Winter Driving Tips

Just some information I plagiarized gathered from online that I think is very useful come winter time.

Which is NOW! :D

A lot of them are common sense, but it's a good idea to still go through them as a checklist in case you forget.

I have also sent this to all my Mazda customers as my seasonal friendly reminder. Hope they don't think I'm too nosy :P

Okay let's begin:

1. Make sure your vehicle is Winter-Ready

• MAINTENANCE check-up of: battery, belts, hoses, radiator, oil, lights, brakes, tires, exhaust system, heater/defroster, wipers, and ignition system. 
• KEEP your fuel tank sufficiently full: no less than half tank. (I’m guilty of not doing this a lot of times)

• MAKE sure you have sufficient windshield washer fluid (get rated -40°C to be safe)  for those annoying frost and snow. here is how to check:

How to Check Windshield Washer Fluid Level -- powered by ehow... and this guy's infectious enthusiasm!

• YOU can check tire pressure yourself! Pressure decreases in colder climate and chances are that your tires need some air right now!

This reminds me... I gave away my pressure gauge, and now I can't check them. Shouldn't I have thought this through?



2. Stock up on necessary equipments in your car

• Snow brush/scraper
• Shovel
• Booster cables - batteries tend to die when it’s cold
• Flashlight - so that when you’re shoveling snow you don’t smash your car (based on actual personal experience =____=)
• Gloves
• First aid kit

3. Handling your car

• BRAKE early - stopping distance is considerably longer on snow/ice/slush 
• TURN off cruise control - never use cruise control in winter. There are road hazards everywhere and cruise will accelerate the car regardless. A very scary thought. 
• AVOID skidding - skidding can result from sudden, hard braking, going too fast on a curve, or accelerating too quickly. Make sure you turn on your Traction Control (if you have it)
• WHAT to do when you skid - steer in the direction of the skid, meaning steer toward where you want to go and do not floor the brake pedal. 
• IF you skid on a straight line - switch gear into neutral and brake.

Curious Rabbit has no questions today because it's getting late and I'm going to bed :)