Sure the birds will be annoyed, but the Great Winter Storm Leon is coming through Carolina today. Review these tips for dealing with ice and frost so you stay safe on the roads:
Winter driving isn't as hard as people think it is. It just takes a little more concentration and awareness. Drive like you’re tiptoeing on ice, because you might be. Use small, slow motions. Ease on the brakes, drive like there’s an egg under the accelerator, and if you start to skid, steer in the direction you want to go and keep steady, light pressure on the gas. If you’re skidding sideways, the brake is not the pedal to press. It will just make things worse. When you brake in a straight line and the pedal starts pulsing or chattering, don’t release pressure. Keep your foot in it. That noise means the anti-lock brakes are working.
Winter driving isn't as hard as people think it is. It just takes a little more concentration and awareness. Drive like you’re tiptoeing on ice, because you might be. Use small, slow motions. Ease on the brakes, drive like there’s an egg under the accelerator, and if you start to skid, steer in the direction you want to go and keep steady, light pressure on the gas. If you’re skidding sideways, the brake is not the pedal to press. It will just make things worse. When you brake in a straight line and the pedal starts pulsing or chattering, don’t release pressure. Keep your foot in it. That noise means the anti-lock brakes are working.
Most important, slow down. Don’t leave the house unless necessary (this is splendid advice no matter what the weather’s like—traffic congestion thanks you).
In addition, make sure you have the following:
A Healthy Battery: Idling with your front and rear defrosters on high, your lights on, Lady Gaga cranked to full volume, and a coffee warmer plugged into the cigarette lighter is asking a lot of an alternator. A good battery can help manage the electrical load.
Proper Warm-Up: Plenty of people claim that letting the engine warm up any longer than it takes for the oil-pressure gauge to register is wasting gas. But a fully warmed engine is a more efficient engine. Besides, taking off in a car that hasn't warmed properly, hasn't had the windows cleared of ice or snow, and is still freezing cold inside is dangerous at worst, no fun at best.
Winter Tires: Bolt up a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks or Michelin X-Ices, and suddenly your car can actually go and possibly even stop in slippery conditions.
In addition, make sure you have the following:
A Healthy Battery: Idling with your front and rear defrosters on high, your lights on, Lady Gaga cranked to full volume, and a coffee warmer plugged into the cigarette lighter is asking a lot of an alternator. A good battery can help manage the electrical load.
Proper Warm-Up: Plenty of people claim that letting the engine warm up any longer than it takes for the oil-pressure gauge to register is wasting gas. But a fully warmed engine is a more efficient engine. Besides, taking off in a car that hasn't warmed properly, hasn't had the windows cleared of ice or snow, and is still freezing cold inside is dangerous at worst, no fun at best.
Winter Tires: Bolt up a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks or Michelin X-Ices, and suddenly your car can actually go and possibly even stop in slippery conditions.
Emergency Kits: The ideal cold-weather crisis kit consists of a thermal blanket, ten bucks in cash and two in change, a charged-up flashlight with batteries (or one of those crank-’em-up flashlights with the LED bulbs), an extra ice scraper, a five-pound bag of cheap clay cat litter (to throw under your tires when you get stuck), a small shovel, a charged-up battery booster with an extra cell-phone car-charger cable, one of those little sets of jumper cables that come in a pouch, a couple of pairs of warm gloves, a warm hat, an extra flannel sweatshirt with a hood, some paper towels, a can of aerosol spare-tire filler, a few packs of chemical hand warmers like HotHands, and a half-open box of fabric-softener sheets. Why dryer sheets? Mostly because they smell good, but when people see your kit and ask why you have dryer sheets, you can look sly and say, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Windshield Wipers
Like car batteries, windshield wipers do not improve if you ignore them. Get some premium, heavy-duty snow-and-ice wipers. A lot of these have a fabric or rubber boot to prevent moisture from accumulating and freezing their moving parts. Be sure your washer fluid is filled with a good winter solution.
Your Gas Tank
Keep it full. More gas means more weight, which can mean better traction. Also, a gas tank nearing empty is more susceptible to condensation, which can form in the tank and then freeze in your fuel lines, preventing your car from starting.
In addition:
In addition:
Four- or All-Wheel Drive and Traction and Stability Control.
That cover it? Good. Be careful out there.
