Everyday, we need to deal with winter driving situation and it is something that we can’t escape from. We should be aware that winter driving is essentially hazardous and in some cases, stressful. Moderate wind and light snow could turn into blizzard and hailstone. We should be aware of things that increase the risks of driving. There are different things that we can do to improve our safety before driving during winter months. When ice storm emerges, we should know how to protect our family members and car. Before winter arrives, we should make sure that our car has been properly inspected. In this case, we need to make sure that our car is perfectly ready for the icy roads. In some cases, we can prepare the car on our own, but we may also need the help of qualified mechanics. There are different parts of our cars that need to be inspected, such as defroster, heater, oil level, lights, exhaust system, antifreeze, ignition system, brakes, thermostat, wiper fluids, battery and others. We should make sure that everything is a proper working order. In this case, we should keep our car safe during the winter season. Tires should be checked whether they are in proper working order.
Our cars should be properly checked to make sure they are ready for winter driving situations. Even in moderate amount of snow, improper tires could increase the risk of accidents. However, all weather radials could be appropriate for milder winter situations. In some areas, we need to regularly deal with plenty of snow and it may mean that we need proper snow tires. These tires should be ideal for dealing with snow. We should also prepare emergency kit in our car. This is important if we get stuck, especially during very cold situations. Emergency kit may include small shover, ice scraper, a bag of sand, sleeping bag, blankets, warning triangles, flares, working flaslights, spare batteries, tool kit, first aid kit, plastic bags, jumper cables, thick gloves, fully charged spare battery for smartphone, water and food. If we plan to drive for a long trip in winter condition, we should refill when the gas tank is half full. This will make sure that we will have enough fuel for emergency situations. We should also pay close attention of today’s weather forecast and if the weather doesn’t look good, it is a good thing to stay at home.
Because it’s really cold outside, many people tend to warm up their cars in the garage. However, this can be quite risky, especially because houses are poorly ventilated during winter. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a higher risk during winter and if possible, we should warm up our car outside. Because ice buildup could cause uncontrolled driving, we should wear our seatbelt. Sunlight that’s reflected off the bright white snow could distract us, so it’s more important to wear glasses. Again, we should be aware of how our car tend to handle itself during winter months. As an example, we should know whether antilock brakes and traction control are able to reduce risks during bad weather situations. If we know how these features work, we should be able to take advantage of them. We may find a deserted parking lot that’s covered with ice and snow to know how our car would handle the road surface. We should try to drive slowly at first and apply brake to know whether our car would respond properly. With this simple practice, we should know that we need to take it slow during icy situations.
