Winter Auto Safety Checklist

Slipping and sliding can have either very positive or very negative connotations depending on the time of year. During the summer, it can sound like a fun afternoon’s activity! But during the winter, the term has a whole new meaning, especially when you have to drive. Those icy and snow-filled roads can take a toll on your car and make driving even more dangerous. Check out these tips to help keep you and your car in the best shape possible for the winter to come!

• Make sure your antifreeze reservoir is full

  This chemical makes the freezing point of your car much lower and will protect your radiator from freezing throughout the night. You can either open the cap on the radiator or simply check the ‘full’ line on the side of the reservoir to ensure you have enough the last through the winter.

• Test defroster

  This handy tool can sometimes stop working at the most inopportune times. Check both front and rear defrosters to make sure all fog and crystallized ice can just melt away at the click of a button. Generally, if your air conditioning or heating is working, your defroster will be working as well, but if your defroster does not work, check out this article to learn how to fix it.

• Check tire pressure

  If you are a part of the 19% of people that properly check and inflate their tires, good for you! But for those of you that do not, Foremost® strongly suggests that you check your tire pressure before the snow hits this winter. Why? Tell us what happens if you drive with low tire pressure.

• Check tire tread

  Every year, an estimated 90 people die and 3,200 receive injuries in crashes influenced by tire aging! Use the penny test to check treads — if you can see Lincoln’s head, get new tires! If not, you’re good to go.

• Maintain a healthy battery

  Maintain a healthy auto battery to make sure you don’t end up having to jump start your car in below-freezing temperatures. Make sure headlights, passenger lights, and GPS/phone charger power sockets are all turned off before exiting your vehicle.

• Keep fuel levels high

  If you like to live on the edge when it comes to your fuel-tank levels, you may want to try otherwise this winter. Condensation can form in the empty part of your gas tank, which then freezes in winter’s cold temperatures and keeps your car from starting. The best way to avoid a frozen tank is to keep your fuel levels at least half full during the winter.

You should also check for:

• Window wiper efficiency
• Blue washer fluid
• Ignition lights
• Oil

Don’t forget to keep a warm blanket in your trunk, and of course, if you feel that conditions are too dangerous to drive, consider staying where you are and waiting it out!