Winter is coming.
As this year’s hurricane season has shown, extreme weather is unpredictable and dangerous, and it’s becoming more common.
That’s why preparing for whatever winter might bring this year is crucial. We’re here to help make sure you and your car get ready.
Prepare your car first
Choosing to stay off the roads during hazardous weather is the best thing you can do to ensure your and your family’s safety. That’s not always possible, however — sometimes the weather comes unexpectedly, or sometimes you simply need to get somewhere.
Credit: SPECIAL
Credit: SPECIAL
Ensuring you have a reliable, properly serviced car is the first step to preparing for winter travel. Tires are one of the most impactful aspects of winter driving, as they provide all the grip for stopping and turning. Be sure your tires have sufficient tread depth (at least 3/16 of an inch) and the correct air pressure. Some retailers recommend replacing your tires six years after the date of manufacture, but almost all retailers and tire makers agree that if your tires are 10 years old, replace them regardless of their tread depth. Confirm that your tires are rated for the temperatures you’re likely to see in a winter storm — a critical inspection for sporty cars, which often come equipped with summer-only or three-season tires.
An often-overlooked aspect of winter car preparation is the 12-volt starter battery. Cold temperatures can make batteries perform poorly. If your battery is near the end of its service life, the winter cold may be all it takes to push it over the edge. Ensuring your car’s battery is in good condition and adequately charged is cheap insurance against getting marooned in the cold.
Finally, be sure your car’s fluids are at the proper levels. Pay special attention to the coolant system to ensure it has enough antifreeze. Check the windshield wiper reservoir and fill it with deicing fluid.
Things to keep in your car
With your car properly maintained, the next step is to keep a winter preparedness kit in the vehicle. We’ve compiled advice from the National Weather Service, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to compile this list of critical items to pack in your vehicle this winter:
Must-have:
- Ice scraper
- Work gloves
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Jumper cables
- First-aid kit
- Cellphone charging cable
- Emergency blankets, cloth blankets or sleeping bags
- Flares or LED flares
- Tire chains
Nice-to-have:
- Emergency radio
- Traction boards, sand, cat litter or other items for improving grip
- Extra clothing, especially warm gloves, socks and hats
- Chemical hand warmers
- Bottled water
- Food (High-calorie, nonperishable)
Winter driving tips
Driving in cold, icy or snowy weather might seem like driving in any other hazardous conditions, but there are some significant differences. Follow these tips for safe driving in the winter, and generally, be more cautious and mindful of your circumstances. Driving in sketchy road conditions is not the time to put your phone in your hand.
- Check the weather forecast before you head out. Knowing what’s coming can help you avoid it.
- Clear the snow and ice off your vehicle thoroughly before heading out. Don’t be that person creating unsafe conditions for everyone else with a foot of snow flying off your roof or with only a tiny clear spot in the windshield.
- Smooth out your driving inputs. Sudden braking, turning or acceleration can cause your vehicle to lose traction.
- Slow down. Stopping distances increase significantly in icy or snowy conditions, and turning is more difficult, too.
- Don’t tailgate or pass snowplows or dump trucks spreading salt and sand, which can put you and the road crews in unnecessary danger.
- Look out for crews working to clear snow and ice.
- Beware of black ice, especially on bridges or elevated roads.
Nelson Ireson is an automotive writer with Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader focused on cutting through the noise to deliver helpful, actionable information to today’s car buyers.
The Steering Column is a weekly consumer auto column from Cox Automotive. Cox Automotive and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are owned by parent company, Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises.
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