Drivers warned of common items to never leave in their car

The Met Office has a number of yellow weather warnings active, alerting people to the effects of the snow and ice currently covering the nation. With cold temperatures set to stay around for the next few weeks, motorists are told to avoid leaving certain items in their car or it could lead to additional issues for them.

Glasses

Drivers must wear glasses or contact lenses every time they drive if they need them to meet the “standards of vision for driving”.

However, by leaving them in the car, especially in freezing temperatures, the lenses can become damaged, causing them to expand and contract.

This will result in warped vision which can be incredibly dangerous if the driver cannot properly assess the road ahead of them.

Spare batteries

Most drivers have an emergency kit of key essentials which can save them in the event of a breakdown or crash.

However, experts warn that drivers should “think again” if they are tempted to leave a pack of AA batteries in the car “just in case”.

The batteries will run out of energy sooner because of the colder temperatures, with wind-up torches for emergencies potentially being a better option.

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Medication

Some drivers may choose to leave their medication in the car to remind them to take it, but the freezing temperatures overnight can “hinder their effectiveness”.

According to CarMoney, hard tablets should be affected the least, but the chemicals in liquids and injectable medications can degrade quickly.

People should always abide by the information listed on the medication, which is usually to keep them at room temperature.

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Laptops and phones

One of the most common complaints from people about their phones, tablets and laptops is poor battery life after minimal usage.

When leaving these devices in the car, they can become even worse, with the lithium-ion batteries being compromised by the cold weather.

Andrew Marshall, motoring expert at CarMoney, said: “To combat this, we recommend always taking key items out of the car into the house where it is warmer and more secure.”

Fizzy drinks

With sub-zero temperatures being seen up and down the country, drivers should try and avoid leaving any fizzy drinks in their car overnight.

The frozen carbonated drink will expand as it freezes and put more pressure on the carbon inside, causing the can to explode when opened.

Generally, experts advise motorists to keep a bottle of water in their car in the event they become dehydrated, which could lead to dangerous driving.

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