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Winter Driving
Winter is just around the corner. Are you and your vehicle ready to handle icy roads and snowy conditions?
Tires marked with a snowflake inside a peaked mountain meet specific snow traction performance requirements, and have been designed specifically for use in severe snow conditions.
- Have your vehicle tuned up and thoroughly inspected.
- Install snow tires that meet standards on all four wheels. Snow tires allow you to stop up to 40% sooner than all-season tires and significantly improve your vehicle's handling in winter weather.
- Install winter wiper blades.
- Make sure your tires, including your spare, are inflated to the maximum pressure shown on the tire or in your owner's manual. Do not over-inflate your tires. Recheck the pressure at least once a month.
- Always keep the gas tank at least half full and add gasoline antifreeze to every second tank.
- Top up antifreeze and transmission, brake and windshield-washer fluids.
- Make sure that tire valves are equipped with caps to keep out snow and ice.
- Dress properly - wear warm clothing.
- Carry a winter emergency kit that includes: extra antifreeze and windshield-washer fluid; a flashlight and extra batteries; blankets; a candle; matches; hazard markers or flares; a snow shovel; an ice scraper and brush; the phone number for CAA or a local towing company; sand or kitty litter; booster cables; extra hats and mitts; and chocolate or granola bars.
- Check local weather and road conditions before leaving.
- If possible, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
- Bring a map and be prepared to take an alternative route.
- Bring a cellphone.
Source : Transport Canada-Safe Driving Tips-Road Safety, February 2007. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2008. "How to drive smart this winter." Reprinted from the SMARTRISK Navigator, www.smartrisk.ca, by permission of SMARTRISK