Published 30 April 2025
Festival-Goers Guide: How to avoid breakdown disasters
The warmer weather brings sunshine, bank holidays, and opportunities to venture out and immerse yourself in the UK’s vibrant festival scene. However, the long queues, overloaded cars, lengthy travel times and summer heat, can lead to challenges for cars and drivers alike.
So, to help you steer clear of any mishaps, we’re sharing our top tips on how to avoid car trouble when heading to your favourite festival this summer…
Check your wheels are in good shape
Before setting off on any long journey, it’s important to check your car over,
-
Check your tyre pressure
-
Check your tyre tread
- If your tyres are in need of some air, you can pump them up at your local petrol station using the air machine.
- Set the machine to your required pressure (find these details in your car manual) and connect the hose until you hear the beep.
- Check your car manual for the tyre details of your car – and remember, the pressure often needs to change depending how many bags and people you’re travelling with.
- Check your tyres and make sure the tread’s not too low before heading on a long drive – the minimum legal tread depth for cars is 1.6 mm across three-quarters of the tyre's width and the entire circumference.
- As a rule of thumb, insert a 20p coin into one of the three main grooves - if you can’t see the outer rim of the coin, you’re good to go!
- Don’t forget to also check your spare tyre. The last thing you want to do is replace a popped tyre with another unsafe tyre!
Don't overpack
It’s easy to get carried away when packing for a festival, or any trip; from outfits, to camping gear and all the snacks in between - but overpacking isn’t great for long car rides. Not only does it make for a crammed, less fuel-efficient vehicle, lots of added weight can change how the car feels and handles. Remember, you’ll need to increase your tyre pressure before you set off if you’re driving with a heavy load.
Heavy loads can also increase the time it takes to start and stop the vehicle which can be dangerous.
Fuel-up before hitting the road
Make sure you’re fuelled up before you set off, and plan where to refuel (that applies to the car and yourself!) along the way. The last thing you want is to run out of juice on the motorway – not only is it going to impact your journey time, but it can also damage your car by overheating the pump.
Stopping to refuel gives your car the top up it needs, and gives you the chance to take a break and stretch your legs - we recommend taking a break every two hours of driving to be on the safe side, especially if you’re not used to long drives.
Pack plenty of food
Queues at festivals are part of the experience, but one of the longest queues you’ll come across, is the line of cars to get into the festival car park.
With plenty of cars being stopped to check parking permits, you’ll likely be waiting a while to get in. So, be sure to pack your favourite snacks and lots of water before you get going on the journey ahead – so you’re prepared for any hold-ups.
What to do if your car gets stuck in the mud
Bad weather is unpredictable and can often strike a festival, leaving you and your vehicle in a sticky situation. The last thing you want is to prolong your journey because your car’s stuck in the mud!
Here’s what to do if your car gets stuck in the mud:
- Reduce the weight of your vehicle such as removing passengers and luggage.
- Accelerate slowly without spinning the wheels as this may cause you to sink deeper.
- Put your car mats in front of your wheels to gain traction.
Top tips:
• Having something on hand to help you dig your wheels out from the soft mud will save the day
• Consider keeping a bag of cat litter in the boot in case you need to make traction… yes, really!
