Chris Auffenberg

While some activities are made more fun in the snow, driving isn’t one of them. If you do have to brave the snow and ice-covered roads, it’s important that you follow some basic winter driving guidelines to keep yourself and everyone else on the road safe. Check out our 5 habits for safe winter driving below.

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5 Habits for Safe Winter Driving

Check Your Tires Often

Having properly inflated tires is one of the best things that you can do to ensure that your vehicle performs its best in the snow. Fluctuating winter temperatures cause tires to lose air more rapidly than during other times of the year. So, our regular guideline of checking your tires when you fill up for gas may not be enough. Get in the habit of visually checking your tires before each trip and checking with a tire gauge any time the temps fluctuate in winter.

Keep Your Gas Tank Full

This habit is one that many of us know but are guilty of breaking. To make sure your gas lines don’t freeze, you should be keeping your gas tank at least half full all of the time in winter. This will keep your gas lines healthy and will also help you avoid being stuck on the side of the road in the cold because you ran out.

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Slow Down

This tip is also obvious but cannot be said enough. Accelerating, braking, turning, or traveling over ice and snow too fast is dangerous and is the reason for far too many accidents in the winter. Get in the habit of giving yourself an extra 15 minutes or more to reach your destination so you aren’t rushing.

Keep Cruise Control Off

Cruise control is one of our favorite amenities, but on snow and ice-covered roads you should leave it off. It can lead to inattentive driving and does not give you as much control over the pedals as manual operation.

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Fully Clear Off Your Car

We have all seen the drivers who scrape off a little circle on their windshield and head out on to the roads. Get in the habit of clearing off as much ice and snow from your vehicle as possible before heading out. Even if the snow isn’t causing you visibility problems now, it could shift onto your windshield or rear window while driving or it could fly off of your car causing visibility problems for the car behind you.