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Getting Your Car Ready For Winter & Driving Safety

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NEW YORK (CBS) ― Winter weather is finally here, and traveling in the chilly temps can not only become a hassle, it can be extremely dangerous. Here are some simple steps you can use to keep your drive hassle and hazardous free.

The first step to driving safely, is being prepared. Christofpher Burdick at autoheroes.com offers these tips to get your vechicle ready for winter weather and help you keep safe behind the wheel.

Check your tires!
A good amount of tread on your tires will give you better grip than an old worn out pair of tires. Take a look at the grooves in your tires and make sure that the tire has not worn down to the tire wear bars. Wear bars are ridges of rubber that run perpendicular to the grooves on your tires. If your tires are past this point, you should replace them.
Snow tires make life easier. If you have a rear wheel drive car, or a car with low profile high performance tires, you should really consider getting snow tires installed on your car before winter. The main problem with rear wheel drive cars is that there is not much weight positioned over the rear of the car, hence not much pressure on the rear wheels to keep them from skidding. You can counter this problem by installing snow tires and by adding some weight to the trunk of your car. If you decide to use sand bags for extra weight, double bag them in trash bags before putting them in the back of your car. This will keep any sand that leaks out of the bags from spilling into your trunk and onto your carpets.

High performance tires were designed to stick like glue to dry pavement, but they usually have horrid grip in bad weather conditions. You may be able to have snow tires mounted on your factory wheels - to find out check with your dealer or any local tire dealer. If you want to take care of your fancy high performance wheels and not use them in the winter, you should invest in a set of snow tires mounted on inexpensive wheels. You can usually get these through a dealer or local tire store.

Keeping Clean
Replace your nice carpet floor mats with rubber all weather mats. Carpet mats will look awful after only one winter of sand, snow and grime being ground into their fibers. Buy some all weather mats and save your nice carpeted mats for nicer weather.

If you have to kneel outside your car in nasty weather, you can use one of your floor mats (hopefully the all-weather kind) as a cushion to protect your clothes. And of course, make sure you are a safe distance from oncoming traffic.

You Gotta See!
You should replace your windshield wipers at the end of every winter. Ice, snow and cold temperatures can crack and tear the rubber blades on your wipers. By replacing your wipers at the end of the winter, you get nice new ones to use for the spring, summer and fall. By winter they have seen very light use, so they should stand up well to harsh winter conditions.

During the winter you should also check your washer fluid every time you fill up for gas. If you are going on a long trip, make sure you have a spare gallon of washer fluid in your trunk in case you run low. It can make the difference between a safe journey and a dangerous one.

Get a Check-Up
A mechanical breakdown during the summer is usually just a nuisance, but breaking down in the winter can be very dangerous. Your car's engine performs differently during the winter, especially in very cold conditions. In order to make sure your car is in top condition and to minimize wear on your engine, you should have your mechanic check the belts, hoses, battery and coolant. Also consult your owner's manual to see if they recommend using lower weight oil during cold months.

Pack an Emergency Kit
Sometimes things go wrong and we get stranded at the side of a highway. What you have with you in these situations can make the difference between a simple delay and a nightmare. The following items can be of great help if you have unexpected problems on the road.

Flashlight with spare batteries.

Ice scraper / brush for clearing your windshield.

Sand or gravel in case you get stuck in the snow and need to get some extra traction under your wheels.

Jumper cables.

A spare jacket, blanket and work gloves.

Carry a cell phone with you at all times. Being able to call for help from your car is a big advantage over flagging down another car, or walking to get help. Make sure you have an automobile charger for your phone in your car at all times.

Here are some additional car winterization tips from e-how.com
STEP 1: Don't put off a 30,000-mile full service, if your car is due.
STEP 2: Flush the cooling system and replace the coolant.
STEP 3: Have the battery serviced (clean the battery terminal ends and add water) and load-tested to check its ability to hold a charge. If the battery is more than 4 1/2 years old, replace it.
STEP 4: Check the lights, heater and defroster.
STEP 5: Keep the gas tank as full as possible to prevent moisture from freezing in the gas lines.
STEP 6: Get a brake check if you haven't had one in the last six months.

Drive Safely
Whenever you park your car while it is snowing, raise your wipers off of the windshield of your car. This helps in two ways. First, the wiper blades won't freeze to your windshield. Second, you won't damage your wipers while clearing snow and ice off of your windshield.

Remember that in slippery conditions, your car will not be able to stop or turn as quickly as it would on dry pavement. Follow traffic at a greater distance than normal.

Always be cautious when entering an intersection, as other traffic might not be able to stop for you and may skid into the intersection. The best plan is to take everything slowly and carefully. Preventing an accident is much easier to deal with than handling the results of an accident.

The Weather Channel offers the following winter safety advice.

Driving safely on icy roads

Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.

Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.

Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.

Keep your lights and windshield clean.

Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.

Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.

Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.

Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.

Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your rear wheels skid...

Take your foot off the accelerator.

Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right.

If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.

If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.

If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse -- this is normal.

If your front wheels skid...

Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don't try to steer immediately.

As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.
If you get stuck...

Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.

Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.

Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.

Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.

Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.

Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner's manual first -- it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you're in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.

If You Become Stranded...


Do not leave your car unless you know exactly where you are, how far it is to possible help, and are certain you will improve your situation.


To attract attention, light two flares and place one at each end of the car a safe distance away. Hang a brightly colored cloth from your antenna.


If you are sure the car's exhaust pipe is not blocked, run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes every hour or so depending upon the amount of gas in the tank.


To protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia use the woolen items and blankets to keep warm.


Keep at least one window open slightly. Heavy snow and ice can seal a car shut.


Eat a hard candy to keep your mouth moist.

Find Out How To Protect Your Pets From Winter Weather

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