CHECKLIST FOR SAFE WINTER DRIVING
Check your battery. When the temperature drops, so does battery power. It takes more power to start your vehicle in cold weather than in warm.
Make sure you have enough coolant in your vehicle. When coolant freezes it expands. If the coolant is low, it will expand and potentially damage your vehicle’s engine block beyond repair
Be sure you have enough windshield wiper fluid and that you use “no-freeze” fluid. You can go through a lot of windshield wiper fluid quickly in a single snowstorm.
Check your windshield wipers. Replace the blades if warn. Safe winter driving depends on maintaining the best visibility possible.
Inspect your tires. Check the tire pressure & make sure each tire is filled to the vehicle manufacturer’s suggested PSI (pounds per square inch). This information is listed on the label inside the driver’s door. Keep a tire pressure gauge in your vehicle.
TIPS FOR SAFE WINTER DRIVING
Every vehicle handles differently especially when driving on wet, icy, or snow-covered roads. Drive slowly & increase your following distance enough so that you have plenty of time to stop.
Know what kind of brakes your vehicle has & how to use them properly. If you have anti-lock brakes, apply firm pressure. If you do not have anti-lock brakes, pump the brakes gently.
If you start sliding, stay calm & ease your foot off the gas & carefully steer the vehicle in the direction you want the front of your vehicle to go. This procedure is known as “steering into the skid”, which will bring the back end of the vehicle in line with the front.
Check the weather & road conditions before you leave. Plan to leave early if necessary & plan an alternative route, if necessary, to get to your destination safely.
Carry items in your vehicle that you may need in an emergency – blankets, hats/gloves, water/food, snow shovel/broom.
If you are stalled in your vehicle, stay with your car – don’t walk somewhere to try & get help. While in your vehicle, do not run it for a long period of time with the windows up to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. If you must run the vehicle, be sure the exhaust pipe is clear of any snow. Only run the vehicle long enough to get warm.
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