In the Midwest, things can get pretty harsh on the roads during wintertime. The ice and snow that winter dumps on us can be a hazard to drive in. But there are things you can do to make driving in the snow safer.
Follow these tips from Blain’s Farm & Fleet to stay safe on snow-covered roads this winter.
By following these tips, you can take a lot of the stress and danger out of driving in the snow. It all starts with preparing your vehicle.
Investing in some key winter parts and products for your car or truck can make a huge difference in your winter driving safety.
The main thing that makes driving in snow difficult is how easy it is to lose traction. The slick roads can cause you to slip while braking or spin out while turning. Investing in a set of snow tires for your car or truck will give you superior winter traction for years to come.
If you can’t afford snow tires, make sure your tires have at least 5/32″ of tread on them. If they have less than 5/32″, they are not suitable for driving in snow. You can measure your tire tread depth with a tire tread depth gauge.
Learn more about preparing your tires for winter on our blog.
Another dangerous part of driving in snow is the way snow and slush tend to stick to your windshield.
Winter windshield wiper blades are specially designed to remove snow and ice from your windshield. Learn more about the benefits of winter windshield wipers on our blog.
Treating your windows and windshield with a glass treatment that repels water will make it much easier to scrape and brush the snow and ice from your windshield.
This will save you a lot of time that you would’ve spent scraping your car off after a snowstorm.
This will prevent your fuel lines from freezing in cold weather. Use a gas line dryer in gas tank engines, and a diesel fuel treatment in diesel engines. There are also some fuel additives that work in both types.
If you drive an electric vehicle, try to keep your heat and seat warmers as low as you can to help save battery power.
Before driving in the winter, make sure there isn’t any snow or ice clogging your exhaust pipe. If there is, clean it out.
If something is blocking it, it can cause carbon monoxide to leak into your car while it’s running, which is deadly.
Once you’ve prepared your car or truck for winter driving, you’re ready to hit the road. Following these driving tips will help you keep you, your passengers, and other drivers safe.
The faster you drive, the less time you leave for your tires to dig into the snow and get good traction.
Slow down, and give them time to sink in and get a good hold on the road surface. Do this whether you’re driving straight, braking, or turning. No matter what you’re doing, do it all slower.
This might go without saying, but also make sure you are not using cruise control when driving in wintry conditions.
Brake twice as early as you normally would to allow your car or truck enough room to stop if it slips. Coasting a bit to let your car slow down naturally before braking is also a good practice.
Get into the habit of starting to slow down and stepping on the brake pedal long before you would on a dry road.
Take turns and lane changes at half speed to prevent yourself from losing control if your car or truck slips. This means that you should not only perform driving maneuvers at lower speeds than you would on a dry road. But you should also take wider turns and make more gradual lane changes, when possible.
Also, when crossing traffic, wait for an opening that’s much longer than you normally would. You’ll need the extra time to cross the road if your wheels start to slip.
At Blain’s Farm & Fleet, we want you to stay safe and be ready for whatever winter throws at you and your vehicle. Be prepared with car emergency kits, battery chargers, and more from your local Blain’s Farm & Fleet store.
For more driving safety tips, check out our Automotive Blog.
