As the winter season arrives in Abbotsford, the whole area, including the roads is covered with a black ice due freezing temperature. It can make the roads extremely slippery, so it’s important to be prepared for it. In this brief blog, we will share some tips to make your life easy in the winter. Whether you are a seasoned driver or relatively new, these tips will help make your journey smoother and safer.
Before you can start cruising on wet and slippery roads, you need to have the proper preparation. So how can you prepare for it? The first thing you need to do is focus on your tires. If your tires are out of grip, there will be a high chance that your car will slip when you apply brakes. Moving on, you need to keep two sets of tires for your car. One set will be used in the winter and the other will be used in the summer. It will ensure that your tires last for a longer time and keep you safe in the respective seasons. In winter, you should keep a check on the tire pressure, because they tend to decrease drastically. In B.C. if you don’t use winter tires, the police can give you a ticket and send you back home.
As a safety precaution, you might want to keep tire chains in your vehicle. These tire chains go on your tires, so you can easily travel on roads that have a frozen layer over them. However, that’s not all! Instead of normal water, you need to fill up the anti-freeze in the radiator of your car. Sometimes temperatures fall way below zero degrees, and hence the water in your radiator may freeze. In addition to all of the above, it’s also vital to keep a shovel and a traction mat in your car. Your car may get stuck in thick snow, so you need that shovel and traction mat. A set of battery jump cables is also a must in case your car doesn’t start due to intense cold.
We need to keep in mind that safety precautions are not just for cars, it’s for humans. As a result, you need to keep a first aid kit in your car. Moreover, emergency food and water, as well as warm clothing should also be kept in your car.
Keep out for:
Hydroplaning: It’s when the tires lose grip and your car skids. In such situations, it is best to ease off the accelerator. Instead of direct breaking, use engine braking to slow down your vehicle.
Black Ice: Sometimes, black ice may form on the roads and may not be visible. Since it’s unclear, there is a very high chance that you might run over black ice and skid. If you are skidding, ease off the accelerator and steer smoothly in the direction you want to go. Braking will make the skidding worse, so avoid it.
