HUDDERSFIELD drivers have been warned to check their cars carefully - and carry supplies in case of a breakdown.
Cold and wet weather and the return to work in the new year are set to combine to produce the year's busiest period for breakdowns, the AA said.
The motoring organisation was called to fewer than 3,000 breakdowns on Christmas Day. It was the quietest day of the year and the quietest Christmas since at least 1997.
But the holidays generally are busy, and the first business day of the new year is traditionally the busiest of the year for breakdowns.
The AA expects to attend 20,000 incidents on Tuesday and will be standing by with extra patrols.
AA road operations director Steve Dewey said: "On Tuesday morning, millions of cars will return to the commuting trip, many after being left standing for days in cold conditions.
"Add to this the expected rush-hour congestion and potentially cold and wet conditions and this usually adds up to the busiest day of the year for us."
The AA urged motorists to give themselves plenty of time to prepare.
They should take an ice-scraper, de-icer, food, blanket and a warning triangle in the car in case they find themselves caught out.
Other winter advice includes:
* Keep to main roads as they are more likely to be gritted
* Only drive as fast as conditions allow. Stopping distances are ten times longer in ice and snow
* Check oil and anti-freeze levels, battery, lights and tyre tread and pressures.
