Cold weather comes every year, and while you might want to spend it curled up inside by a warm fire, there will always be days when you have to get out and drive somewhere. Before that happens, you need to do a few vehicle winterization tasks to make sure your car is ready and safe to drive on the winter roads.
Challenges
If you’ve ever driven on slick roads, you know winter driving is completely different from the regular driving experience. Snow, ice, and brutally cold temperatures have an effect on both the roads and your car. While there’s not much you can do about road conditions, you can control the condition of your car, and vehicle winterization is where you should start.
Prepare for the Roads
Each element of vehicle winterization has a specific, practical purpose in mind:
- Tire Treads: Slick roads mean reduced braking time. Having your tires checked as part of your vehicle winterization checklist before bad weather arrives ensures your tires will have as much grip on the road as possible. Worn tires are more likely to slip, making driving on ice even more dangerous.
- Brakes: Since you have reduced braking time, you obviously need good brakes. If your brake pads are already in need of replacement, safely stopping will be that much more difficult.
- Windshield Wipers: Winter weather can be unpredictable, so always be prepared for precipitation while on the roads. Making sure you have new, properly functioning windshield wipers as part of your vehicle winterization checklist ensures you’ll always have maximum visibility on the roads, no matter the type of precipitation.
