Feel that chill in the air? That's winter knocking on our collective door. The first snowfalls are mere days, hopefully weeks away, and preparing yourself and your car for the worse driving conditions is essential.
Mishaps do happen and not only to others. Therefore, keeping a few simple tools handy and checking some key elements before tackling the road can save you much hassle, and even your life when things get really bad. We've compiled a short list of inspection tips and essential equipment that will help you survive our harsh Canadian winter reality.
Don't drive before you do this
After installing your winter tires, make sure the bolts are tight and the tires are properly inflated. We also highly recommended to check all four tires before every use (or at least at every fill-up) to ensure they're not under-inflated – this can lead to traction problems on the road. It's a good idea to invest in a small 12V pump that plugs into the cigarette lighter. This is a tool that will prove useful all year round.
Check the levels of coolant and windshield washer fluid. Minimally keeping a gallon of fluid in your trunk is a good idea as well, as is carrying a small canister of lock de-icer in your jacket to unfreeze your door locks.
If you haven't checked the condition of your spare tire, jack or tire iron in a while, know that you should take them out of the trunk and test them once a year or when changing your tires, to ensure everything is working properly.
Finally, and we don't need to tell you this, dress warmly according to the weather, with gloves, a scarf, boots and a warm coat. They'll very likely keep you from uttering some choice cusswords should you ever experience a mechanical failure, get into an accident, etc.
Recovering your car from winter's grip
An ice scraper and snow brush are essential to ensuring good visibility, but it's also handy to keep traction aids and a shovel in the car, in case your vehicle is buried under a mountain of snow or spinning endlessly on an ice patch. With all this equipment on hand, a large majority of possible minor misfortunes will be easily dealt with - with a little effort and patience.
Stranded
A cell phone – not that you would you ever leave home without it – and its accompanying charger will save you a great deal of time and worry. Even if you remember to bring them, you may have to wait a long time for the emergency services to reach you in the event of a wipeout.
In this situation, you may end up running out of gas hence why keeping as full a tank as possible will not only prevent the fuel from freezing, but it will also allow you to keep the heater going longer. However, candles and a few blankets will help keep occupants warm if you have no choice but to turn the engine off. It's also a great idea to keep booster cables in the trunk to jump-start the car in case should the battery be kaput.
Emergency kit
Visibility and staying visible in the worst winter weather are essential. Emergency flares will enable other motorists to spot you from afar thus avoiding an unwanted collision. If you're lucky, someone may even stop to help. A flashlight and spare batteries are also useful if you need to work in the dark or walk along a poorly lit road. Finally, a first aid kit is crucial to help treat injuries.
Mishaps do happen and not only to others. Therefore, keeping a few simple tools handy and checking some key elements before tackling the road can save you much hassle, and even your life when things get really bad. We've compiled a short list of inspection tips and essential equipment that will help you survive our harsh Canadian winter reality.
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| Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com |
Don't drive before you do this
After installing your winter tires, make sure the bolts are tight and the tires are properly inflated. We also highly recommended to check all four tires before every use (or at least at every fill-up) to ensure they're not under-inflated – this can lead to traction problems on the road. It's a good idea to invest in a small 12V pump that plugs into the cigarette lighter. This is a tool that will prove useful all year round.
Check the levels of coolant and windshield washer fluid. Minimally keeping a gallon of fluid in your trunk is a good idea as well, as is carrying a small canister of lock de-icer in your jacket to unfreeze your door locks.
If you haven't checked the condition of your spare tire, jack or tire iron in a while, know that you should take them out of the trunk and test them once a year or when changing your tires, to ensure everything is working properly.
Finally, and we don't need to tell you this, dress warmly according to the weather, with gloves, a scarf, boots and a warm coat. They'll very likely keep you from uttering some choice cusswords should you ever experience a mechanical failure, get into an accident, etc.
Recovering your car from winter's grip
An ice scraper and snow brush are essential to ensuring good visibility, but it's also handy to keep traction aids and a shovel in the car, in case your vehicle is buried under a mountain of snow or spinning endlessly on an ice patch. With all this equipment on hand, a large majority of possible minor misfortunes will be easily dealt with - with a little effort and patience.
Stranded
A cell phone – not that you would you ever leave home without it – and its accompanying charger will save you a great deal of time and worry. Even if you remember to bring them, you may have to wait a long time for the emergency services to reach you in the event of a wipeout.
In this situation, you may end up running out of gas hence why keeping as full a tank as possible will not only prevent the fuel from freezing, but it will also allow you to keep the heater going longer. However, candles and a few blankets will help keep occupants warm if you have no choice but to turn the engine off. It's also a great idea to keep booster cables in the trunk to jump-start the car in case should the battery be kaput.
Emergency kit
Visibility and staying visible in the worst winter weather are essential. Emergency flares will enable other motorists to spot you from afar thus avoiding an unwanted collision. If you're lucky, someone may even stop to help. A flashlight and spare batteries are also useful if you need to work in the dark or walk along a poorly lit road. Finally, a first aid kit is crucial to help treat injuries.