5 Best Driving Tips For Winter
Do you ever feel unsafe when driving your car on ice or thick snow? If the answer is yes, then you need to know the tips in this article to help you drive better and feel safer during the winter.
Canada becomes a harsh place during the winter, and most roads either freeze or are fully covered in snow, making the road surface extremely slippery, and decreasing the visibility making your driving experience challenging to say the least.
If you don’t want to risk your and your family’s safety, pay close attention to these tips to drive safely during the winter.
5 Winter Driving Tips
We will go over some of the best winter driving tips to avoid accidents. Some of these tips are more obvious than others. However, we advise you to follow them for a better driving experience:
- Slow down: Canadian winters are harsh. Fog, black ice, slush, or snow-covered roads can make driving extremely dangerous. Drive slowly and leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front. Leaving enough room for you to stop is crucial because sometimes, no matter how careful you are, your car can slip on an icy road, and your braking distances will increase significantly. Once your vehicle starts slipping, there’s virtually no way to stop it earlier, so your best bet is to simply leave more room between you and other drivers.
- Top-up windshield fluid: Always ensure your winter washer fluid is filled up and replace wiper blades that aren’t working properly. There should be enough windshield fluid in the reservoir with a rating of the -40C temperature range. Additionally, you can carry an extra jug of windshield fluid in your car for extra safety.
- Keep the gas tank topped up: When driving in bad weather, always make sure you have enough fuel, especially if you plan on driving longer distances. In case something happens, let’s say you go the wrong way and have to drive a lot more than expected. You don’t want it to be on an empty tank in the middle of nowhere with freezing cold temperatures outside.
- Look around and be seen: Make sure all the snow on your hood, roof, windows, and lights is gone for maximum visibility. If visibility becomes poor, find a place to safely pull off the road and clean your car of the snow.
- Get winter tires: Traction is the key to safe driving during the winter, and the best way to get more traction is through high-quality winter tires. Winter tires are specifically designed to give you additional traction and control during winter.
If you are looking for a professional tire shop to install high-quality winter tires on your vehicle, look no further than McPhail Auto.
McPhail has been in the tire industry for decades and will help you keep your car safe at all times during the harsh Canadian winters. We also offer many other services if you want to check the rest of your vehicle. We provide wheel alignments, brake checks, and vehicle diagnostics.
Call us today and ask us for more tips on how to feel safer during the winter.