**** CAA Release
Drivers should prepare now for winter conditions, CAA says
Believe it or not, winter is quickly coming to Atlantic Canada, and CAA is reminding drivers to prepare this month for the cold, snow and ice by following a few quick tips.
Prepare the vehicle
Winter weather is hard on your vehicle and its engine. Prepare your vehicle in the fall by getting a complete check-up of your battery, ignition system, lights, brakes, exhaust system, and windshield wipers.
CAA also recommends always investing in winter tires because they help reduce breaking distance on cold, wet, ice and snow-covered roads by up to 25 per cent. Remember to check tire pressures often, especially before any highway driving, and don’t mix tires with different tread patterns – having four matching tires improves vehicle
handling.
Do this all at once by having a CAA-certified vehicle technician check your vehicle from top to bottom to ensure it’s winter-ready. CAA Approved Auto Repair Facilities are a great choice for your vehicle check-up.
Prepare the driver
It’s easy to forget what it’s like to drive in winter. We call it the “Great Canadian Memory Loss”, since every season winter conditions take drivers off guard.
The safest strategy is to avoid driving in bad weather conditions. If you must drive, check travel conditions
before heading out. Give yourself extra time and, if weather is bad, wait for conditions to improve.
Fill up on gas before you leave and try to keep the fuel tank at least half full.
Remember how important it is to see and be seen. Take the time to remove all snow from your vehicle’s hood, roof, windows and lights.
Clear all windows of frost and fog.
Stay on main roads, drive carefully, and match your speed to the road and weather conditions. Avoid passing
another vehicle when weather and road conditions are bad.
CAA also recommends you keep a winter survival kit in your trunk, which should include things like a shovel, sand, emergency food, flashlight, extra windshield washer fluid, a first aid kit and blanket.
