The 5th of November should be a night to remember. There’s a song about it and everything. But if your car ends up damaged, it could become an evening you’d rather forget. That’s why we’ve put together some tips to help you protect your car on bonfire night.
Choose a safe spot to park.
Most official displays are (probably) going to take place at safe enough distance from parked cars that falling ash and debris shouldn’t make a mess of your paintwork. But it’s not impossible, depending on things like wind direction. If firework parties are going to be happening in or around the street where you normally park your car, it could make sense to be on the safe side and move it.
As with any other night of the year, a locked garage would be our top recommendation. But if that’s not possible, moving it to a quiet side street where there’s less likely to be any giddy crowds or stray bangers could be a good idea.
Chuck on a cover.
Maybe you’re hosting a display of your own and going all in on the pyrotechnics. If you’re planning for your car to be on the property and want to make sure it’s safe from embers, you could use a car cover (if parking in a garage isn’t an option).
While you’re planning your party, take a look at these tips to make sure your night is safe as well as spectacular.
If you’re driving, keep your eyes on the road.
If you’re a passenger on bonfire night, of course you should be looking out of the window, scanning the sky for explosions of colour. But if you’re the one behind the wheel, you should be more concerned about looking out for other road users – especially pedestrians who may not be easily visible in the dark (and might be more likely to walk in the road where streets are crowded due to big displays).
Bear in mind that smoke may reduce visibility, and that as well as humans behaving unusually, animals can also be spooked by loud bangs. All in all, there’s a lot of reasons to take things a little slower.
Keep your valuables out of sight.
Fireworks are a feast for the eyes – your valuables shouldn’t be. It’s never a good idea to leave things where they can easily be stolen by someone willing to smash your car window.
That applies on any night of the year, but is especially worth thinking about if big crowds are passing by. Unfortunately, the more people are around, the more chance there is of one of them doing something silly. So be sure to protect your car from thieves – as well as fireworks – on bonfire night.
Know what’s going on.
It may not be dangerous exactly, but unexpected traffic can be very annoying. Road closures, too. Be sure to check what’s going on in your area on bonfire night. That way, if you need to pop out on a 5-minute trip to the shops, it shouldn’t turn into a 45-minute slog.
