canadian winter

How We Should Prepare Ourselves & Our Vehicles For Winter

It’s that time of year again, the leaves are falling and the temperature is dropping. Even though winter doesn’t technically begin until December 21 we are nearing the time when snow can begin flying at any moment!

We prepare for winter by wearing warmer clothes, drinking warmer fluids, and wearing shoes with more traction. In a sense, our vehicles work the same way and we need to prepare them for winter as well. Winterize and tune up in October or early November to ensure your vehicle is in working order; you want to make sure your heating is working properly, and your fluids and tires are winter friendly.

In this winter article we will touch on the need to do some pre-winter maintenance on our vehicles and make some adjustments to our driving behaviours for the colder weather.

 Pre-Winter Maintenance

There are a number of things we need to check before winter comes to ensure our vehicles are ready for whatever the winter will throw at us. During a maintenance check up, you want to make sure the battery, brakes, cooling/heating, exhaust, belts, etc. are all checked.

While everything is being checked, it is also a great idea to use your appointment with the mechanic to change your oil and install winter tires. Make things as simple as possible by doing it all at once!

Top up your fluids

Put in your winter washer fluid. Even if you don’t get much snow where you live, winter washer fluid won’t freeze up and cause more problems. Be prepared for anything by keeping spare washer fluid in your trunk.

Change the tires

Some drivers install their winter tires at the last minute, or after a big snowfall. Proactive drivers know that winter tires aren’t just better in the snow; they are also more effective in colder weather than summer or all-season tires. When the average temperature drops below 7°C, consider putting on your winter tires! Schedule a convenient date for winter maintenance and have your tires swapped out.

 Creating Winterized Habits

It’s not just our vehicles that need to be winterized, it’s our driving habits too! Here are some examples we need to consider:

• Once the snow hits, we have to wake up earlier to make sure we have the time to do things such as clean snow off our vehicles and shovel out our driveway.

• On the road, we need to realize that our stopping distances are now longer. Winter tires can’t do everything; we need to keep more space, drive slower for the road conditions, and be more cautious.

• When the roads become icy, snowy, or slushy, remember to accelerate gently and brake early and smoothly to slow down.

Check the Forecast

Before going to bed, it’s a good idea to check the weather for the next day to pre-plan your drive. Being alerted of adverse conditions in advance will give you more time to plan an alternate route, leave earlier, or postpone your trip if necessary and possible.

While getting ready for your day, take the opportunity to listen to weather and traffic. A little planning can sometimes make the long way to your destination shorter than your regular route if there are problems.

Do you have any tips to share? How do you prepare for winter? Feel free to share your own tips that could help other readers!

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Here are some other helpful posts on winter:

• Save on Gas This Winter With These 3 Tips
• Hootie’s Words of WINTER Wisdom
• Driving While Sick, Why You May Be Distracted or Impaired

Save On Gas This Winter With These 3 Tips

By Matthew James Earle, A Novice Driver ~

Who doesn’t want a lower gas bill and tips on driving safer in this crazy Canadian winter? Well hopefully that is why you’re here. We have had posts already this winter on some quick tips about winter and adverse driving conditions, but now it’s time to get more specific. This post will be more of a refresher but at times might feel like a this-guy-is-trying-to-tell-me-what-to-do kind of post. Either way, just enjoy it(that is an order)!

ClearTheAir.org

Don’t Idle For More Than 30s

Unless you’re at a high traffic stop light or warming up your car, try not to keep the engine of your car running while not moving for too long. If you’re already pulled over/in-park and waiting for a pickup, do your part in helping the environment—turn off your car. You should also try to avoid using a drive-thru for grabbing food or refreshments, or at the very least go during the least amount of traffic to avoid being idle for too long.

Don’t Warm Your Car For Too Long

Try not to over warm your car on those frigid early mornings. If you changed your oil just before winter started it should take roughly 1 minute for everything to be in working order. Warm it for too long and you can wear down your engine, and help tear up the environment. Warm it just right and be rewarded with warmth and fuel conservation. But keep in mind every car is different and may take longer or shorter amounts of time for them to be ready; I’m sure you know your own vehicle better than me.

Apply A Gingerly Touch To The Gas Pedal

You shouldn’t be speeding anyway, but you also don’t want to be holding up traffic—go with the flow. Only use as much gas as necessary and don’t race to stop lights and stop signs. Slow down at those lights early by letting off the gas pedal, if you’re lucky it might even change back to green before your very eyes! Also remember to accelerate smoothly—sticking the pedal to the medal every time you need to speed up won’t help your gas bill, and it might even get you stuck in the snow or lose control— contrary to popular belief, snow tires are not Superman.

Don’t be afraid to try these out for yourself. Maybe your New Year’s Resolution could be to become a safer and more economically friendly driver?

Look out for more of our tips by following this blog, and connecting with us on Facebook and Twitter if you haven’t already! Got any of your own tips on saving gas in the winter? Add them in the comment section below!

Here are some other resources that may help you out this winter:

Hooties Words Of WINTER Wisdom (Blog Post)

On The Road This Season? 4 Things to Watch For To Remain Jolly (Blog Post)

Safe Driving Tip: Winter Driving, How To Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter (YouTube)

Safe Driving Tip: Skid Control, How To Control A Skidding Car (YouTube)

Emergency Preparedness (Checklist)