With winter just around the corner, it’s time to prepare your car for winter driving. Whether snow doesn’t land on the ground until after Christmas or before fall has officially started, you need to take a few steps to prepare yourself and your car for driving in the winter. These steps won’t help with just maintaining your vehicle, though. They’ll also help in case of an emergency, which can be serious in the winter.
5 Ways to Prepare Your Car for Winter
Install Winter Tires
In some provinces, like Quebec, installing winter tires is the law, but in others, it isn’t. Don’t leave your appointment until the last minute, otherwise you may find yourself driving in slushy or icy conditions with your summer tires on.
Update Your Emergency Car Kit
When was the last time you checked the supplies in your emergency car kit? Last year? Never?
Your emergency car kit should contain enough supplies to help with the following:
- Quick repairs
- Communication
- Visibility
- Safety
- Injury
- Sustenance
If you don’t have one at all, purchasing a survival kit and a first aid kit is an easy way to start.
Pick Up These Accessories
- Floor mats: If your floor mats are looking cracked, it’s time to pick up new ones. Melted snow from boots can seep through, eventually causing rust problems down the road.
- Wiper blades: Some companies now have blades specifically designed for the winter, and switching out your current blades is literally a snap. Using wiper blades made for the winter can save you from cursing at your poor blades at 8:14 in the morning when you’re late for work and your windshield is streaking with frost.
- Snow brush: Are the bristles on last year’s snow brush brittle and bent out of shape? Snow brushes come with a host of features these days, like telescopic arms, making it even easier for you to drive safer.
Switch Out Your Windshield Washer Fluid
Did you know that the windshield washer fluid used in the warmer months to clean off bugs and dust differs from that used in the winter? Windshield washer fluid for “bug season” contains detergents and other ingredients, whereas the solution for winter contains antifreeze.
Have leftover windshield washer fluid for the winter? Add it to your emergency kit.
Check Your Cabin Filters
Since you’ll be spending more time in your car in the winter, possibly even parked next to idling cars, a fresh filter will improve the quality of the air you breathe. But after collecting road dirt, bugs, and pollen since last winter, your cabin filter could probably use a change.
Changing your cabin filter takes only 10 minutes, and, depending on your vehicle, a new cabin filter can cost as little as $8.
Be Prepared: Winter Can Be Harsh
It doesn’t take long for a meme to travel around social media of a man sunbathing in the winter in his shorts and lumberjack shirt. Canadians take pride in their tolerance for the cold. But make no mistake: the cold can bite hard and fast when your battery dies in the middle of nowhere and you have to wait for help. Prepare your vehicle before our coldest season of the year hits. Not only will it make your ride safer and more comfortable, but it’ll also increase your chances of surviving an emergency.
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