Information for Motorists: Winter Driving and Vehicle Maintenance Tips
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- Keep your gas tank above half-full at all times. Condensation can build up in a near-empty gas tank in extremely cold temperatures, which can cause fuel line freeze-up and no-start conditions.
- Check the weather forecast before you head out and find out the current and forecasted weather and road conditions.
- Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that builds up and can kill humans and animals quickly and silently.
- Keep your exhaust pipe clear of snow. A blocked pipe can force carbon monoxide back into your car’s interior.
- Use your snowbrush and/or ice scraper to clear your car of snow and ice, especially the entire windshield, side and rear windows, your side mirrors, front and back lights, air intake grill and don’t forget the roof.
- Make sure your windshield wipers are in good shape.
- Make sure your wipers are turned off when you turn off your car’s ignition. If you leave the wipers on and they freeze to your windshield, they will try to move when you start the car, and this can damage the wiper motor.
- Check your heater, front and rear defroster for proper operation. Do not drive with the heater in recirculation mode, because there may be too much moisture from you and the melting snow on your boots for the defroster to do its job.
- Start out slowly; gauge the weather and road conditions before you attempt to drive at the posted speed. Leave yourself lots of time so you’re not rushing to get to where you need to be.
- Leave plenty of distance between you and other cars. As winter progresses, drivers tend to feel over-confident, which can lead to accidents. Continue to drive appropriately for the road conditions.
- When turning, accelerating, or stopping, slow down to maintain control of the vehicle and avoid loss of traction on the roads.