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As temperatures drop, car owners have been urged to keep one item nearby and not to dismiss a few common problems that can happen during the winter months. Taking time to make sure all aspects of your vehicle are in full working order can prevent a major disaster from occurring.

Former car salesman, Pete, who goes by the username @Capturing_cars on TikTok, said there are a few 'cheap and easy things' that most car owners can do to make sure their vehicle is safe and roadworthy for winter. An important part to check, as roads become slippery with rain, snow and ice, is your tyres and to ensure they are up to standard.

Legally, all vehicles on UK roads must have a 1.6mm tread depth, but in winter, Pete claims "it is recommended that you're at about 3mm". A common way to test this out without investing in a special piece of tech is using a 20p coin - for this reason keeping a spare 20p coin in your car can be beneficial.

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Simply press the coin into the grooves on the tyre and see if the border of the coin 'disappears'. This test works because the outer rim of a 20p piece is "about 1.7mm", according to Pete, but if you can see the band and that section of the coin is still visible, your tyres could be unsafe and require professional inspection by a mechanic.

Your car might also warn you of another common winter tyre problem that Pete said drivers really shouldn't ignore. He said: "Of course you can pay some money at a petrol station to [check tyre pressure], but you can just buy yourself a cheap foot pump. And, in fact, most cars these days have got some kind of compressor you can plug in and check your tyre pressure."

Tyres will tend to lose some of their pressure in winter as a result of the cold environment, and this can slip into dangerous levels if not monitored carefully. Pete added: "A lot of cars will tell you if they lose pressure in the winter. Don't ignore that light if it comes on in your car.

"Check the pressure properly and put some air in your tyre. Make sure all four are where they should be based on the manufacturer's recommendations for whatever car it is that you have." Pete also suggested that car owners should "check for cracks or bulges" as the cold weather can make rubber "brittle", leading to an increased risk of flat tyres and "blowouts".

One of Pete's top tips is to make sure that your car has a spare tyre or repair kit in case of emergencies. Pete said: "There's never a good time to get a flat tyre, let's face it.

"But on a cold winter's day, when you have a flat tyre, the last thing you want to be doing is messing around with tyre inflation kits and stuff like that, if you can help it. A spare wheel, it takes, you know, 20 minutes to change. Half an hour, maybe, um, and you're on your way."

On the topic of looking after your wheel in the winter, most advice so far has been cheap. But, one suggestion might cost a lot in one go but should pay off in the long run, as Pete claims people might want to consider switching to winter tyres now.

He said: "Buying four tyres is not cheap and putting those on or paying for someone to put them on for you every year and then take them off again as the summer starts to come around? Also, not cheap."

But, Pete claims that the limited wear and tear going into two sets of tyres should lengthen the lifespan of the major investment, explaining: "If you think about it, your summer tyres are now off of your car for [four to six] months of the year, so they are getting no wear on them. Your winter tyres are and then your summer tyres go back on. You're extending the life of your summer tyres and your winter tyres will eventually, more or less, pay for themselves."

Typically, a set of four tyres will vary is cost based on tyre size, brand, and specification. Kwik-Fit suggests that a full set of four could cost around £200 for budget tyres or up to £460 or more for premium tyres.