For Safe Holiday Travels, Get These Winter Driving Tips Down Cold

Snow and cold temperatures have already hit several parts of the country, and plenty more is on the way, so proactive motorists have wisely prepared their vehicles for winter weather. The rest of us? Well, not so much, and that lack of preparation shows in data on roadside assistance.

AAA reports that its motor clubs provided roadside service to nearly 8 million stranded motorists last winter. The travel services organization says the number of requests for jump-starts and extractions of vehicles that slid off the roadway spikes during the winter months.

Getting a car ready for winter isn’t only about stocking the trunk with equipment you should have in case of an emergency, such as jumper cables, a flashlight, a shovel, road salt or kitty litter to put under tires for better traction, as well as blankets and warm clothing in case you’re stranded. Motorists should also try to avoid emergencies in the first place by making sure their battery, tires and brakes are ready for winter.

Check the batteries. Hot summer weather accelerates battery wear so that when winter weather arrives there is less electrical power available to start the engine when you need more power to crank an ice-cold engine. AAA says January is when its motor clubs replace the highest number of batteries. Most repair facilities and auto parts stores provide free battery tests to measure the reserve capacity, and the best time to have this done is before the temperature drops below freezing.

Look at the tread wear. Bald tires may get you where you want to go in dry weather, but they can make driving treacherous when snow falls. Tires that have little or no tread depth trap snow and water underneath them, making it harder to accelerate, steer and stop. New tires — or winter tires designed for snow and ice — can greatly improve traction and prevent a collision or skidding into a ditch. Likewise, worn brakes increase stopping distances and make it harder to avoid collisions; brakes should be inspected by a qualified technician to see if fresh pads or rotors are in order.

Making sure you can see–and be seen. Experts also advise making sure you can see other vehicles and that other drivers can see you. That means all exterior lights should be working because winter is when there is the least amount of daylight and the most frequent low-visibility conditions. Among other suggestions are to get new wiper blades and make sure the windshield washer system is working because snow mixed with road salt can quickly obscure a windshield.

The AC’s not just for hot weather. If your car’s air conditioner conked out during the summer, and you were thinking of putting off the repair until spring, think again. On most vehicles, the air conditioner comes on automatically in windshield-defrost mode to dehumidify the air, which clears moisture from the glass faster. Without air conditioning, the windshield will remain fogged much longer.