‘Flat Battery Wednesday’ to hit country, warns Halfords

Today marks the first day back at work for many Britons after the festive break – but not all of them will have a seamless commute.

Motoring retailer Halfords has warned that ‘potentially millions of motorists’ could be left stranded on what it’s dubbed ‘Flat Battery Wednesday’.

A combination of poor battery maintenance, cold temperatures and cars left unused over Christmas can leave vehicles with no juice to get drivers going in the morning, often leaving them stranded and in need of a jump-start.

In fact, the AA predicts that January 2 will be one of its busiest days of the year, with the breakdown service expecting to attend more than 13,000 incidents – 29 per cent more than usual.

Halfords says it sees demand for replacement car batteries double over the Christmas period. But the quality of the battery isn’t the only issue, as the company’s research found that Brits are pretty clueless when it comes to battery maintenance. Nearly half of motorists who were quizzed (46 per cent) said they didn’t know how to jump-start their car, while some one in six of 25-to-34-year-olds (16 per cent) said they didn’t know where to find their car’s battery.

The survey of 2,000 motorists also found that 40 per cent of Brits avoid driving at all in wintry weather. However, leaving cars unused over Christmas or only using them for local trips can result in a flat battery, as starting the car takes more energy from the battery than the alternator can put back over a short journey.

Using the heater, windscreen wipers and headlights also increases load on the battery, while cold temperatures decrease battery efficiency in general.

The AA’s patrolman of the year, George Flinton, said: “The first working day back in January is typically one of the busiest of the year for the AA, with flat batteries the main culprit.

“Over the Christmas break, many cars get left unused. That causes the output of the battery to drop which, especially for old batteries, can mean they don’t have the power to turn the engine over.”

The AA recommends taking your car on regular trips of half an hour or longer to boost the battery, or connecting it to a trickle charger if possible.