From a police perspective: Are you ready for dark nights and winter weather?

This month, Sgt David Lonsdale offers advice on staying safe as the nights draw in.

With the evenings starting to get darker, this month we’ve put together a list of suggestions to help you be prepared for the winter months:

Your home
Don’t let a burglar think that no one is home. Always leave a light on in more than one room so it looks like someone is in. Use timer switches so that the lights come on as it starts to get dark, especially if you are at work or going to be out all day.
Consider installing outside sensor lights that are activated by movement, especially at the back of your property.

Your car
Make sure you check your car lights before you set off and consider carrying a spare light bulb incase a bulb blows whilst you are out. Do they need to be cleaned before you set off? Are your registration plates clean?

Make sure your windscreen washer bottle is full of water and screen wash. To run out of water in the dark on muddy roads is not a safe or pleasant experience. Check the tyres. Have they got plenty of tread on them and are they at the correct pressure? If in doubt, get them checked!

Think about what you might need if you break down in the cold. Consider keeping a blanket and a torch in the boot. Do you take a mobile phone with you and is it charged up before you set off?

Ensure that you have a can of de-icer and a window scraper in your car for those frosty nights or mornings. Always make sure that the windows and windscreen are fully clear before beginning to drive. It’s very dangerous (and an offence) to try driving with a peep hole in your windscreen! That extra few minutes cleaning your windows could save your life, or someone else’s!