Winterized Vehicles

I know I am not the only one that absolutely loved the snow this morning.  I was lucky enough to drive the kids to school during the 20 minutes that it was acutally snowing.  I must say I very much enjoyed (no, I am not being sarcastic) driving slow in the winter weather.  Ahh, I love winter snow.

But, this brings us to an important point in the year.  Time to winterize your car!

Last time we learned how to make a portable heater for your car.  Now I have a list of other essential items and suggestions to keep you traveling safe during the winter months ahead.

First of all see that you have what you need to make simple repairs or change a tire on the go.  You should already have these in your vehicle.  Items you want may include:

• jumper cables
• wrench
• pliers
• screwdriver
• spare tire - make sure it has enough air in it

Next, add some items for emergencies - the most likely being that you could get stranded in the cold.  Helpful items might include:

• portable car heater
• blankets
• gloves
• snow scraper
• flashlight
• batteries
• matches
• flares or reflective triangle
• first-aid supplies
• whistle
• old carpet strip or kitty litter for traction
• energy bars or other snacks
• card games or other entertainment

And a few tips during winter travel season:

• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged when going out -or- have some change in the car for phone calls (if you are lucky enough to be near civilization).
• Keep the gas tank in your vehicle at least 1/2 full all the time.  Then, if you are stranded you should have some time to keep the car warm by running the engine.  This will also help prevent gas lines from freezing.
• Keep a safe distance from the car in front of you.
• Brake sooner and slower than usual and turn slower when in slippery conditions.

Finally, how to effectively winterize your car to avoid being stranded on the side of the road.

Remove leaves, twigs and other debris

Check your tires' condition - put on snow tires if you have them

Check tire pressure

Check to see that all lights are working

Check your heater and defrost system

Have your brakes checked

Check your windshield wiper blades and fluid

Make sure battery is fully charged

Check the anti-freeze, which may not need changing (see owner's manual)

Get your emergency car kit and put it in the car

Check out this link to an interesting article from Get Gephardt about winterizing and driving in the snow:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=22681029&nid=1105&title=gephardt-gets-it-winterizing-your-car-could-save-lives&s_cid=queue-16

Hope you found these tips helpful.  Now is the time to be prepared - before the disaster strikes.