Winter Driving Tips for Better Traction and Visibility
Winter driving can be stressful for you and hard on your vehicle. Stay safer this winter by following a few winter driving tips and regularly inspecting your tires, headlights, windshield, and wiper blades. Consult your owner’s manual for details on maintaining your vehicle’s specific components. Or, if you prefer to leave your auto inspections up to the professionals, schedule a service to winterize your car.
Winter Driving Tips & Auto Services
Here are a few helpful tips to follow while driving this winter:
- Slow down – Studies show driving at reduced speeds in bad weather is safer.
- Increase the distance between you and the car you are following.
- Don’t follow a snowplow too closely, as they can drive unpredictably.
- Store an emergency kit in your vehicle.
- Keep up with your vehicle’s routine maintenance.
Traction: Tires
Make sure your tires can handle the snow, sleet, and ice this season. Do your All-Weather Tires have adequate tread? Should you upgrade to Winter Tires this year? If you are unsure, contact Eby’s Garage for a Tires Service. Tell them how you use your vehicle and what terrain you regularly navigate. They can inspect your current tires and make recommendations to suit your needs perfectly. If you decide on new tires, they will install them with care and precision.
Tread Depth & Alignment
The tread on your tires wears down over time and with regular use. Be on the lookout for uneven tread wear and bald spots on your tires. Those conditions can result from unbalanced or misaligned wheels. Uneven tire wear can significantly shorten the life of your tires.
Air Pressure
As the temperature outside drops, so does the pressure inside your tires. Check that each tire is inflated to the factory’s recommended pressure. You can find this information in your owner’s manual and the driver’s side door jam label. Do not fill your tires to the pressure listed on the tire sidewall. That number indicates the maximum pressure the tire can safely hold and is not the recommended pressure for your car.
Winter Driving Visibility
Shorter days during the winter months mean less daylight when you are most likely to be on the road. Increase visibility to see things on the road more efficiently and be seen by others while in your vehicle.
- Make sure your headlights, fog lamps, and taillights all work correctly.
- Clean fogged lenses with toothpaste or a baking soda and water solution.
- Check that your turn signals operate correctly.
- Inspect all interior lights in the vehicle’s cabin.
- Replace burned-out bulbs and fuses, if necessary.
Windshield
A dirty or damaged windshield can increase glare and stretch oncoming headlights into distracting flares. Help improve your visibility by performing some basic windshield maintenance:
- Thoroughly wash the inside and outside of your vehicle’s windows, being careful to leave no streaks.
- Get small chips, and cracks in your windshield repaired quickly.
- Replace windshields that have large or spiderweb cracks since they reduce visibility.
- Remove dust and debris from the defroster vents so the vehicle’s HVAC system can work effectively.
Windshield Wiper Blades
Old wiper blades stand little chance of performing well on frozen windshields and in heavy snowfall. The old blades will degrade quickly, reducing their effectiveness and hindering visibility. Replace wiper blades six months old or older with a heavy-duty style designed for winter driving.
Windshield Fluid
If you experience hard freezes in your area, consider draining the old windshield fluid and replacing it with a de-icing type. It will quickly melt the frost on your windows, as well as help repel common winter debris like road salt and grime.
Winter Driving Maintenance in Boonsboro, MD
At Eby’s Garage, we are proud to be a full-service auto repair shop. Our modern facility uses the latest computer hardware and software to diagnose your vehicle. We can service all automobile makes and models and perform small truck repairs. We have provided quality auto repair and maintenance services to the Boonsboro area for over 30 years. Let our qualified technicians get your vehicle ready for winter.
Book Your Appointment
To book your vehicle appointment visit us online or call our shop at (301) 432-5130.