Breeze through the school run chaos

As summer draws to a close and parents frantically purchase new school uniforms, shoes and stationery for the start of the autumn term, the return of the dreaded school run lurks at the back of many minds. For parents dropping the kids at school or the commuters who share the same roads, rush hour can be a stressful and frustrating start to the day.

This autumn Mondial Assistance, a leading UK roadside assistance provider, is giving drivers a helping hand by offering some simple tips to reduce stress levels, and ensure the school run is not made worse by an easily-avoidable breakdown.

Lee Taylor, Automotive Director at Mondial Assistance commented “Mondial Assistance deals with thousands of UK and Pan European vehicle breakdowns every month, many of which are due to driver error and could have been avoided without much effort. Also, in the case of mechanical problems it is crucial that once a problem becomes apparent, it is addressed as quickly as possible rather than being left to develop into something more serious and expensive to repair.”

In the event of a breakdown, roadside assistance and warranty cover ensure that the vehicle will be repaired quickly. Taylor added, “Many manufacturers offer both warranty and roadside assistance services as standard for the first three years or more. Once these expire it is definitely worth looking into all options for renewal. Many manufacturers offer competitively priced cover, and in the event of a claim, you can be assured that authorised repairs will be completed by trained technicians using manufacturer original parts.”

Make sure you have a stress free school run and avoid the risk of breakdown by following some Top Tips from Mondial Assistance:

Mondial Assistance School Run Tips

Leave plenty of time for the journey. This will not only ensure calm passengers and driver, but also provide a buffer if any problems or delays should arise.

Ensure children are properly strapped into child seats and seat belts are secure. This simple and easy to miss detail could save your child’s life as well as reduce distractions in the car.

Stick below the speed limit and concentrate on the road rather than the kids in the back seat. This is especially important close to schools, where children could step into the road from between vehicles with no warning.

To avoid delays setting off, always carry jump leads just in case the radio or lights are left on overnight and drain the battery.

Make sure you spot a slow puncture as early as possible, by carrying out fortnightly checks on your tyre pressure, avoiding the need to jack-up a car on the way to school. The optimum pressures for various speeds and loads will be listed in your vehicle handbook provided by the manufacturer.

Use the dipstick to check the oil level every fortnight, and have both the oil and filter changed regularly, in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Check the engine coolant level regularly – when the engine is cold – and note any consumption as this is generally an early warning sign of problems to come.

Always keep one eye on fuel levels and never let the fuel gauge drop too low in case you get stuck in traffic, have to leave home in a rush, or simply do not notice that you are running low until it is too late.

And finally, make sure you carry the contact number of your roadside assistance provider in the vehicle at all times to ensure swift and convenient assistance or recovery.