HUGE BLUNDER
I’m a breakdown recovery specialist – two-second mistake costs drivers £100s… and puts you in danger
A BREAKDOWN recovery specialist has warned a two-second mistake can cost drivers hundreds of pounds while also putting you in danger.
An RAC expert issued urgent advice for motorists after finding too many were leaving themselves at risk with the common blunder.
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Chris, from the RAC's technical department, revealed on YouTube how a frequent error is forgetting to unplug your dash cam which can unnecessarily drain the car's battery.
This potentially makes drivers more vulnerable to suddenly coming to a dangerous halt on motorways or in busy traffic.
It also risks more regular, expensive trips to the garage for repairs.
Drivers finding themselves abruptly breaking down have to shell out hundreds not only to be towed away but also on garage costs as well as a replacement battery.
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Chris told the West Midlands-based motoring organisation's 6,200 YouTube subscribers how to better look after their cars from home.
He described three reasons car batteries can fail, including simple ageing - highlighting how after four to six years they can turn "weak".
He also alerted drivers to the strain imposed by bursts of short trips, which can "drain the battery down because it's not recharging it".
And he also warned of an important third "battery drains" danger.
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Chris said in his : "We leave consumers plugged in - a good one is the dashcam.
"People will plug a dash cam in that's powered up all the time from the battery.
"Normally when you're using it, okay - you're using it for work and for long runs, it's fine.
"But with a combination of short runs this again can drain the battery so just disconnect all what we would call 'consumers' in the vehicle to make sure there's nothing draining that down."
A drained battery could cause you to break down in an unsafe spot - or your car could fail to start all together.
He ended his video by urging drivers: "Stay safe out there."
Dash cams are legal on British roads and don't need special permission to install yet there are rules on how they should be used.
insists they must not block any view of the road ahead, keeping the windscreen free of all obstructions to vision.
says dash cams cannot be set any further than 40mm into the swept area of the windscreen wipers.
Safety experts recommend the best place is at the top in the middle of the windscreen, next to the rearview mirror.
The RAC battery alert came as another expert mechanic revealed a simple tip which could double the life of your car and save thousands.
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The same guru also warned about one gaffe he says drivers always make when jump-starting their vehicle.
Motorists have also been advised about the dangers of wiping their windscreens instead of demisting - and also about the quick checks which can be made to keep engines healthy.
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