter, just 9% of drivers clean their car regularly during the chilly months.
This inaction comes despite 71% of drivers saying they worry that a lack of maintenance during the winter months could directly impact on the value of their car.
“According to the survey, more than 40% admit that cleaning their vehicle is a chore they put off for as long as possible and some 89% of drivers neglect to clean their vehicles more in the winter than in the warmer and drier summer months,” said Jason.
“Road salt poses a risk to vehicles because it reacts with moisture and rain and your vehicle, leading to rapidly damaging corrosion. But it seems most people wouldn't spot it even if they looked - just 45% of car owners feel confident checking underneath the car for any leaks and rust. Car damage caused by salt corrosion is costing the British nation £500 million every winter according to results of the survey.
“We will check for signs of corrosion, clean your vehicle properly and offer you safety advice every time. We also work with a number of large companies in Shropshire who lease out vehicles. It’s imperative to hand back a lease car in top condition as you could be highly penalised for returning a dirty car or one with minor damage. Corrosion does unfortunately lower the value of a vehicle, yet it’s easy to prevent with regular cleaning,” he added.
Mango offers a variety of valet solutions and because the company is mobile with several state of the art valet vehicles, it works all over the midlands and nationally.
As part of its full valets, it is offering winter safety checks to your vehicle, including windscreen wash check and top-up, and tyre pressure check and top-up. Until Christmas, there is 20% off the price of a full valet including safety checks. Mango is paying the 20% and offering it as a Christmas gift to the children’s ward at The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
