Drivers are being warned of expensive repair costs when driving in the winter weather this week as temperatures continue to remain low.
The Met Office has extended its snow and ice warning across the UK until Thursday as the bad weather is expected to spread further.
On Monday, three separate yellow weather warnings were issued affecting Northern Ireland, parts of northern Scotland and the east coast of England.
The new snow and ice warning, which is in place today, will impact a far larger area, with all of Scotland and Northern Ireland covered, as well as parts of northern England and Wales.
Repair costs could total around £5,000 this winter
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With the cold weather and icy roads, vehicles will be out across the country spreading grit and salt on roads to reduce the threat posed to drivers.
However, drivers are being warned that they could face a huge £5,000 repair bill when driving behind a gritter as the material can have a corrosive effect on the exterior of a car.
The salt involved in the gritting action causes corrosion to the paintwork and any exposed metal, potentially causing it to rust quicker, with this process being sped up if the car is rusty already.
Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said it could lead to chips and dents impacting the paintwork of the vehicle.
He added: “If rust damage is extensive, a full respray could cost you a whopping £5,000, depending on the type of car you drive and where you live, and the bill could be double that if you own a luxury or vintage vehicle.
“For other cars, if the damage is isolated to a bumper this will still cost you £280, and if you need to respray a side panel, this will cost £400 for each panel.
“I’d recommend maintaining a rigorous cleaning regime throughout winter, to make sure salt isn’t left to wreak its havoc.”
The expert also warned that it could affect someone’s car insurance, with rust normally being considered wear and tear, meaning it wouldn’t be covered by a standard policy.
He said this was even more of an incentive to prevent rust from happening in the first place as drivers deal with enormous insurance prices already.
The yellow weather warnings are expected to spread further south on Wednesday, January 17, and Thursday, January 18, as drivers prepare for potential traffic issues.
The Met Office frequently warns drivers to prepare for travel delays with some untreated patches of ice on roads also causing headaches for drivers.
Stein Connelly, head of transport resilience (operations) at Transport Scotland, said: “If you have to travel, please drive to the conditions.
“Consider what kit you might need to keep in your car in the event of difficult conditions.
“Motorists can check with Traffic Scotland to make sure that their route is available.
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“The new Traffic Scotland website gives people access to the latest travel information and the Traffic Scotland X/Twitter page is also updated regularly.”
