With the winter season comes unpredictable weather conditions that can affect your ability to drive safely through snow, sleet, rain, and ice. These are the top 5 tips to keep you and your car safe when driving this winter. Read on to learn our top five tips for safe driving this winter.
Here are the tips we’ll cover in this article:
- Plan ahead: Map out your route before hitting the road
- Emergency kit: Always have a seasonal emergency kit
- Following distance: Make sure you’re keeping a safe distance between you and the car ahead
- Skidding/Sliding: Know how to get your car under control in slippery conditions
- Maintenance and repairs: Always keep up with routine maintenance and be timely with repairs
1. Plan ahead: Map out your route before hitting the road
When a big snowstorm hits, snow plough and removal services tend to focus on clearing main roads first. If you can, plan your route on main roads, and try your best to avoid smaller residential streets or alleyways.
Sometimes it’s not possible to avoid roads that are still covered by snow or ice, so be prepared for changing driving conditions.
While most provinces (except for Quebec and some highways in British Columbia) don’t legally require you to have winter tires, it is highly recommended to have them.
Learn more about using winter tires in the province of Ontario here.
2. Emergency kit: Always have a seasonal emergency kit
It’s always a good idea to have an emergency kit with you in your car, and you should be updating its contents with the changing seasons.
According to the Government of Canada, these are some items you should keep in your winter vehicle emergency kit:
- Food that won't spoil, such as energy bars
- Water—plastic bottles that won't break if the water freezes (replace them every six months)
- Blanket
- Extra clothing and shoes or boots
- First aid kit with seatbelt cutter
- Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush
- Candle in a deep can and matches
- Wind‑up flashlight
- Whistle—in case you need to attract attention
- Roadmaps
- Copy of your emergency plan
In addition, consider keeping some of the following items in your trunk:
- Sand, salt or cat litter (non-clumping)
- Antifreeze and windshield washer fluid
- Tow rope
- Jumper cables
- Fire extinguisher
- Warning light or road flares
3. Following distance: Make sure you’re keeping a safe distance between you and the car ahead
You should keep more distance between your car and the car in front of you during winter. Especially even if it doesn’t look like the roads are slippery, there is always a risk of black ice when temperatures dip below zero degrees Celsius.
So, what’s the ideal distance to keep between two cars during winter? According to the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association of Canada, in ideal conditions, it is recommended to keep a following distance of 1 second for every 3 meters of vehicle length. Consider doubling or tripling this distance depending on how bad the conditions are at the time. A rule of thumb: the worse the conditions, the wider the following distance.
4. Skidding/Sliding: Know how to get your car under control in slippery conditions
If you happen to skid or slide, you need to know how to maneuver the car safely and controlled.
How to control your car when it skids:
Here are some quick tips from Canada Drives on how to properly control a skid. Check out the full infographic below for more expert information.
- Remain calm.
- Let your tires do the work and avoid accelerating or braking.
- Steer in the direction you want to go.
- Accelerate once you’re off the ice.
See the infographic online here.
How to control your car when it slides:
Here are some quick tips from Canada Drives on how to properly control a skid. Check out the full infographic below for more expert information.
- Don’t panic.
- Don’t hit the brakes.
- Turn your steering wheel in the direction you’re sliding.
- Avoid over-steering.
See the infographic online here.
5. Maintenance and repairs: Always keep up with routine maintenance and be timely with repairs
Keeping up with routine maintenance and repairs is necessary for safe driving. Bear in mind that maintenance tasks change with the seasons, so your winter maintenance will look different than summer maintenance. Here’s a look at ten of our helpful winter car maintenance tips.
In addition to routine maintenance, be sure to make repairs as soon as you notice something is wrong with your vehicle. Your vehicle should be in optimum condition every time you drive it.
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Read more from GuardTree:
- 10 Winter car maintenance tips for Ontario drivers
- Using winter tires in Ontario: Your questions answered
- Car Maintenance Checklist: Routine car maintenance that every driver should do
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Disclaimer: This post is to be used for informational purposes only and does not constitute mechanical or other professional advice as it relates to your vehicle. Each person must consult a qualified professional with respect to matters referenced in this post. GuardTree Inc. assumes no liability whatsoever for actions taken (or not taken) in reliance upon the information contained herein.
